2010 春遊 - Sedona part1

先前我初步規畫三月底的 Arizona 之旅的時候，主要的目的是看 MLB 的熱身賽。後來開始填入細部行程，才發現單為兩場棒球比賽飛去 Arizona 有點理由不夠充分，稱不上是一個好的行程。左思右想之後，想起了 2005 年曾經匆匆路過，驚鴻一瞥卻留下深深印象的 Sedona。上次未能好好遊覽的美麗山水，趁這次到了車程僅有兩小時的 Phoenix，應該來補完一下。

結果，這個決定成就了這次旅行。雖然說做為天使的球迷，能夠看到他們的熱身賽很讓我開心、雖然說發現了 Apache trail 之美讓我感到意外驚喜，但這次行程中最棒的，無疑是再訪 Sedona。這個觀光小鎮比我印象中還要美得多。住在 Phoenix 的人真是幸福，在車程僅兩小時的地方，就有這種一等一的美景。如果我住 Phoenix，說不定會一兩個月就跑來一次。

【南方紅石頭群】

這次我是由南往北，沿 AZ-179 公路進入 Sedona。從這條路上來的遊客，我會建議大家一定要在 AZ-179 路邊開始出現紅色石頭群路段的 information center 停車，收集資訊。Sedona 區域的 hiking trail 相當多，特色難度各有不同，這個 information center 除了有地圖、氣象資訊之外，還有一大本剪貼簿，裡面詳細登載了每個 trail 的重點景觀的文字描述和照片。有圖有真相，有了這本剪貼本的幫助，相信大家一定更能找到適合自己的 trail。這裡的服務人員非常友善，對當地景觀也很熟悉，當我問起「該在哪邊看日出日落？」的時候，一位老先生毫不遲疑地在地圖上圈出了幾個重點，事後證明，他的推薦非常正確。

如果有國家公園年票（America the Beauty pass）的人，可以在這裡免費索取 Red Rock Pass（沒有 ATB pass 則需付費購買），憑證在歸 NPS 管理的停車場可以免停車費。話說，Sedona 一帶的景點，管理權相當複雜，有 NPS 管的，也有美國森林部管的，還有 Arizona state park。這張 Red Rock Pass 並不能一張走天下，其它 authority 仍然會向你收費。

【information center 是紅石頭區的最南端，在此可以北望紅石頭群】

過了 information center 再往北行，馬上就出現了許多 trailhead parking（有 Red Rock Pass 就可以免付停車費），讓大家停了車之後往紅石頭陣裡走去。離日落還有一段時間，我也停下車來走了一小段路。Sedona 地區的 hiking trail，十之八九都是全無遮蔭的，早春三月還可以忍受，到了夏天，這些 trail 都得要避開正午而且帶充足的水才能嘗試。trail 系統四通八達，帶領遊人遠離公路，往不同的紅石頭堆走去。我手頭沒帶地圖，也沒有足夠的時間，所以沒有鎖定一條 trail 走下去，只是亂逛了一下意思意思而已。

【紅石頭區的 hiking trail 多是無遮蔭的泥土路。而且，往四面看的景色都很像，要小心迷路。最好是手上有一張地圖，而且鎖定某一個石堆當作目標直行】

【Sedona 一帶的紅石頭有明顯的層理，和大峽谷類似；不同點在於大峽谷是從高原往下看（石壁上的層理比遊客低），這邊則是由下往上看】

【Chapel of the Holy Cross】

從紅石頭區往北走，眼尖的人或許可以發現右手邊的山頭上有點古怪。某塊石頭的頂端，好像人工地加了什麼蓋子之類，多了一層水泥的頂。走近一看，才知道這是 Sedona 地區有名的教堂，Chapel of the Holy Cross。這座教堂的特色在於建築的美感，教堂彷彿是石頭的延伸，教堂內部採用自然光線，讓人感到很溫暖。我雖然不信教，但在這也可以感受到建教堂的人為它投入的心血；宗教的力量，真的很神奇，常常會 inspire 人們做出善美的事物，這個教堂也算是見證之一。我覺得不論信教與否，這都是 Sedona 區值得拜訪的景點。

【教堂的正面，設計感覺像是從石頭裡"長"出來的】

【教堂側視圖】

【教堂內部使用全自然光線】

【小蠟燭】

【Overlook Point】

眼看時候不早，我決定往 information center 爺爺推薦的 Overlook Point 移動。日出日落的時候，大自然的顏色會比正午時更顯目，是拍照的好時機。這個 Overlook Point 位在前往 Sedona 機場的 Airport Road 的半路，在左手邊有一個約只能容納十五台車的小停車場就是了。它似乎是比較少人知道的私房景點，不過，和再往前走到山頂上的眺望台比起來，我更喜歡這邊的景色。

