点评:We went on the McNeil car first class on the Nantahala gorge trip. I’d read that the AC would be really cold, so I took a long sleeved shirt and a jacket. Didn’t need it. The food was good. Small amount. Desserts also served. I’d eaten a very salty breakfast and drank a lot of water and soda during the ride. Our tour guide Amy Lou ran her legs off getting me refills. Here’s the scoop on which side of the car to sit on for the best views on this trip. You enter the car on the left end as it sits on the tracks. The view of the river is at the tables to your left once you have entered the car and are facing the opposite end. The tables are 4 seaters on the view side. The tables on the right are 2 seaters. They view mostly the side of the mountain, trees, rock, and kudzu. There is a brief view of Fontana Lake. But the river views are on the left at the 4 seater tables. Our table was L. If you are looking at the McNeil car seating chart, the view side is the bottom row or south side of the car. And No, the train doesn’t make a loop to get back. You will have the same view going and coming because the engine disconnects at the end of the trip and reconnects to the other end to make the return trip. There was no one else booked at our table, so the hubby and I had it to ourselves. I left my jacket on the train at the layover at NOC. Didn’t have to carry it with me. Not a whole lot to do at NOC. But it’s a pretty place to sit by the river. Our guide didn’t have much information about the area like a tour guide usually does. She said the Nantahala dam is the second highest in the country with Hoover dam being the highest. Hoover dam is ranked second in the US and Nantahala is ranked 7th according to the Nantahala Dam museum/visitor center. It is the highest east of the Mississippi. But Amy Lou was very friendly and told us of her experiences living on Fontana Lake.
翻译:我们乘坐麦克尼尔车厢的一等座游览了南塔哈拉峡谷。我之前听说车厢里的空调会很冷,所以带了一件长袖衬衫和一件外套。结果完全用不上。食物不错,就是分量不多。还有甜点。我早餐吃得比较咸,所以在旅途中喝了很多水和汽水。我们的导游艾米·卢忙得团团转,不停地给我续水。这里就来分享一下这次旅行中最佳观景位置的秘诀:车厢停在铁轨上,你要从左侧上车。上车后,面向车厢另一侧,左侧的桌子可以欣赏到河景。这些桌子是四人桌。右侧的桌子是双人桌,主要能看到山体侧面、树木、岩石和葛藤。偶尔还能看到丰塔纳湖。但真正能欣赏到河景的,还是在左侧的四人桌旁。我们的座位是L。如果您查看麦克尼尔列车的座位图,视野最好的座位是车厢的最下面一排,也就是南侧。而且,这趟列车返程不会绕圈。去程和回程的景色都一样,因为列车会在旅程结束时与车厢断开连接,然后再连接到另一端完成返程。我们这桌没有其他乘客,所以我和老公独享了整张桌子。我在NOC(纳塔哈拉大坝)中转时把外套留在了火车上,不用随身携带。NOC没什么特别的,不过坐在河边风景很美。我们的导游不像一般的导游那样对这个地区了如指掌。她说纳塔哈拉大坝是美国第二高的水坝,第一高的是胡佛大坝。根据纳塔哈拉大坝博物馆/游客中心的说法,胡佛大坝在美国排名第二,纳塔哈拉大坝排名第七。它是密西西比河以东最高的水坝。但艾米·卢非常友好,她向我们讲述了她在丰塔纳湖畔的生活经历。