Days: 7 days time: December per capita: 12500 yuan and who: husband and wife play: photography, petty bourgeoisie, group, Humanities

1 Carr's Jr. Mohave grand desert Tango outlets, centre Valley, California

2 Death Valley National Park Asian cafeteria

3 Hoover Dam Grand Canyon National Park

4 juchunlou SHUNFA supermarket

5 San Diego Old City San Diego harbor San Diego Balboa Park

6 Universal Studio Hollywood

There is no itinerary for day 7~

Show all 7 days away

Day 1

2013-12-07

With the cold winter quietly into the side, let us bathe in the warm winter sun.   In the early winter season, I followed the local Chinese travel agency to participate in the seven day winter tour to the west of the United States.   Starting from the San Francisco Bay area, we visited the famous tourist attractions of the western United States, such as the valley of death (also known as the hot valley), the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Santiago and Losangeles, and visited the universal studios of Hollywood. From the most ancient plain gorge desert to the modern brilliant city light, from emotion to soul, it seems to span the whole time and space. The journey lasted seven days and six nights, and the bus traveled a full 2000 miles. The journey was rich and profound.

Route map

All the way up the mountains, big white clouds float freely in the blue sky... Along Highway 5 across the largest valley plain in the United States. Black earth, orchards, the St. Louis canal, provide nearly half of the food of the United States.

Rest in the town of Holister, a famous orchard and California fruit producer. The small town fruit house sells all kinds of rare California fruits.

The beautiful St. Louis Lake beside highway 5 is an artificial lake or reservoir. Because it rains less in California,   Many reservoirs are used to store rainwater for residents. At the same time, they are very good landscapes. It's so-called killing two birds with one stone!

Near noon, the tour guide arranged for us to stay in a kalstar restaurant on the Zhonggu plain   There are many kinds of lunch in Raffles fast food restaurant. The price is affordable and the taste is not so exciting. It's very suitable for us Chinese. We bought a set meal with drinks and less than $20 in taxes. Later, a group friend taught us that in the future, they only need to buy a drink, because the fast food restaurant only recognizes their cup, regardless of how many times the cup is filled with drinks. Buy a drink or coffee can choose any variety, any refill. But I still couldn't get used to cold drinks. I asked the waiter for hot water to make a cup of tea.

Tip: American fast food restaurants generally don't provide hot water. But if you buy their fast food, you can ask the waiter for free hot water (you need to prepare your own cup) and make tea (you can bring your own tea).

The bus goes all the way up the mountain road, which is the remnant of the Sierra Nevada. The snow on the top of the mountain is flying with the wind. The mountains are covered with white, and the silver is wrapped in plain clothes. All kinds of vehicles roar away on the road, as if they don't care about the snow. In the distance, the fans of the wind power station line up, countless. Here, the combination of natural landscape and artificial development forms a unique landscape line, which is both admirable and spectacular.   There was a commotion in the car. Everyone raised their cameras one after another, and some even occupied the window to leave this memorable moment. After the top of the mountain, the snow suddenly disappeared. The sun is shining down through the big clouds, and small golden waves are rising on the ground. The Mohave desert has arrived.

Mohabi desert

The first day of the tour arranged by the travel agency was a shopping competition.   Some young people can't wait for the car to stop at the tango outlets shopping center near Las Vegas. Maybe it's just in the double festival (Thanksgiving & Christmas) peak season, maybe the famous brand goods here are really on sale at an amazing rate（ For example, the price of coach bags of the same model we bought in outlets in Pennsylvania in September was twice as high as here.) No wonder those familiar girls come to the United States with a carry on bag and credit card. All the consumption after they come to the United States, including the suitcases used to transport fashion, are purchased in the United States.

In the evening, stay at Ramada Hotel, which is not big, but warm and comfortable. The room is large and clean, with free WiFi, TV, coffee machine, refrigerator, microwave oven, hair dryer and other facilities. There is also a free breakfast. Although there are not many varieties, it's enough to fill the stomach. The fly in the ointment was that the air conditioner in the room sounded a little loud, but the group members agreed that the hotel was very affordable and the service was in place. According to the guide's advice, leave the room with a $1 tip, and leave a $1 / person tip on the breakfast table  - be most willing to!

Tip: because Americans don't like to wear shoes at home, there are no slippers in American hotel rooms. In addition, it is said that the more high-end hotels charge, and the store thinks that you can afford to stay in such an expensive hotel, there is no shortage of extra money (such as breakfast, WiFi, etc.). However, the rooms in American hotels are basically equipped with coffee machines, small bags of coffee, disposable paper cups and plastic cups. For those of us who are used to hot tea, the coffee machine is a good tool to quench thirst and fatigue. It is not only used to make coffee, but also used to make tea with boiling water, instant noodles and cereal.