從停車場出發，大約要走個五分鐘的上坡路，爬上一個小石丘，眼前就是360度的 Sedona 景觀，往東有成群的 red rock，往南是之前開車經過的 AZ-179 公路的山谷，往西則是 Sedona 小鎮和更多的 red rock。夕陽西斜，小丘上聚集的遊客也越來越多，也有不少攝影的同好，架起了腳架。不論是用眼睛還是用相機，大家都很努力地把握太陽下山前最後的時光，把眼前的美景轉化成永久的記憶。個人文字能力有限，還是用照片代替我發言好了。

【往西望是 Sedona 小鎮和後方的紅石頭（點圖可以放大）】

【夕陽西下的時候，東方的石頭顏色就顯得明顯】

【大家也架起相機，等待捕捉最美的一瞬間】

【東邊是也是紅石頭群】

這個觀景點的景色實在太好，我隔天日出的時候又來了一次。大多數的 Sedona 旅遊書都以介紹 hiking trail 或 state park 為主，就我記得的部分，並沒有人提到這個路邊的無名小點。所以說，出門旅行除了事前做功課，有機會還是要向當地人求教，有時候會有意外的驚喜。

Inception：難得一見的高水準平衡

經過去年一年的低潮，今年的電影屢見佳作，讓我大感意外。稍早，《How to Train Your Dragon》的 3D 特效讓我看得嘖嘖稱奇，《Toy Story 3》更讓我不得不特別寫文章推薦。沒想到，才兩三個星期，又出現了這片《Inception》，讓我要伸出兩支大姆指叫好。

我知道這部電影其實已經有一陣子了。電影院的預告之前打得很兇，不過看著那些飛散的建築物、飄來飄去的人，我一直以為這是一部標準的只賣特效的暑假爆米花片（說真的，我很怕這種片，因為看得爽歸爽，不過看到後來都會麻木，就像吃慣了重鹹飲食，就沒辦法吃正常食物那樣），所以不是特別有興趣。不過，電影一上演，網路上馬上好評連連，所以我昨天也去看了這部電影。

結果，我只能說，《Inception》是近年難得的高水準動作片。這部片最值得稱贊的地方，在於它的特效和劇情都非常傑出，達成一種出色的平衡 - 近來的暑期檔電影，特別是動作特效片，往往讓人有一種為了賣弄某種特效，而勉強湊上不三不四的劇情的不協調感；又或者有些電影先有某些有趣的假設和獨特的劇情，但在執行上卻有缺失，畫面的呈現搭不上編劇組的努力。《Inception》完全沒有這些問題，它的劇情和炫麗特效搭配得天衣無縫，讓人看到最後，無法分辨到底是劇情為了特效而生，還是特效為了劇情而生，最好的電影作品，本來就應該像這個樣子！

至於這部電影裡出現的夢中夢的概念，我曾經聽幾個朋友親身體驗過 - 像是自己在夢中又作了惡夢被嚇醒（醒在第一層夢裡），最後才發現原來醒來的地方還是夢之類。我自己是沒有類似的經驗（我睡得跟熊冬眠一樣熟，很少作夢，一年的夢大約只有不到十個），不過聽起來很好玩，要是可以體驗一下應該會很有意思。

北加州賭場報導

通常我的旅行文章都是以報導自然風景為主。這篇文章我來改變一下風格，寫個北加州賭場們的專題報導。對我來說，賭場在旅行裡主要扮演吃飯和睡覺的功能（為了吸引賭客，賭場通常在這些週邊服務上都有不少好deal），賭博本身只是其次。不過我這個人生來就有愛評價東西的特性，所以就用這篇文章來品評一下灣區附近的賭場。

通常，說到賭，大家都會第一個想到 Nevada 州。以北加州的地理位置而言，比較容易到達的應該是 Reno 或 Lake Tahoe 週邊的賭場。Reno 我還沒有去過，不過 South Lake Tahoe 的賭場倒是讓我大失所望。可能是因為先前期望太高，認為同為 Nevada 賭博重點城市(?)，South Lake Tahoe 應該要能和 Vegas 等量齊觀；等到真的去了才發現，小小三四間旅館能營造出來的氣氛，實在連萬惡之都 Vegas 的一個小指頭都及不上。雖然說幕後的集團是同一家，但大概是大部分新的資源都集中在 Vegas，South Lake Tahoe 這裡的賭場看起來頗為老式（應該說，很久沒有新的發展了），而且來客量也較少。第一次九月 labor day 去的時候，總覺得有種奇怪的蕭瑟感，賭場面積雖大，但客人極少，有種 South Lake Tahoe 已經被世異遺棄，舊時代留下的硬體設備只是為曾經的繁華作見證那種不搭調。後來才知，九月是淡季（天氣已轉冷，但又還不能滑雪），但第二次五月 memorial day 造訪，人氣雖然旺了不少，但是老舊的硬體還是讓人覺得它遠遠比不上 Vegas。

