点评:We stayed a week at Petit Jean in one of their gorgeous cabins. It was a wonderful experience that I would highly recommend.
The check-in and check-out was easy. Finding the cabin was easy with the directions and map we were given. They were clearly marked, with parking for two vehicles, as they were setup like a duplex.
The cabin was beautiful and clean, inside and out. There was a large, heavy, all wood porch swing on each side. Relaxing in it was a peaceful experience, listening to the sounds of birds and the breeze through the tall pines.
Inside it was all beautifully stained wood and roomy enough for two people, much like a hotel room, except for the cathedral ceiling. In fact, the setup was better than most hotel rooms we have stayed in. There was a mini-fridge with a small freezer, microwave, coffee pot (with coffee, cups, creamer, sugar, etc,) a Keurig, blow-dryer, iron, ironing board, and broom. It had all the toiletries: soap, shampoo, conditioner, tissue, cups. The open closet had plenty of shelving and hangers for clothing and bags. The bathroom was standard with water that quickly got hot for your bath or shower. There were two full size beds with comfortable mattresses, plenty of pillows and warm bedding, with a nightstand between. There were plugs to charge your phone and a landline. There was also a fireplace, however it was locked closed. The air unit in the room had cooling/heating that was easy to operate and sufficiently cool. We were near the highway, close to the lodge, but did not hear traffic while in the cabin.
Parking at Mather Lodge is just like any other, with a short, easy walk to the entrance. Once inside, you pass the check-in desk, a small, well-stocked gift shop, (with something for every age,) an open meeting area and bar before reaching the restaurant. It is beautifully constructed from large logs stained and polished to a gleaming shine. From floor to ceiling, it is the epitome of rugged elegance.
We ate breakfast and dinner exclusively at the lodge. The food was exemplary, every meal, cooked to perfection and delicious. The atmosphere was relaxing and we were never rushed or made to feel as if we overstayed our welcome. The service was fast, even when every table was occupied. The servers were friendly and attentive. We had only one server, one time that was "less than," maybe she was new, not sure, but we did not see her again. Tommy, Thomas, Jessie, Brad, Rebekah, and Lindsay were all so pleasant, always greeting us, even when they weren't our servers, remembering us and making us feel like family. The view of the gorge with it's tall trees and towering rock formations was incredible!
There was a common area behind the lodge, just outside the restaurant with tables, chairs and benches for observing the gorge, taking photos, relaxing and socializing. You could walk right down to the edge of the huge flat rocks for photos with a stunning background. We spent every evening there, watching the exquisite sunsets. This place is a nature lovers paradise.
There is a pool surrounded by loungers behind and to the side of the lodge. It was clean and well-kept with a small waterfall at one end. Thick thirsty towels are provided for your convenience.
The grounds are beautifully maintained. We never saw or heard a mower but the grass was cut to perfection and there wasn't a single piece of litter in the entire park.
At check-in we were given a map, brochure and weekly schedule of events/tours at the park. The map was very necessary for navigating around this extensive park of which the lodge area was only a small part. The brochure described the hikes and other available activities (such as climbing and repelling) with descriptions of what could be observed, length and difficulty levels. Trust the brochure! If it says strenuous, it is. Plan accordingly. There were four ranger guided tours the week we were there. We took two of them. They were genuinely interesting and pleasurable. Baron, our ranger, was exceedingly knowledgeable about the geology, animal and plant life and history of the area. Exceptionally so, for someone who was seemingly so young. He was attentive to the needs of those attending the tours, stopping to rest if necessary and moving a bit slower for us older folks. He was so affable and easy to talk with, it seemed as if we were old friends. Willing to spend extra time after the tours, talking with us, was an indication of how much he enjoyed his job. We were very appreciative of someone of his character and enjoyed spending time with him. He is the perfect model of what one would think a park ranger is and should be!
Any hike can be taken unguided and there are plenty of them. In fact, we had plans to go outside the park on other hikes, but never made it off the property for those. We actually did not have enough time to do all we wanted to do within the park. If you are looking for a phenomenal vacation, this is the trip you should take!
