Most of the most beautiful national parks and some beautiful natural landscapes in the United States are associated with the Rocky Mountains, which run from south to north across the North American continent, from Mexico to Canada . So these famous national parks are all located in the Midwest.
[Declaration] The three photos used in this travelogue were downloaded from the Internet, and will be explained again in the places quoted below. The original author of the photos is unknown. They are also cited to better illustrate the sights, to tell others that there is beauty here, and to think ahead when planning your itinerary.
English is used in some places, not how good my English is, because it is difficult to find exact Chinese, and sometimes to save trouble.
Below is my ranking and rating of the National Parks and Preserves in the North American Midwest. Some small places do not score high, not because it is not good, but because the scale of the attraction is not large enough. The reason for mentioning some places that have been and have never been before will be mentioned later when recommending (self-driving) travel routes. They will help you develop better and more reasonable routes.
On this tour:
Yellowstone National Park , United States , (9.25, 2-3 days)
Antelope Canyon Preserve, United States , (9.0, 1 day)
Rocky Mountain National Park, United States , (9.0, 2 days)
Arches National Park, United States , (9.0, 1 day)
Bryce National Park, United States , (9.0, 1 day)
Teton National Park, United States , (8.75, 0.5-1 day)
Badlands National Park, United States , (8.5, 1 day ) )
Monument Valley Preserve, United States , (8.0, 0.5 days) Capitol
Reef National Park, United States , (7.25, 0.5-1 days)
Mount Rushmore National Memorial Park, United States , (6.5, 2-3 hours)
Horseshoe Bend , United States , (7.0, 2-3 hours)
Devil’s Tower National Monument, USA , (6.0, 2-3 hours
Been there before but not this time:
Banff National Park , Canada , (9.5, 2-3 days)
Big canyon national park , United States , (9.0, 1 day)
Jasper National Park , Canada , (9.0, 1-2 days) Yoho
National Park, Canada , (9.0, 1-2 days)
Olympic National Park, United States , (8.25, 1-2 days)
North Cascades National Park, United States , (8.0, 1 day)
Zion National Park, United States , (7.5, 1 day)
Death Valley National Park , United States , (7.0, 1 day)
Heard great but never visited:
Yosemite National Park, United States , 9.25
Glacier National Park , United States , 9.0
Simple Raiders Tips
[Best travel time] I think the best time should be from the end of May to the middle of June. It is not too cold or too hot, and the rain is not very much, and the green should be green and the red should be red. It was too early, and some roads had not been opened due to snow. July and August are the peak tourist season. Airfare is expensive, accommodation is tight and overcrowded. If you are looking at the snow-capped mountains, there is not much snow.
[Best departure place] It should be Las Vegas , because the air tickets and car rentals there are cheaper than other places, and it is also relatively close to the Grand Canyon. Because we have been to the Grand Canyon twice, this time there is no arrangement. We flew to Denver . As a result, air tickets and rental cars are better than Las Vegas a quarter more. In addition, for friends who fly from China, in Las Vegas for a day or two, in addition to making some money there, you can also rest and adjust the jet lag.
[Low season vs peak season] There are long weekends, golden weeks and other small and long vacations in China, and students have winter and summer vacations. Everyone has witnessed or experienced it personally, so I don’t need to say more.
Major US holidays are
Memorial Day, the last Monday in May
National Day/Independence Day, July 4th and
Labor Day, the first Monday in September
Veterans/Veterans Day, November 11th
Thanksgiving , the fourth Thursday of November
Christmas, December 25th
USA Although the government and companies do not have the Golden Week super long holiday, each of them has 3 or 4 weeks of paid leave every year, and they decide when to use it. Most people use it during the two weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you have school at home, use it during summer vacation/summer (early to mid-June to mid-August).
Except for the New Year and summer vacations, the peak travel season for Chinese and American people is staggered.
[Buying Airline Tickets] It is found that buying in the United States is cheaper than domestic Ctrip. This may be an example of mine. During the Spring Festival, a friend came to Florida vacation. I bought it a month in advance and went to Beijing A ticket to Orlando costs 78,000 yuan, or $850-$1000 in the United States. In the end, I helped a friend to buy it for more than $800. The reason is that the domestic Spring Festival holiday is the peak travel season. So you can try to ask friends to help buy air tickets or even book hotels in the United States. in the United States February, May and October are the off-season for tourism.
[Rent a car] If you go to Monument Valley, you must rent an SUV. If you bring your own tent and cook, you will also need a bigger car. In summer, bring one or two coolers to store cold drinks, fruits, bread, ham, vegetables, etc.