硬體設備只是其一，更大的問題是，South Lake Tahoe 的賭博規則對黑傑克的玩家非常不利。大部分的桌子都是 BLACKJACK PAYS 6 TO 5 的規則，比起比較友善的 BLACKJACK PAYS 3 TO 2，這大概多了 1.5% 左右的 house edge，是無論如何要避免的。妙的是，South Lake Tahoe 有少數散落在各處的桌子是寫 BLACKJACK PAYS 3 TO 2，而且在同一間賭場裡，就有兩種不同規則，所以如果克制不了賭性，也要慎選桌子才行。

除了去 Nevada 之外，加州現在也有越來越多的印第安人特許經營賭場。這種賭場，名字裡大多是山啊水啊熊啊鳥啊之類，充滿了大自然氣氛的字（雖然明明都人工得可以）。其中有幾間讓我有好的經驗的，介紹如下。

相較於 South Lake Tahoe 的落魄，在前往 South Lake Tahoe 必經的 US-50 路上新建的紅老鷹賭場 （Red Hawk），則是有 180 度的差別。這間位於 Sacramento 市郊，US-50 上山之前的新賭場的電視廣告似乎不多，知名度較低（問了幾個在灣區的朋友，好像大家都不太知道，我也是在路上看廣告看板發現的），但硬體設備可是一等一的，甚至比起 Vegas 也不惶多讓。US-50 有一個紅老鷹專用的出口，從 highway 直通它們的七層樓立體停車場 - 印象中這種「此山是我開」的氣派，只有 LA 的 Dodger Stadium 才有。整個大廳的設計新穎明亮，和 South Lake Tahoe 的死灰暗沈相比，客人心情上的差別真是高下立判。

不過，能讓我真的全心推薦這間賭場，光是金碧輝煌是絕對不夠的。讓我推薦它的主要理由是，它是我第一間發現有真正「非吸煙區」的賭場。不吸煙是新一代的時尚運動，大多數的賭場也都做做樣子地設立了「非吸煙桌」，但是整個大廳仍然是煙霧繚繞，那個桌上的禁煙標誌，在我眼中就像發給我一支小摺傘，就告訴我可以在九級強烈颱風裡自由行動，滴水不沾身一樣好笑。Red Hawk 在這一點上可是誠意十足，它們設有「非吸煙層」，和吸煙的區域完全分開在兩個不同樓面，讓我覺得多年來我對整個賭博業最大的不滿，終於有了知音的感覺。非吸煙層的空氣，以賭場的標準來說，就像是人間淨土一樣地清新 - 這麼說來，就算要輸一點錢給他，我也輸得比較心甘情願了。再一看規則，乖乖不得了，所有桌子，包括 2-deck 的，都是 BLACKJACK PAYS 3 TO 2，而且可以 double on any cards 和 re-split。這已經是我最近幾年看過，最友善的規則了。

至於餐飲服務方面，紅老鷹也領先業界標準。除了賭場慣有的 cocktail 服務之外，在許多角落，它們竟然設有 self-serve 的飲料機，讓無心等待，甚至是根本沒有在賭博的人，也一次喝個爽（選擇有 soft drink、coffee、牛奶）。這真是難得一見的創舉，甚至連 Vegas 都沒有出現過。當然，考量到 Vegas 的氣候和觀光客人潮，如果有人膽敢推出免費飲料，就算賭場沒有被喝垮，進進出出的觀光客可能就先把賭場的大門給推倒了。雖然飲料是小錢，我是真的佩服紅老鷹願意提供這種服務。餐廳方面，有美墨式 cafe，消費約在 10-15 間，而且甜點看起來很好吃。Buffet 價位在 $20-$30 左右，但辦一張免費的賭場會員卡就可以享受平日 $12，假日 $15 左右的折扣價，折扣後的 CP 值是相當不錯的。而且，所有餐廳都是在非吸煙層，用餐的時候完全聞不到煙味，真是太好了。

結論，就算不賭博，紅老鷹賭場也非常適合做為往來 South Lake Tahoe 的路上的休息站，來這邊喝個兩杯飲料或吃了好料之後再上路。多了這隻兇狠的攔路鷹，可以想像 South Lake Tahoe 對 Sacramento 都會區的賭客吸引力肯定大受打擊，非旅遊季節的蕭瑟，我覺得只是自然競爭下的必然結果。

相較於紅老鷹，灣區人比較常聽到的名字可能是「快取溪」賭場（Cache Creek）。這間賭場的廣告在灣區很多電視台強力放送，路邊也有不少廣告看板。這間賭場實際上位在從灣區往北加州（真正的加州"北部"）出發的半路，I-505 下到 CA-16 公路後開大約15分鐘，一個 middle of nowhere 的路邊。之前 July 4th 往 Crater Lake 旅行的路上，我就順便繞來這裡吃個飯。最近它們有特惠活動，辦一張免費賭客卡，就送你 $25 dining credit，可以去享受免費的 buffet（原價 $20），或用在任何 cafe 或 food court 的賣店。它也適合在往返北加州的半路，來吃個免費的午餐，不過要來到這裡的繞路比較遠，是否值得就看行程是否緊湊而定。賭場方面，它就比較像一般業界標準，只有虛假的「非吸煙桌」，規則也只是普通。所以吃完 free lunch 就可以走了。

Weijen's national park ratings

I love to visit national parks or any places with great natural scenery. Over years I have visited many national parks within US. So I feel like coming up with a personal ranking/rating of the places I have visited. This article also serves as an index page of the major traveling posts I have on the blog (To many people who have told me it is difficult to navigate through my blog posts, your voice is actually heard). To cater to a wider audience, this article is written in English.

