2019 Roaming Freely Across the American West for 5000 km (3)

This is the place where last night it was pitch dark, perfect for shooting a horror film... Given that the rooms booked on Airbnb before were quite reliable, and the navigation showed the address was accurate, we mustered up our courage and advanced a bit further on the pitch-black gravel road. Then we saw a lonely country cottage at a fork in the road, with yellow light shining through the windows. Our group couldn't help but imagine various horror movie scenes in the car... Haha, it turned out we were overthinking. The friendly hostess warmly welcomed us and said she had been waiting for us for a long time... Why did we choose this house? Mainly because it was close enough to Zion National Park, but we didn't expect it to be so remote, in the middle of nowhere, with no streetlights at night... Zion National Park is a paradise for hiking enthusiasts. Originally, we picked a seemingly interesting and rare water hiking route, which had almost no trails and required wading upstream in the Virgin River through Zion Canyon. But plans changed, and the kids said they had already hiked twice in the past few days, were a bit tired, and wanted to do something else. We changed plans and headed to the small town of St. George, 60 km away. The moment we got out of the car for lunch, the heat was mind-blowing—the weather forecast said 43°C. Even standing in the shade, the wind was a scorching blast! We just wanted to sit in a fast-food restaurant with air conditioning and never leave, even though the Coke and burgers there weren't great. We didn't have the courage to explore attractions under the scorching sun, so we drove around the town randomly. From a distance, we saw a large lawn with people sitting in the sun. I was just about to marvel at how people living on the edge of the desert are different, as if high temperatures and strong sunlight don't exist for them. Then I took a closer look—it was a cemetery. And across the street was another cemetery, while on the other side of the road was Utah Dixie State University! Oh my god, was this a message: if you don't study hard, you'll end up across the street in peace? Or either study... or rest in peace... We took the kids to visit the university campus. It was clean and orderly, but we didn't see a single person... We had booked a 2-hour evening horseback ride in the mountains. On the way to the ranch, there was lightning, thunder, and blowing sand, but thankfully the heavy rain never came. The cowboy uncle picked a tall, gentle horse for the kids, which they could control forward, backward, left, and right freely. It was different from riding ponies at horse stables back in China. Then the two kids followed the cowboy uncle on their tall horses to explore the forest at the foot of the mountain. The lonely little cowboy kept standing by the roadside, biting his fingers, waiting for the cowboy dad... until they returned. The kids said horseback riding was so much fun, but too bad the time was short! And her horse always took unusual paths, preferring to rub against big trees... The highlight was when the excited kid heard we had to pay and said, 'Give a tip!' Back at the accommodation, the kids found the landlord's little granddaughter and played on the swing. We continued cooking in the kitchen. The steak here was delicious no matter how we cooked it—just thinking about it makes my mouth water... After dinner, during entertainment time, the kids discovered a map on the wall and a guestbook. It turned out we were the second group of Chinese people to stay in this house! From the country cottage, it was about 250 km to Las Vegas in the Nevada desert. The kids saw the roller coaster threading through skyscrapers through the car window and exclaimed, 'This place is awesome! I want to play!' Indeed, Las Vegas has its charm for all ages. At the 4-story M&M's World, the kids would never pass it by without going in. As soon as they entered, they were set on finding the M&M filling station. I asked my kid to get me some mint M&Ms, but she said no, don't mix them in my bag... Then I told her, 'Okay, we each get our own, and we each pay for our own!' Haha, I had to let her use some of her allowance. In the 4-story building, besides chocolate beans, this was the only thing she was willing to buy with her own money. The cashier auntie chatted warmly with the kid, then asked, 'Little one, do you need a shopping bag? 2 dollars...' 