翻译:我们在Petit Jean度假村的一间漂亮的木屋里住了一周。这是一次极其美妙的体验,我极力推荐给大家。
办理入住和退房都很顺利。根据工作人员提供的指引与地图,我们很容易就找到了木屋。木屋的标识清晰可见,由于是双拼结构,还配有可停两辆车的停车位。
木屋内外都非常漂亮且整洁。两侧各有一个用整块木头制成的大而结实的门廊秋千。坐在上面放松真是一种无比惬意的体验。聆听着鸟鸣声以及微风拂过高大松树的声响。
屋内到处都是做旧处理的漂亮木制品,空间也足够两个人使用,就像一间酒店客房一般,只是天花板的高度堪比大教堂。实际上,这里的设施比我们住过的大多数酒店房间都要好。房间里有一个带小冷冻室的迷你冰箱、微波炉、咖啡壶(配有咖啡、杯子、奶精、糖等)、一台凯沃格咖啡机、吹风机、熨斗、熨衣板和扫帚。各种洗漱用品也一应俱全:肥皂、洗发水、护发素……纸巾、纸杯。敞开的壁橱里有大量的置物架和衣架,用来存放衣物和包袋。浴室很普通,不过热水供应迅速,方便洗澡或淋浴。房间里有两张带舒适床垫的双人床,还有大量枕头和温暖的被褥,两床之间还放着一个床头柜。那里有给手机充电的插座以及一部固定电话。房间里还有一个壁炉,不过被锁住了无法使用。房间内的空调操作简便,制冷效果也相当不错。我们住在高速公路附近,离旅舍也不远,但在小木屋里时完全没有听到任何车流声。
马瑟旅舍的停车场与其他地方的并无二致,从停车场走到入口处也只需走一小段路。进入旅舍后,你会先经过前台、一家商品齐全且适合各个年龄层顾客的礼品店、一个开放的聚会区和酒吧,随后才能到达餐厅。整栋建筑由巨大的原木建造而成,经过上色与抛光处理后闪闪发亮。从地面到天花板,它堪称粗犷与优雅的完美结合。我们所有的早餐和晚餐都是在旅舍里吃的。每一顿饭都堪称典范:烹制得恰到好处且美味可口。那里的氛围十分轻松,我们从未感到匆忙,也从不觉得自己逗留得太久。即便所有餐桌都坐满了人,服务依然迅速高效。服务员们友善又细心。只有一次,我们只由一位服务员服务——当时她表现稍显欠佳,或许是新来的吧,不太确定,不过后来我们就再没见到她了。Tommy、Thomas、Jessie、Brad、Rebekah。Lindsay等人都非常友善,总是向我们打招呼——即便他们并非我们的服务员。他们记得我们,让我们感觉就像一家人一样。那里有高大的树木和巍峨的岩石,峡谷的景色简直美得令人惊叹!
小屋后面有个公共区域,就在餐厅外面,那里有桌子、椅子和长凳,可供人们欣赏峡谷风光、拍照、放松或社交。人们还可以直接走到那些巨大平整的岩石边缘拍照,背景更是绝美至极。我们每天晚上都在那里欣赏绝美的日落。这里绝对是自然爱好者的天堂。
小屋的后面和侧面有一个泳池,周围摆满了躺椅。泳池很干净且维护得很好,一端还有一个小瀑布。为了方便游客,这里还备有厚实且吸水性强的毛巾。
园区内的环境也打理得十分出色。我们从未见到或听到割草机的声音,但草坪却修剪得恰到好处;整个园区里连一片垃圾都没有。
办理入住时,我们收到了一张地图。公园的宣传册以及每周的活动/游览安排表。这张地图对于在如此广阔的公园内导航极为重要,而旅馆所在区域只是其中的一小部分而已。宣传册中详细介绍了各种徒步路线及其他可参与的活动(如攀岩和速降),还说明了沿途可观赏的景致、路线长度及难度等级。务必相信宣传册上的说明!如果上面写着“强度较大”,那确实如此,请据此做好计划。我们逗留的那周共有四次由护林员带领的游览活动,我们参加了其中两次。它们真的既有趣又令人愉悦。我们的向导巴伦对这一地区的地质、动植物以及历史了如指掌。对于一个看起来如此年轻的人来说,他的知识储备实在非同寻常。他时刻留意着参加游览的游客的需求:必要时会停下来让大家休息,还会特意放慢脚步以照顾我们这些年纪较大的人。他为人亲切随和,交谈起来毫不费力,仿佛我们是老朋友一般。游览结束后,他还乐意多花时间与我们聊聊天。这充分体现了他有多喜欢自己的工作。我们非常欣赏他这样的人品,也很享受与他共度的时光。他简直就是人们心中理想公园管理员的典范!
公园里有许多徒步路线,而且都无需向导也能走。事实上,我们原本还计划去公园外徒步,但始终没能成行。实际上,我们连在公园内想做的所有事情都来不及完成呢。如果你想享受一次极棒的度假体验,那么这次旅行绝对值得一去!