Obviously the article presented here is biased, based on my personal preferences only. If you see your favorite place being rated low, don't be upset. It is just a personal opinion.

In this article I will list the places I have been to by the following categories:

The TOP-5: These are the best places I have been to.
Grade A: Any place in this category serves as a destination by itself when you want to plan for a trip. It is good enough to be the center around which you build an itinerary.
Grade B: These are good places that worth making a detour to visit. If you happen to be within reasonable distance, see if you can schedule 1-2 days to visit them. However, they are not good enough yet to make a trip just for it.
Grade C: These are places worth visiting only if you naturally come to close-by area and you can visit without much detour.
Grade D: Anything here is not so interesting. While it is still a probable destination for a trip, there are definitely better options.
Grade F: There are better ways to use your time, such as sleeping at home (fortunately, there is currently no place as bad as going into this category).

[The TOP-5]

1. Yellowstone National Park, WY
Weijen's comment: Folks, THIS IS IT. The source. The beginning. The great ancestor of them all. Whatever you like to call it. Yellowstone is the first national park in the US, and in the world.

The idea of the national park is a great one. As quoted from the nps.gov website, "The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage." It is great to think of the future and preserve these places for the generations to come. However, let's admit this - once this concept is defined, it is relatively easy to replicate the success stories to any places that are special in some way. However, it took something as unique as the Yellowstone, to inspire, to create, to bring this concept to its very existence and wide acceptance to the public. The first one is always the most difficult one. Thanks to Yellowstone, so that we have many national parks to enjoy today.

What makes Yellowstone so great is that it impresses its visitors in so many different dimensions. It has a wealth of wild animals (bisons, bears, elks, moose, any many more species roam freely), beautiful landscapes (valleys and waterfalls), geothermal features (geysers and hot springs), and many more. The Old Faithful Inn is a great place to look into history and see how traveling is done at the turn of last century. There is also a lake (Yellowstone Lake) for some water activities.

This is probably one place that I say everyone should definitely try to visit at least once.

Traveler's Tips: Yellowstone is a huge park. Plan to stay in the park to save driving time - the best setting is to stay at different locations in park at different nights, and visit the attractions along the route as you move from point to point for the next night. This requires some planning ahead, preferably months ahead. I would like to stay at Old Faithful Inn for 1 night (although I did not) - this will require booking as soon as it opens for reservation for the year.

Allow at least 4-5 days in the park to enjoy this park fully at a easy pace. Many times the park roads are very congested due to the crowds for the summer season, and people will stop in the middle of road to let the roaming animals share roads. So there is no way, and no need to hurry.

Article: N/A. I visited Yellowstone before I had a digital camera, and I am too lazy to convert the photos into digital format. Writing a traveling post with only text is no fun.

2. Zion National Park, UT
Weijen's comment: Great small-size national park. Perfect for 2-3 days trip, even 1 day might be good if you just want to experience it. The mandatory shuttle bus system in this park is excellent and contributes greatly to an enjoyable visit to the park.

If you are physically capable for a 3-4 mile hike with some 1500 feet elevation gain, and are not afraid of heights, definitely try the Angels Landing trail. At the end of the trail, you are rewarded with one of the most impressive view I have seen among national parks.

Summer is extremely hot, bring water and sunscreen.

Traveler's Tips: It is the easiest to use Las Vegas as the gateway to this park. After 2-3 days hiking in Zion, go back to Vegas and enjoy some nice food before flying home. That sounds like a perfect combination. You may want to also visit the Death Valley national park in the same trip (which is 2+ hours from Vegas), or go to the Grand Canyon (better make a multiple day trip, as it is further away).

Article: 2006trip-1, 2006trip-2 (English posts), 2006-trip1, 2006-trip2 (Chinese posts)

3. Yosemite National Park, CA
Weijen's comment: Sigh. Yosemite is definitely a very beautiful place - the waterfalls, the glacier-etched valleys, and the wildlife. It is supposed to be only second to Yellowstone. It is the logistic problems that pull this park down here.

Being too easy to access is a problem for this world-renowned destination. During the summer season, people flock from all over the world to this park, and in particular concentrate in the Yosemite valley. It is not surprising to find the park overly crowded, and a hike in the forest feels somewhat like a stroll in a busy market. Parking, lodging, and even buying food all become problems. The relentless crowd subsides during the winter, but most of the trails are also closed due to snow/ice.