[HOV] High Occupation Vehicle. There are basically no tolls on the highways of the federal government in the United States . In some sections, the federal and local governments overlap, and a little toll is charged, usually a few dollars. During the rush hour in the city, the road is still very congested. If you plan to pass through the city, try to avoid the rush hour. Ayutthaya There are generally HOV roads in the city, which are specially used for cars with many people on the car, usually the leftmost lane on the highway. There will be a diamond-shaped sign on the road or on a street sign. Attention ⚠️ here, HOV was not charged in the past, (some people make or buy a dummy, pretending that there are many people in the car) Now many places/cities have charged, and it may not be called HOV anymore, just pay a few dollars That’s all for the toll, the key is that the car rental company also charges an expensive handling fee. In Denver , four of us, belonging to HOV, drove about two sections, thinking that there would be no toll, but a month later we received a bill from the highway, which looked like $7, 8, and a month later, the car rental company sent a bill , a handling fee of $15, two times, 30 dollars in vain.
[Accommodation] Hotels and resorts in peak season parks are very expensive, ranging from $100-$200 to $300-$500 a night, and they may not be available. Some places, like Yellowstone , need to be booked more than half a year in advance. Sleeping in the rough can save a lot, but it’s a bit of a pain. In some places, campsites must be booked more than three months in advance.
[Camping camping] Camping is generally a few dollars a night. Many campsites also have electricity, and some have baths, but most do not have Wi-Fi. Be mentally prepared, sleeping in the rough is not as comfortable and convenient as staying in a hotel. The tents used for sleeping are very particular, and you should buy the foldable type instead of the dry type. This kind of tent is already inserted and folded. After opening, a few people can pull it up and it can be held in a few minutes. The air mattress should be one per person, so as not to roll over and affect each other. With air pillows. It’s a good idea to bring a DC-to-AC converter so that you can use an electric inflator in places with and without electricity. Air pump, preferably two, one spare. Try to buy tents as large as possible so that there is room to cook if it rains. I bought a sleep10, which can fit 6 single air mattresses.
[Expenses] When traveling in national parks in the United States, the biggest expense is accommodation, followed by car rental. Eating doesn’t count, you need to eat anywhere. There are basically no tolls on the highway. Tickets to the scenic spot are also about the same as no money. A park is $20 a week, but you can buy an annual pass for $80, which is valid for one year in all places with the word “country” in it, including national parks, national forests, national monuments, national reserves, and more. And the ticket is for the car, a car can have n people. This is much cheaper than domestic travel.
[Driving Time and Route Selection of Scenic Spots] The average person will not feel tired within an hour and a half of driving, but will feel sleepy after 2 or 3 hours. So I take this into account when I make a plan, generally drive no more than 5 hours a day, and divide it into at least two sections. Choose roads with attractions on the way, even small ones, including some state parks. In this way, you can also rest, and you can also see some less-visited scenic spots, in fact, some small scenic spots are not bad.
[Route in the scenic spot] Don’t worry about this, you just need to plan how long to play there. There is a Visitor Center in the park, where you can get/request a guide map, tell the staff where you want to go, and he/she will carefully circle it for you on the map, and use a color pen to draw driving or walking. The line will also tell you how long it will take. But you need to know a little bit of British history, it’s really not good, just point at the photo and people will know what you want to do.
Today’s focus is on the journey from Las Vegas to Antelope Canyon.
Page · Upper Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon has upper and lower valleys, here is the upper. Antelope Canyon has become famous around the world since Microsoft Windows put a photo here as the cover of its computer. A lot of people come here to take a good look and take a great photo by pressing the shutter in person. It’s because there are too many people here, so you can’t come whenever you want, but you can come whenever you want. The daily quota is fixed, especially in the Upper Antelope Canyon. The quota is limited. You must book online several months in advance. I booked it more than four months ago, and it is basically full.
This is not a national park, it is an Indian reservation, and you have to buy a ticket to go. The fare is related to the time period. The Upper Antelope Canyon is like a letter A. The opening above is very narrow, the sunlight entering is limited, and the valley is dark most of the time. There are only a few places where the valley is illuminated only a few hours at noon each day during the summer months. 58 per person from 10:30 to 13:30 and $48 at other times. Of course, you are not short of $10, the difference is the number of places, and it is difficult to book the day and time you want. I booked the ticket four months ago, and there were no tickets for many days at that time. I ordered it from the “Antelope Slot Canyon Tour” and I thought it was pretty good. There are several companies online, I don’t know how. But it’s a clear price, and it won’t kill people. There is no Chinese tour group here, it is estimated that it is not easy to buy tickets.