Day 2

2013-12-08

There are not many kinds of cafeterias, but enough to eat and drink.

Today's main trip is to visit Hot Valley National Park. This place, called penetrating the earth's architecture, has a frightening name  -  Valley of death.   Lianlu River, badlands, sand dunes and the worst water and salt fields in the United States are all full of mysterious and confusing, empty and hard to find life, which makes people love and fear it. It is the extreme place of the lowest point in the western world - below 285 feet above sea level. The rarest is its unique geological features: sand dunes,   Sandstone, colored rock, crater and salt lake are distributed in them. The summer climate here is extremely hot. Beat an egg on the road and fry the poached egg immediately!   In 1927, it set a record of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (56.7 degrees Celsius) in the Western Hemisphere, the highest surface temperature ever recorded in the world. With an area of 13600 square kilometers, dead valley national park is the largest national park in the United States, with more than 1 million tourists coming to visit it every year.   Maybe it's because of winter. Today, there are not too many tourists. We are shuttling through the vast and empty scenery, enjoying the purification of vision and soul, and indulge our dreams

Death Valley is a valley of faults, with snow above and salt below. Notice the white salt on the ground and the horizontal line of the mountain. This is the lowest point in the world.

Boy scouts also come here to feel the magic of nature

What the Americans call desert is actually the Gobi. It's not easy to see such dense green plants on the Gobi. You know, this is the world famous "hottest, lowest, driest" place. The annual rainfall is only 2-4mm.

The tourist center in the National Park.

Dinner was arranged in a Chinese restaurant with "Asian buffet" along the way. According to the guide, there is only one Chinese restaurant nearby. It's really good to go in and have a look. There are all kinds of seafood and Japanese food, and the taste is also good. The per capita consumption, including tea water tax, is only $11.5, much cheaper than that in China!

Arrive at our destination after dinner  -  Las Vegas, a famous tourist resort, was already dark. The last program today is a night tour of Las Vegas. The tour guide took us on buses, off buses and on foot, along the Las Vegas Avenue, touring the luxury hotels in the city, watching water shows, light shows and street singing and dancing performances. It is said that Las Vegas has nine of the top ten luxury hotels in the world. It was a bustling and colorful night. It was hard to believe that it was a desert city.

Among the three college students we went with, two boys were French boys and the other girls were Yemenis.

Stay at the Circus Hotel   Like many hotels in Las Vegas, the podium of this hotel is a big entertainment place. With 4100 rooms, the hotel is luxurious in appearance, but the facilities in the rooms are ordinary. Our 13th floor room didn't even have a coffee machine, let alone a refrigerator and microwave. The guide explained that because there were too many rooms in the hotel, it was difficult to configure all the rooms. In fact, another major reason is to encourage customers to go shopping. There are many shops around, so it's convenient to shop. The hot water in the store is 0.75/cup. Although it's cheap, it's inconvenient. Later, I stayed on the 9th floor of the hotel during another tour, and all the rooms on that floor were equipped with coffee machines. Of course, there is WiFi in every room, which is convenient for tourists to go out.

Day 3

2013-12-09

Our bus leaves Las Vegas in the early morning and arrives at Hoover Dam in an hour. The dam was built in 1930 by the U.S. government to use the Colorado River to store water and generate electricity. It was completed in 1936. The dam, 221 meters high, was the largest in the world at that time. The Colorado River is also the longest and largest river in the United States. Driving to the top of the dam and overlooking the panoramic view of the dam from the window, the grand project in the arms of the mountains still looks majestic today. What's more, it still undertakes the important responsibility of energy supply in the western United States. I can't help but respect its designers.