'No, I don't need it, thank you!' Haha, I, the mother standing nearby, laughed so hard I hurt inside! At the Coca-Cola flagship store, although the kid had no interest in Coke itself, the colorful packaging bottles from various eras and various accessories still attracted her. Walking back and forth past the New York-New York Hotel, we could hear terrifying screams echoing all around. Unfortunately, no one was willing to accompany her on such a thrilling ride, and the kid was itching to go! We continued driving through the desert. Even with the car's AC on, we could still feel the intense killing power of the sun, baking until we questioned life. There were still 450 km to Los Angeles, so we just kept driving mindlessly... I absolutely loved this Airbnb apartment in Los Angeles. Standing on the terrace, with California's little sunlight shining in, my mood was great. Around the corner was the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On the sidewalk, I finally saw the crowds of the big city, as well as the famous Oscar ceremony theater. But we had no interest in it, not even in finding actors we knew and liked on the Walk of Fame. The only thing we were interested in was, before going out, we had searched for a nearby steakhouse with a long history and many great reviews. Unfortunately, when we strolled over, we were told it was full, and if we wanted to wait, it would probably be after 9 pm... For brunch after waking up, we had IN-N-OUT. It was delicious and cheap—truly the most recommended American burger. Much better than the trendy New York burger we had before, even if it wasn't as pretty! The kid has always had an endless curiosity about history, so museums are naturally the most exciting places for her during travels. This Getty Museum had been in her mind for a long time... Two years ago, after visiting the Guanfu Museum, she became obsessed with 'Guanfu Dudu,' listening to it on TV at home and on the app when out. Once, Ma Weidu mentioned in the show: 'If you go to Los Angeles, you must spend half a day at the Getty Museum on the hill; it's a rare artistic enjoyment in life.' From then on, the kid silently remembered it. After exiting the parking lot, we took the Getty Center's little train up the hill to the Getty Center at the top. Except for parking, everything else was free, including admission! The museum was large. At the entrance, there were Chinese guide maps and Chinese audio guides for rent, but unfortunately, they were all gone... The kid then used the guide map and turned it into a treasure hunt by looking at the pictures. Of course, the number one treasure had to be Van Gogh's Irises! There was only one security guard in the entire room, standing still next to 'Irises' the whole time. That was the only security guard I saw in the whole museum. The room also collected paintings by Impressionist painters like Monet, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Renoir, with no barriers, only people quietly experiencing the charm of the art. Van Gogh's Irises—being able to appreciate the master's work up close—we really have to thank Getty for his generosity! In 1987, the Getty Museum bought Van Gogh's 'Irises' for $53.9 million. Ma Weidu said in 'Guanfu Dudu': At that time, $53.9 million could sweep up all the artworks and antiques traded in China for the year! Two of Monet's 'Sunrise' paintings were done—one is now in France, and the other hangs on the wall of this room. The kid, who has loved painting since she was little, kept looking and taking photos. She murmured, 'How can they paint so beautifully!' Continuing the treasure hunt in other exhibition halls—ancient Roman and Greek sculptures, oil paintings... I especially liked the clouds in one oil painting and said to the kid, 'When we go back, you should paint something like this and give it to me.' The kid gave me an awkward but polite smile and said, 'You're really overthinking it...' On the terrace outside the exhibition hall, the sun was shining brightly and the view was fantastic, overlooking Los Angeles and the distant Pacific Ocean. Next, we went to another building, mainly with porcelain and French classical furniture. The kid would never pass up the souvenir shop without going in. She carefully selected small gifts and calculated the prices because she said, 'This time I'm paying with my own allowance.' At dusk, Santa Monica Beach, the end of Route 66 along the Pacific coast, was given a special legendary charm. By the Pacific shore, the wind was strong and the water cold. Even if we couldn't play in the water, playing in the sand on the shore was great! At that moment, the lively amusement park behind us could be automatically ignored, as if we didn't see or hear it! Route 66 is a significant 'Mother Road' for this country. For us, it was the end of our self-driving trip abroad. We had to visit it for a sense of ceremony... Across from the road sign was the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, which featured highlights, stills, and merchandise from 'Forrest Gump.' The kids had super strong appetites. After eating four, five, or six dishes, a full plate of ribs arrived. By the time we reacted, there was only one left... These three amazing kids—after dinner, it got windy and cold by the sea, but they happily sang, danced, and shot short videos right in front of the Santa Monica Police Station. I had no particular feelings for Los Angeles and didn't know where to go. The only thing I was sure of was wanting to go to an outlet mall. We navigated to the largest one in California, Palm Springs Outlets, then headed east for another 150 km! As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by China Merchants Bank and Cainiao Station, along with Chinese discount ads, making us feel like we were back in China... Once a woman starts shopping, she goes crazy, including little girls! The kid really outdid herself, buying so many things that we eventually had to get another suitcase. After 7 hours, this kid was truly tired from shopping, and