Upper Antelope Canyon
Valley is 200 meters long and 30 meters deep/high. You can’t go by yourself, you must be led by a tour guide, take their special car from Page, and a tour guide is responsible for more than a dozen people. It takes an hour and a half to go back and forth, and the time in the valley looks like 50 minutes. Enter from the entrance, go to the exit, and then go back to the entrance from the same way, so walk back and forth in the valley. It was much faster when I came back.
The reason why so many people in Upper Antelope Canyon want to come to the Upper Antelope Canyon is because it has this magical sun beam. As mentioned earlier, it can only be seen for a short period of time at noon in summer. Being able to see does not mean being able to take pictures and to take good pictures. Certain photography skills and supporting equipment are required. But that’s not enough, a good guide is also needed. Our guide is very good. He will tell you in advance how to set up the camera and mobile phone, where to use the aperture, how high the ISO, the exposure time, etc., and even take pictures for you directly. The most important thing is that he will tell you where and what angle to shoot. Otherwise, it is the feeling of the devil sneaking into the village in the tunnel war. Still, the vast majority of photos don’t work, they’re either underexposed and dark, or too long and blurry.
This is a classic one. There are guides on both sides, no one is allowed, and the sand is lifted with a small shovel. Everyone can take a few classic and clean photos, depending on who has a better position and is more skilled.
If you really want to take good photos, you can join a special photography group, there are few people, you can bring a tripod, the whole journey is 2 hours, $200 per person, the tour guide will clear the venue for them, and they will definitely take great photos. We are just amateurs. That’s it.
The tour guide needs to tip, instead of giving it at the end, I think it is better to give it at the beginning, so that he may take care of you more. But too little is counterproductive. Generally, a tour guide with a small shovel should be good, because he knows to use the small shovel to lift the sand and let you shoot the beam of light.
Lower Antelope Canyon
There are many reviews and comparisons of the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon online at Lower Antelope Canyon, some say the best, some say the bottom. Then let’s go both. Tickets here are $25 online and $8 on-site, and it’s also an Indian reservation. The Lower Antelope Canyon is more open and bright, and the requirements for light and technology are not so high. It is said on the Internet that it is V-shaped. I don’t think it is so exaggerated, but it is really narrow at the bottom. In many places, only one person can walk, and many places above can directly see the sky.
The Lower Antelope Canyon is more than 400 meters long, twice as long as the Upper Antelope Canyon, and the depth of the valley seems to be deeper than the Upper Antelope Canyon. To go to the LowerAntelope Canyon, you can drive the car directly to the entrance of the valley, enter from the entrance, and return from the exit, only one way.
The Lower Antelope Canyon is basically not restricted by light and can be visited all day, so there are far more people going to the Lower Antelope Canyon than the Upper Antelope Canyon. There are so many people that it is like going to a big market, or like going to the sheepfold. Like chasing sheep. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can go here if you stop the car. It is also necessary to book in advance, but it is better to book more places. There are so many Chinese who come to the Lower Antelope Canyon , most of which are mainland tourists from California tour groups. Usually Los Angeles , Las Vegas , the Grand Canyon, and then here. Because there are so many Chinese, tour guides usually say a few Chinese words, “Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up”.
Lower Antelope Canyon has good light, which does not mean that places with strong light can take good photos. If it is too bright, the photo will be bright and the colors will not be so colorful, just like the sunset cannot be photographed at noon. So find a place with softer light or block out the strong light.
The most beautiful place in the lower valley is the lion’s head courtyard that just went down . Don’t be in a hurry to run in, this is a one-way street, after this village, there is no such shop.
Lower Antelope Canyon is much narrower than Upper Antelope Canyon, but the overall light is more abundant, and it is easy to take some good photos, so it is really difficult to say which valley is better and which one to go to.
My suggestion is that it is best to go to both, and finally come once. You must go to the lower valley. If you can buy a ticket for 11:00-13:00 noon, go to the upper valley. Going at other times is also dark. If you don’t go to the upper valley, you just miss the beam of light. Otherwise, the lower valley is no worse than the upper valley. However, after all, the representative masterpieces of Antelope Canyon are basically from Shanggu. If you have good photography skills, have equipment, and especially want to go to the light column and the hall, you can buy a two-hour ticket ($200). From the Internet, people who have been there All said, absolute value.
Starting from Antelope Canyon to Arches National Park, it is nearly 300 miles and nearly 5 hours of driving, but there are many scenic spots worth seeing along the way, walking and playing and resting, a full day.
Monument Valley
Forrest Gump Stop
Gooseneck Park