Some people say that the Grand Canyon is a place one must go in one's life. It is said that the formation of the Grand Canyon originated from the retreat of the sea one million years ago. The river that had sunk 1500 meters deep into the sea was exposed. After years of river erosion, a ditch was washed out. This is the Grand Canyon, and that river is the Colorado River. So the Grand Canyon was cut by the Colorado River. As one of the seven wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon is located in the corolla plateau, with an altitude of 2100 meters. The mountain opposite the canyon is 2400 meters above sea level. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and one mile deep. It is vast, steep and magnificent. Another characteristic of the canyon is its colorful color. The canyon is pink, red, purple, yellow and gray. It shows different splendor under the sunlight, which is amazing.   It attracts about 4 million tourists every year,   In early winter, the Grand Canyon is covered with snow, and the temperature is - 18 to - 8 degrees centigrade. We were dressed in assault suits, scarves and hats, fully armed and chilled to the bone.   Since it takes four and a half hours to drive from Las Vegas to the South Grand Canyon one-way, it's already noon to arrive at the Grand Canyon even though it starts at 6:00 in the morning. The tour guide has bought the IMAX tickets for 12:30pm in advance. As soon as we get out of the car, we rush to the cinema to watch the giant screen movie that comprehensively describes the Grand Canyon. According to reports, it was shot 30 years ago with an investment of 24 million US dollars. The quality of the film is very good. At least it is still very shocking today.   After watching the movie, I had a buffet lunch in the restaurant outside the cinema, filled my stomach and went shopping for a while. In the afternoon, the sun is high in the blue sky, the wind is not strong, and the air is fresh. This is also the warmest time of the season in the Grand Canyon. However, it's still freezing outside at minus 8 degrees centigrade, but I'm attracted by the Grand Canyon's magnificent appearance. I feel that I can hold on for a while in the warm sun. I go out to take photos of scenic spots. I can't stand it, so I get into the air-conditioned bus.

When watching IMAX movies in cinemas, no matter from the perspective of shooting, the breadth of vision, or the narration of the formation process of the Grand Canyon, you can't get it from the on-site visit. It's very worth seeing!

Buffet Chinese food, in addition to rice, apple and yogurt, one cup of tea, $9 per person. The food doesn't sell well. It tastes good.

After visiting the Grand Canyon, the bus goes back to Las Vegas along the same road and stays at the circus hotel. After 9 hours of driving (back and forth), we felt physically and mentally tired and thought that we had to catch up early tomorrow. In order to conserve our energy for the next few days, we didn't go out for a night tour any more. We had a rest after supper.

Day 4

2013-12-10

Starting from Las Vegas at 7:00 in the morning, the 55 seat bus has only 26 tourists, two seats for one, which is very comfortable. Lunch buffet in a Chinese restaurant called "juchunlou" at noon is $13 per person, with less variety and no special features.

It was nearly evening when we arrived in Los Angeles, and then we started a sightseeing tour in downtown Los Angeles. In the warm winter sun, we stroll along the famous Hollywood avenue of stars, visit the Chinese Theater built in 1926 and the Dolby theater, the place where the world's largest film festival Oscar awards are presented, and enjoy the fingerprints and footprints of famous stars.   Unfortunately, due to the time constraint, I only roughly recognize Michael Jackson and John Woo's two stars. If Shirley Temple is also on this list, I have to look for them anyway.

After work, the sunset shines on the streets of Los Angeles, and the busy city gradually enters the night

Los Angeles Music Center, built in 1964-65, sculpture "world peace" calls for peace in the colorful water column of the music fountain.

As the hotel is arranged in the suburbs, there are no shops around. The tour guide arranged for us to buy food at SHUNFA supermarket along the way and go back to the hotel for dinner. This is a big Chinese supermarket with a wide range of goods and low prices. Unfortunately, the bread bought by a group friend got moldy the next morning. After hearing about it, we checked it and found that our cake was not immune to mildew.

Holiday Inn is a hotel I am familiar with and like, and this stay is not bad. WiFi, coffee machine, refrigerator and other facilities are complete. A special highlight is that there is a burning fireplace in the rest area of the hotel, which makes people feel warm when they enter the door.

Day 5

2013-12-11

Visiting San Diego old city park is the first stop of today's tour. The quiet and exquisite streetscape of the ancient city makes our mood return to nature from the noisy and prosperous gambling city. I'm forgetting to return. I hope I can live here and have a deep experience.

The small commodities in the shops are also exquisitely arranged, revealing the historical and cultural origins of the ancient city everywhere.

Look! The colorful ropes in the frames are not handicrafts. They are different kinds of ropes used in fishing boats in ancient times. I didn't expect that!

The Mexican bakery in the ancient city is specially introduced by the tour guide$ 1.5 / piece, which is similar to that of Shanghai flour cake, but it's delicious to eat hot cakes just out of the oven.

Today's second stop is to take a yacht around the sea to visit the largest seaport in the west of the United States. The guide said that you can see all kinds of warships and charming scenery of the US Pacific Fleet anchored in the military port. This is the first program of visiting San Diego. Everyone is looking forward to it and waiting to get on board.

The famous "kiss of victory" statue is located in San Diego harbor

In fact, many places in the world are very similar. Such a famous tourist destination as San Diego port is bound to attract many elderly people to visit and relax. But exercise, like this old man to use the low wall for tiger lying support, I didn't dare to see it in foreign countries before. Today, he's in the United States, and nobody cares.