she had also spent all her allowance! This was probably the day the kid looked forward to the most in the entire trip: Universal Studios! Before this, the kid hadn't read the Harry Potter books or watched the movies. So when she stepped into the 'snow-covered' Hogsmeade village and saw all kinds of faithfully reproduced shops on the streets, including stalls selling wands and flying brooms, she was completely uninterested. The only thing she was curious about was walking through the village to ride the small roller coaster behind it—Flight of the Hippogriff. Water World was like a water-themed stage show. After entering, the kid realized she had seen it before at Universal Studios Singapore. She immediately pulled me to sit in the back rows, remembering that the green chairs in the front rows would get splashed by 'fierce pirates'! After lunch, every ride was packed, and I, the mother, was running around helping to queue! Unfortunately, I miscalculated the time. By the time we finished The Simpsons virtual roller coaster and rushed to the Studio Tour, the last Chinese-speaking tour of the day had just left. We boarded the next English-speaking tour bus and entered the backlot. We passed real street scenes used in film production, experienced a flash flood, a plane crash site of a Boeing 747, and various soundstages built from shipping containers, including a 4D fight between the Jurassic World T-Rex and Indominus Rex, and Fast & Furious: a thrilling high-speed car chase. It was so immersive and realistic! To this day, it still serves as a soundstage for many films and TV shows. The Studio Tour is truly unique to Los Angeles. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey—this is probably the most popular and longest queuing ride at Universal Studios Hollywood! Initially, the kid had no interest in the castle, but after hearing from her friend that it was a super awesome, incredibly fun indoor 3D roller coaster, her eyes lit up... I had said I would just queue with them and then leave at the entrance for them to go in alone. But at the castle entrance, a handsome guy in robes said my friend's backpack had to be stored and we needed to go the other way. So we continued queuing into the castle! And then there I was, a scaredy-cat mother who didn't want to ride a roller coaster, accompanying two kids afraid of the dark into the pitch-black Hogwarts castle... The queue snaked through the castle, passing by Dumbledore's office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Gryffindor common room, and even the Room of Requirement... Everything was exactly like the magical world in the movies! Then came the thrilling 'Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.' We got on the ride, put on 3D glasses, and simulated flying on a broom with Harry, zooming around Hogwarts Castle at 360 degrees, going up and down to fight monsters and demons! To be honest, this was my first time on a big roller coaster, and it was really, really fun! Except that when we were flipping up and down, I kept feeling like my flip-flops would fly off... We took the escalator down to the lower lot of Universal Studios: Jurassic Park: The Ride, Transformers, and Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster. Yes, two more roller coasters. That's how Universal Studios rolls—counting, I think there are 6 roller coasters in total! The kids didn't dare to try Revenge of the Mummy, and the lines for Transformers and Jurassic Park were too long, so we gave up! We just went to Starbucks for a cool drink... Entered at 9:30, exited at 18:45. I, the mother, was completely drained! The kid had played 4 different roller coasters in one day and was very happy. She said, 'Roller coasters, roller coasters, I love the feeling of weightlessness!' After leaving Universal Studios, we saw Bubba Gump Shrimp Company again on the commercial street. We decisively ordered takeout and went back to our little terrace to lie down for a while. 15 days: Shanghai—Salt Lake City—Yellowstone—Grand Teton—Salt Lake City—Page (Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell)—Bryce—St. George—Las Vegas—Los Angeles. We passed through 7 states: Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Nevada, California. Drove nearly 5000 km... On the 16th day, we headed home! On the plane, after eating, drinking, and sleeping enough, the kid saw her father picking her up at the airport. From the moment she got in the car, her little mouth started chattering... Listening all the way gave me a headache, but her father smiled and said, 'It's fine, it's fine, very lively!' Travel Journal Directory: 1. DAY 11 2019-07-11 2. DAY 12 2019-07-12 3. DAY 13 2019-07-13 4. DAY 14 2019-07-14 5. DAY 15 2019-07-15 6. DAY 16 2019-07-16 Tourist Information Hotel Index Attractions Index Flight Index Website Guide Travel Index Cruise Index Corporate Travel Index Franchise Cooperation Distribution Alliance Friendship Links Corporate Gift Card Purchase Insurance Agency Agency Cooperation Hotel Franchise Destination & Attraction Cooperation More Cooperation About Ctrip About Ctrip Ctrip Highlights Contact Us Careers User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Security Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Publicity