So pick your poison - Fight with the crowd, or fight with the snow.

Traveler's Tips: Even if you live in the Bay Area, consider taking working days off to visit this park. Summer weekends, especially long weekends, are definitely no-no.

In spring, the waterfalls have the most water, but many hiking trails are still closed. In fall, hiking trails are open, but some of the waterfalls are dry. No season is perfect, but each season has something different to offer.

Use caution for your food storage - bears are waiting to feast, and it has very negative impact on bear behavior if they are allowed to access human as a source of food.

Article: 2008winter-1, 2008winter-2, 2009spring (Chinese posts)

4. Crater Lake National Park, OR
Weijen's comment: This park took me by surprise. I only visited it recently, after I thought I have visited enough places to settle permanently on the top-5 list. Crater Lake bursts into 4th place as a late comer. Not only the park itself, but also the drive up to the park through evergreen Oregon woods is very scenic.

The water is so clear and so blue. It was hard to believe what I saw. I spent hours looking at the lake from different vantage points, and took 100+ pictures at the lake alone. I knew perfectly that it is the same lake I was shooting - just couldn't stop it.

The Crater Lake Lodge is a nice stop to visit. Hike one of the peaks around the lake to see beautiful view panoramic view of the lake.

Traveler's Tips: The Lake Rim Drive is only open for summer, so it makes sense to go during summer months. Again, it attracts huge crowds, but luckily the rim drive is long so people get dispersed.

There is a boat tour on the lake, but the ticket is difficult to get (I didn't get it for my 1-day visit). According to the ticket booth people, be there by 10AM to get any remaining tickets for the same-day sale, or book it online.

Bug spray is a MUST. The mosquitoes are relentless.

Article: yet to write one.

5. Arches National Park, UT
Weijen's comment: This south-Utah national park features the geology wonder of arches formed by 100% natural forces. The many arches in the park come in various sizes, shapes, and life-cycle periods of arches (some are almost eroded, others are just being formed). It is a very interesting place to explore.

Each arch in this park is unique. With yet another arch to see every other half mile or so, the hiking trails in the park just lure the visitors to continue on. However one should remember there is still a return hike to make and use judgment on how much further to go forward. This is especially important during hot summer days.

Traveler's Tips: The nearby town, Moab, is the gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National parks, and a good place to stay for a visit to other south Utah destinations. Definitely bring sunscreen, unless you feel like being toasted perfectly pink - just like a piece of perfectly cooked medium steak.

Article: summer2006-1, summer2006-2 (English posts), summer2006-1, summer2006-2, fall2009 (Chinese posts)

[Grage A]

The Canadian Rockies (Grade A, with the upside to challenge the TOP-5)
Weijen's comment: This is an unfair comparison. I visited the Canadian Rockies long time back with a tour group, when I was a teenager. Comparing something years back to recent memories is difficult. However, I do remember many beautiful sites from this trip. Since I grow to appreciate the natural beauties more as I become older, if it is this good in the ancient memory, it has to be better in fact. I probably will plan to revisit this place in some years to come again.

Bryce Canyon National Park, UT (Grade A)
Weijen's comment: Another small yet perfectly beautiful national park in south Utah. Another geology wonder created by the natural force. Definitely do not miss the sunrise and the sunset in this park, as the hoodoos down the valley are painted with golden glare.

At the elevation of 8000 feet, and far from major cities, Bryce Canyon has the cleanest air within US. It makes a premier location for star gazing. Just pick any spot within the park, and there are countless of stars above you. The milky way is also clearly visible, that I want to make the impossible attempt to count the number of stars that consist the milky way.

Article: 2006summer-1, 2006summer-2 (English posts), 2006summer-1, 2006summer-2 (Chinese posts), yet to write about 2009 trip.

Mount Rainier National Park, WA (Grade A-)
Weijen's comment: The iconic picture of the state of Washington, Mount Rainer is sometimes (weather permitting) visible even from Seattle. Consider it is a 2-hour drive from the city, this explains how grand this mountain is.

Besides the mountain, the wildflower blossoms into a colorful blanket during the spring (well, "spring" at Mount Rainier is like July).

Traveler's Tips: Summer is short here. Many places are still snow covered even in July. Check the road and hiking trail conditions before you go, to know what you are getting into.

Article: 2009summer (Chinese post)

Utah scenic byway 12 (Grade A-)
Weijen's comment: Not a destination per se, this road is just amazingly beautiful. A quote from my earlier blog post, "All I can say is that the languages are not enough to describe it. Even photography falls short to fully capture the beauty of the scene. In my opinion, all man-made objects are no compare to the great openness out here provided by the mother nature. From time to time, tears almost dropped out from my eyes due to the shock and satisfaction. Yes, it is that good. You have to be here yourself to appreciate that."

If this were a toll road, I would be willing to pay $20 to drive it. This implies it is as good as a national park, scenery-wise. If you travel between the Bryce Canyon national park and the Capital Reef national park, definitely take this route.