Waiting to board the yacht

Our yacht: the soul of San Diego

Yacht cabin

The buffet on the yacht, all kinds of drinks and snacks, are all European and American people love to eat.

Top floor of cruise ship

The commentator introduced the scenic spots along the way in English

Scenery along the coast of San Diego  -  It's a perfect city for holiday.

The charm of the military port is on display.   This is the military base of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. It is said that all unseawn ships are moored here. Americans do not shy away from military secrecy, and the guide on board talks endlessly about every scenic spot, including the characteristics of that ship and its advantages. It's a pity that he speaks English fast and can't accept much. Behind me, a tourist from Ningbo, who might have been a navy, was also very interested in introducing the warship to his companion. I heard him say that there is a warship which is an invisible warship just launched a few months ago. Its performance is very excellent. It's true that an expert looks at the door and an outsider looks at the excitement. I don't think that warship is impressive. It's not as gray as those tall and powerful warships around.   Can you find it by taking a picture?

During the voyage, I suddenly saw black smoke on the shore in the distance. At first, everyone didn't care. I jokingly told my husband that the United States also has pollution emissions. But after a while, the captain came out, looked through the telescope for a long time, and hurried into the cockpit. At this time, we found that there was a real fire.

This is the largest urban cultural park in the United States  -  Balboa Park's elegant architecture, exquisite horticulture and many museums are excellent tourist attractions. In Chinese popular terms, especially for children, it is an important teaching base.

There are all kinds of museums in the park, but they all charge extra tickets.

In the afternoon, we walked through the park alone for more than two hours and came to the seaside. This is the east coast of the United States, the Pacific Bay. The sky is full of changeable clouds, the air is filled with a light salty smell of sea water, the cruise ship is berthing, and the flock of gulls are dancing. I feel relaxed and relaxed.   Take a deep breath and revel in the beautiful and picturesque Tianshui.

Sunset in San Diego

Day 6

2013-12-12

Universal Studios   Universal   Studios   In the middle of Hollywood, it has 420 acres of Universal Studios and more than 50 studios. Today, we are going to take the mountain pass to experience the process of shooting and demonstrating the Red Sea, earthquake, great white shark, King Kong and other special effects. And watch the water world war, stay in the scene of the fire shooting, go behind the scenes of the film, witness the style of Hollywood producers, and see how the strange effects are produced.

According to the tour guide arrangement, we will arrive before Universal Studios open. At the ticket window, each person gets the Chinese version of the tour map, and has a preliminary understanding of the program arrangement in the park, so as to make a visit plan according to their own interests. The first group of tourists can save a lot of queuing time. The actors and staff just went to work.

The tour begins with the most popular 3D movie "Transformers".   This project is the use of elaborate flight simulation technology, the most advanced physical and special effects to create a realistic experience. According to the tour guide, this is the most popular project for tourists. In order to see it, sometimes even have to line up for three hours. As we were the first to get into the park, we didn't have to wait in line to get in. The movie is watched in a rail battery car. The movement of the car and the light and shadow effect of the location make people completely immersed in the spectacular, intense and intense 3D experience. It's a pity that my camera doesn't have 3D shooting function, so I can't leave this shocking scene behind. I can only describe it with a pen and leave a little memory.

Getting ready to watch the 3D movie transformers

Take the world famous movie city tour and tour around the famous location of the movie city to learn about the secrets of Hollywood film production.

With the increase of Chinese tourists, the movie city has set up a mountain pass for Chinese tour guides.

Various Hollywood film sets and locations (including various props and facilities).

The production of all kinds of super effects on the set revealed.

Landscape of Global City Avenue

Shopping and catering

The collective picture of the Universal Studios logo

Day 7

2013-12-13

Today is the last day of this tour. We come to Beverly Hills along Sunset Avenue and walk into the streets and hotels in the movie "sparrow becomes Phoenix". It's not only a place for many famous luxury houses, but also a shopping paradise for Hollywood stars and fashion lovers. Unfortunately, we went too early and the shops haven't opened yet, so we had to enjoy the window.

Then visit Santa Monica Beach and the century old wharf, which is not only the shooting place of many Hollywood movies, but also the most popular tourist and leisure resort in Los Angeles. Due to the lack of time, we were unable to visit the beach, leaving a trace of regret.

Details of the tour expenses:

Back in the San Francisco Bay Area in the evening. After seven days of traveling together, I made many friends. When we parted, we couldn't help it. Fortunately, the communication is convenient now, leaving wechat and email. See you later, my friend!