点评:My husband and I took our 13-year-old granddaughter to see the aurora over her spring break, knowing it was late in the season but with our fingers crossed she would still see something memorable and exciting.
We almost didn't.
Our first aurora tour was with another company. We were picked up at the hotel and taken to a cozy, warm lodge with snacks and drinks, very nice people and comfortable sofas for napping. Our guide kept checking his computer, heading outside now and again--and reminding us that no one can predict whether the aurora will appear.
Thankfully, the next night we went with Greatland Adventures, and things could not have been more different.
As a matter of fact, we consider our aurora trip to be not only a "travel adventure" for all of us, but more importantly a "life lesson" for our granddaughter: you can't sit around and wait on the good things you want to drop in your lap. You have to do your homework and figure out what you have to do to get what you want, then get up and go after it. With enthusiasm.
That's exactly what our guide, "Aurora Merlin" Mike did. He researched what the satellites were picking up about solar activity, studied the weather reports on cloud cover and winds, listened to chatter from other guides--and off we went.
Clearly, Mike had mapped out every hidden-away pull-over and secluded parking area for miles, lovely places where the aurora might be viewed in wonder and peace without the distraction of a surrounding mob.
His depth of knowledge was most impressive about the aurora and about photography, his excitement was contagious, and still, he was attentive to the needs of individuals on his tour. He involved all passengers in conversation to put everyone at ease, engaged the group in decision-making about where to head out, offered chairs for us "elderly" folks--
Altogether, a truly rare and remarkable experience.
One night the aurora hit a home run with a "blooming" in the sky, another night the aurora "showed off" with a purple band above the clouds. Each night was perfect in its own way, and with the cloud cover over Fairbanks, we would have seen nothing had we waited on the lights to come to us. Nothing.
In the airport on the way home, I heard two groups talking about their attempts to see the aurora. One group stayed five days, another two. Neither group had seen anything of the lights while they were there. Nothing.
Both groups had been told by their guides that it was too late in the season, winter is the best time, no one can say when the lights will appear, the cloud cover was bad--
Every word of that is true. Every word.
Yet, we saw the aurora three nights (including the night they were visible from our room in Pikes Waterfront Lodge).
"Aurora Merlin" Mike, we thank you for your patience with the old folks and the early teen. None of us will forget the incredible wonder of the aurora, and we pray the youngest of us remembers the "aurora life lesson" of don't wait for good things to come your way: know what you want and go after it.
With enthusiasm.
So it is that we recommend Greatland travel adventures with great enthusiasm and tremendous gratitude for the sweet, sweet memories.
翻译:我和丈夫带着我们 13 岁的孙女在春假期间去看极光,虽然知道已经是季节的晚期了,但我们还是祈祷她能看到一些令人难忘和激动人心的景象。
我们差点就错过了。
我们的第一次极光之旅是和另一家公司一起的。他们在酒店接我们,带我们去了一个舒适温暖的小屋,小屋里有小吃和饮料,工作人员非常友好,还有舒适的沙发可以午睡。我们的导游不停地查看他的电脑,不时地走到外面——提醒我们,没有人能预测极光是否会出现。
值得庆幸的是,第二天晚上我们和 Greatland Adventures 一起去了,情况完全不同了。
事实上,我们认为我们的极光之旅不仅是我们所有人的“旅行冒险”,更重要的是,这对我们的孙女来说是一堂“人生课”:你不能坐着等待你想要的好东西掉到你的腿上。你必须做好功课,弄清楚自己需要做什么才能得到你想要的东西,然后振作起来,满怀热情地去追求它。
这正是我们的导游“极光梅林”迈克所做的。他研究了卫星对太阳活动的探测,研究了有关云层和风的天气预报,听了其他导游的闲聊——然后我们出发了。
显然,迈克已经绘制了方圆数英里内每一个隐蔽的停车点和僻静的停车场,这些地方可以让人惊叹而平静地观赏极光,而不会受到周围人群的干扰。
他对极光和摄影的深入了解令人印象深刻,他的兴奋具有感染力,而且他仍然关注着旅行团中每个人的需求。他让所有乘客都参与谈话,让每个人都感到轻松,让团队参与决定去哪里,为我们这些“老人”提供椅子——
总之,这是一次真正罕见而非凡的经历。
一天晚上,极光在天空中“绽放”,另一天晚上,极光在云层上方“炫耀”,形成一道紫色带。每个夜晚都有自己的完美之处,由于费尔班克斯上空云层密布,如果我们等着极光出现,我们什么也看不到。什么也看不到。
在回家的路上,在机场,我听到两组人谈论他们想看极光的事情。一组人待了五天,另一组待了两天。两组人在那里都没有看到任何极光。什么也没有。
两组人都被他们的导游告知,现在已经太晚了,冬天才是最佳时节,没有人能说极光什么时候会出现,云层覆盖很差——
每一句话都是真的。每一句话。
然而,我们有三个晚上看到了极光(包括从我们在派克海滨旅馆的房间里可以看到极光的那个晚上)。
“极光梅林”迈克,我们感谢你对老人和青少年的耐心。我们谁也不会忘记极光的神奇之处,我们祈祷我们中最年轻的人能记住“极光人生课”,不要等待美好的事物降临:知道自己想要什么,然后去追求。
充满热情。
因此,我们以极大的热情和无比感激的心情推荐 Greatland 旅行探险,因为那里有甜蜜的回忆。