Article: 2006summer (English post), 2006summer (Chinese post), yet to write one for 2009 trip.

Monument Valley, UT (Grade A-)
Weijen's comment: An icon of the wild wild west, this is a place that made my spirit soar. While there are many tours available, I recommend driving yourself down to the valley, which is much more comfortable - while the open-air group tour vehicles allow you to take in beautiful scenery, the dusts from the dirt road are at the same time included in the tour for you to take in.

Traveler's Tips: The road down to the valley are all dirt roads. Allow at least two hours for the drive, although the distance is short.

This site is ruled as an Indian reservation thus not managed by NPS. The new hotel here (I think the name is THE VIEW hotel) provides great view of the valley (I didn't stay here, but had a good experience at the restaurant). BTW, this is the hotel that was blown up towards the end of the latest 007 movie, Quantum of Solace. Also you can check out Forest Gump for a video footage of the Monument Valley. This is where Mr. Gump stops running in the film.

Article: 2009fall (Chinese post)

[Grade B]

Sedona, AZ (Grade B+, with the potential to be in Grade A)
Weijen's comment: The red rock in this area is beautiful without a doubt. What prevents this area from getting into the A-list is really the confusion introduced by the management. Around Sedona area, there are just too many authorities owning different parts of the land. There are national forests, Arizona State Parks, etc. - according to the person at the information center, there are four different authorities in charge of various places in the area.

This problem aside, Sedona area is really beautiful. I would even rate it higher than the Grand Canyon to be on top of all destinations in Arizona.

Article: Yet to write one for my 2010 April trip.

Lake Tahoe, CA (Grade B+)
Weijen's comment: While Lake Tahoe is mostly known as a premier location for skiing, I never visited it during winters. Even without its best part, the lake charms me with its beautiful scenery. The lake is deep blue, and the surrounding mountains are snow-capped, composing a picture with serene atmosphere even with the crowds. Hiking, camping, and sight-seeing are all enjoyable activities during the non-ski season.

Article: 2009fall-1, 2009fall-2 (camping at Emerald Bay), 2009fall-3 (Chinese posts)

Kings Canyon National Park, CA (Grade B)
Sequoa National Park, CA (Grade B)
Weijen's comment: Usually these two parks are visited together. There are gigantic Sequoia trees and the beautiful Kings Canyon. While the scenery may not be as good as Yosemite, the crowd is much lesser. There are also bears in the park (I saw three on a 2-day visit).

Article: Kings Canyon 2008fall1, Kings Canyon 2008fall2 (Boyden Cave), Sequoia 2008fall1 (sunset), Sequoia 2008fall2, Sequoia 2008fall3 (Chinese posts)

Grand Canyon National Park, CA (Grade B)
Weijen's comment: World-known destination and an icon of the US west, for some reason Grand Canyon just does not appeal to me. At least not as much as many other parks. I have been to both rims, but did not feel much beyond that this canyon is huge. Maybe a rim-to-rim hike or a trip down the Colorado river may change my mind?

Article: 2009fall (North Rim, Chinese post)

Canyonlands National Park, UT (Grade B)
Weijen's comment: A vast park best suited for people who want to have a wilderness experience. With a 4WD vehicle, one can visit remote area in the park that typical tourists do not go. For everybody else, overlooking this wilderness from the Island in the Sky district of the park is also an eye-widening experience.

Article: 2006-summer (Island in the Sky district, English post), 2006-summer (Island in the Sky district, Chinese post), 2009-fall (Needles district, Chinese post)

Everglades National Park, FL (Grade B)
Weijen's comment: At the southern end of Florida peninsula, this park features swamp and of course many cute (?) alligators. From the elevated walkway, the visitors can watch them sunbathing or swimming at safety. When I visited in 2006, many facilities in the park was devastated by hurricanes. Not sure if it has been restored.

Article: Yet to write one for 2006-winter trip.

The Apache Trail, AZ (Grade B)
Weijen's comment: A dirt road section between Apache Junction and Roosevelt Dam, this road features several man-made lakes (by the construction of dams) and a large population of saguaro over the surrounding mountains.

Article: 2010spring (Chinese post)

College Fjords, AK (Grade B)
Weijen's comment: Lots of tidewater glaciers and wildlife (birds and sea otter) can be seen from a boat tour. The 26-glacier cruise day tour is highly recommended.

Article: 2007summer (Chinese post)

California Highway 1, Big Sur section (Grade B)
Weijen's comment: California Highway 1 is long, and in my opinion the most scenic segment between the Bay Area and South Cal is the Big Sur section. I wish there is way to get to this part without driving the whole length of the road. Unfortunately it is just not possible.

Article: 2008winter (Chinese post)

Grand Teton National Park, WY (Grade B)
Weijen's comment: Well the comparison is not really fair. Sitting next to the Yellowstone, this park always receives less attention and comes as an after thought for visits (for most people). I would suggest to keep 1 or 2 days for this park, when you visit Yellowstone.

Article: N/A

Lake Shasta and Mount Shasta, CA (Grade B-)
Weijen's comment: Mount Shasta is the landmark of Northern California. Lake Shasta is a man-made lake due to Shasta Dam. The combination of both creates good scenic pictures. The tour to the Shasta Dam is quite interesting (and it is free :-) )

Article: yet to write one for 2010summer trip.

Death Valley National Park, CA (Grade B-)
Weijen's comment: This park includes the lowest point of the North America continent. It is worth visiting beyond just that point, though. The basin is known for its extreme heat (above 120F during the summer) and desert views. Unlike many other parks, winter is the high season here. However, to get a full experience, I would suggest coming during the summer. Of course, bring plenty of water, and make sure your car's cooling system is up to the challenge, too.

Article: Yet to write one for 2007summer trip.

Kenai Fjords National Park, AK (Grade B-)
Weijen's comment: The easiest way to visit this place is via tour boats. There are several day tour companies based in Seward, AK. While the opportunities to watch wildlife is great (whales, mountain goats, sea otters, bald eagles, etc.), these tour boats go out to the open sea and they are small ships, thus the ride is bumpy! Be ready for motion sickness.

Article: 2007summer (boat tour), 2007summer2 (Exit Glacier) (Chinese posts)

Ichetucknee State Park, FL (Grade B-)
Weijen's comment: One of my favorite park in Florida. Tubing (sitting in a tube and floating down a calm river) is a great summer event for relaxing. Occasionally, alligators and snakes are visible along the waterway. I do not know about any accidents related to them, though.

Antelope Canyon, AZ (Grade B-)
Weijen's comment: In my opinion, another overly hyped and over-crowded destination. While the canyon is of no doubt unique and beautiful, the experience is just not that great if you walk a slot canyon with the visitor density of a busy market. It is fun trying to take good pictures here, as the lighting coming from the small openings on top of the canyon is certainly interesting.

Article: 2009fall (Chinese post)

[Grade C]

Capital Reef National Park, UT (Grade C)
Weijen's comment: Among the south Utah national parks, this is the one I like the least. It is good for a quick stop-by. During the fall, the Golden Aspen turns yellow, and that makes the park more beautiful than usual.

Article: 2006summer (English post), 2006summer (Chinese post), yet to write one for 2009 fall trip.

Great Smoky National Park, TN (Grade C)
Weijen's comment: Again, for some unknown reason, I like this park less than others. Maybe it is because forests are very common scene in Taiwan, so I appreciate it less.

Article: Yet to write one for winter 2007 trip.

[Grade D]

Saguaro National Park, AZ (Grade D)
Weijen's comment: This is the only place I need to give a D. While saguaro is an icon for Arizona, they are very common in the state. This park does not necessarily have more saguaro than any common mountain in the state. So really nothing special of this park.

Article: 2008winter (Chinese post)

2010 春遊 - D'back spring training game

在山上繞了一整天，傍晚時分我才回到 Phoenix，來到 Chase Field 觀看 Diamondbacks 的熱身賽。每年在大聯盟開賽前的最後三天，半數的球隊會回到自己的主場，和遠道而來的客隊，在大聯盟球場進行開季前的最後一個熱身賽三連戰。今年響尾蛇隊的對手，是從芝加哥遠道而來的小熊隊。

說真的，我對這兩隊並沒有什麼特別的興趣，純粹是因為來到 Phoenix，而他們正好有比賽，我就順便看一下 - 這樣我又離看完 MLB 三十隊的主場，更接近一步了（這是我去的第十四個球場，看完這場之後，國聯西區已經完全達成）。既然是熱身賽，買票當然不成問題，我很從容地來到了球場，買了張 upper deck（就是最上層看台，我看棒球不太買貴的區域的票）。出乎我意料的，竟然還有本壘正後方那一區塊的票，雖然說熱身賽看的人不會很多，但少成這樣也真有點可憐……

Chase Field 最重要的特徵，在於它是一個開閉式的巨蛋球場 - 像現在早春三月，氣候宜人，就可以打開天頂和大窗戶，讓觀眾享受較為自然的看球環境；到了盛夏，沙漠裡的大太陽可不是開玩笑的（據說可到 110F 以上），非得緊閉門窗放冷氣，人們才坐得住。

【Chase Field 的大窗戶上每扇都有和棒球有關的彩繪】

這是我第一次在開閉式的球場看球。從本壘後方望去，左右外野深處看台後面的空間，為了要支撐屋頂，而多了一整片的牆。Chase Field 利用這個位置來擺放兩隊的攻守名單，雖然占去了一點空間，但整個外野的牆面還是給我空盪盪的感覺。

【從本壘後方 upper deck 望去，視野寬廣。室內球場要支撐屋頂，加上了牆，球場結構體感覺大了不少】

今天看球的人大多集中在下層看台，upper deck整整一圈，大約只有十來個 section 有人，場面頗為冷清。不過，才坐下沒多久，有趣的事就來了。我們這一區負責賣食物的小販，是一個黑人大叔，人高馬大，而且嗓音渾厚，最重要的，是他自己發明的各色叫賣台詞，實在是非常好玩 "Lemonade, Lemonade, like your GRANDMA MADE~~~" 不出兩三局，有很多遠道而來的小熊迷，紛紛向他表示，在 Chicago 都沒有聽到這麼好玩的叫賣詞。行行出狀元，這位大叔無疑是叫賣界的翹楚了。看台上人雖少，有他在，氣氛竟也頗為熱絡。

【叫賣的大叔，可能是因為才剛開季，精神還很旺盛】

今天坐在我旁邊的，是一個大約六十多歲的奶奶，還有一個東方面孔的小孩。後來聊起天來，才知這位奶奶是季票的持有者（因為她問我，是不是今年也買了季票；看來在主場的首場熱身賽，不只球隊熱身，季票的球迷也要找機會敦親睦鄰一下，畢竟未來81場都要坐在一起看球），而響尾蛇隊的季票有很方便的交換制度 - 她今天多換了兩張票，帶她的小孩和一個朋友一起來看球。這東方面孔的小孩，是中國出生的，被奶奶收養，今天是她第一次來現場看棒球。美國看球的傳統是，大人會幫小孩買計分紙，然後教小孩怎麼做棒球的 scoring。球場的大螢幕在每個 play 結束之後，也會打出剛剛這個情形應該如何計分的訊息。一開始，奶奶就很努力地跟妹妹說，妳看，游擊傳一壘封殺，要記 6-3。看在像我這樣的球迷眼裡，這麼小就可以接觸最高殿堂的棒球，真是幸福，不過小女孩倒是無福消受，大約過了兩三局，就像蟲子一像在椅子上扭來扭去，抱怨她不會。奶奶無可奈何，只好自己拿過來計分。

比賽到了中段，發生了一個 play。響尾蛇二壘的跑者，利用中外野飛球接殺，進佔三壘。這時大螢幕打上 F8（中外飛球接殺），奶奶開始大聲抱怨，為什麼這不是計高飛犧牲 (SF)。她和她的朋友還有後面一排的大叔討論，結果一致同意是計分員的錯誤，而打者很可憐：明明應該是不用計打數的 SF，被記成正常的飛球出局，這樣子會害打者的打擊率下降 blah blah。可是，事實上明明計分員記的是對的：利用飛球接殺推進，除了回本壘得分的情況之外，只能算趁傳進壘，打者的確是一打數無安打，而不是計 SF 不算打數。不過她沒問我，我就沒說話了。

我身邊的這一群人正好顯示了棒球運動遭遇的困境：進入門檻太高，難以培養新球迷，而奇怪的眉眉角角又太多，就連看到買季票等級的資深球迷，也未必能都搞清楚（事實上，我是很意外知道SF不計打數的人，卻不知道趁傳進壘不能計SF）。老球迷越看越入迷，忘了自己到底為什麼愛上棒球，又沒有受過良好的"教看球"訓練，一出口就是滿滿的術語，把新球迷嚇倒。如此惡性循環，棒球人口日益老化，變成老人的運動。

事實上棒球在美國雖然號稱 "American's favorite pastime"，但它面臨的處境可以說是空前嚴峻。棒球人氣遠遠落後於美式足球已是不爭的事實，在新球迷的開發上，似乎也不是 NBA 的對手。身為一個棒球迷，我倒是很擔心這種情形持續下去的話，優秀的運動員不願意投身棒球的行列（美國很多運動高手小時候都是玩多項運動，到了高中或大學畢業後，如果要往職業發展，才選擇其中一項），會害我未來沒有好的棒球賽可以看…

說到響尾蛇，其實也是支很有潛力的球隊。陣中有非常多不錯的年輕球員，不過說真的有誰能長成一等一的大咖，現在還看不太出來（好像 Justin Upton 的機會最好，但其他好幾個人也都還沒有長到他們的 ceiling）。話說，目前的國聯西區幾隊，都有不少 young talent，如果幾支球隊都能正確地養成新秀，維持在正確的經營軌道上，再過個兩三年，這個分區會非常有趣。

當然，到每個球場一遊，也要特別注意一下它們的特色。響尾蛇主場最有趣的地方是，賣店裡到處都藏有響尾蛇的布娃娃（比如說放帽子的架子上有，支撐天花板的鐵架上也有），活生生就是個蛇窟。他們也有賣特別的加油棒，是一個響尾蛇尾巴尖端三角錐的型狀，一搖還會沙沙作響。很多球迷會在對方叫暫停的時候，一起搖這支加油棒，聽起來很有看台上有蛇的氣氛。果然是三十隊中只有它們才有的特色。

【果然是響尾蛇主場，到處都藏有蛇的布偶】