ABOUT EXPEDIA(艾派迪)--THE HUGE TRAVEL PROVIDER

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation services - based in China.

Expedia.com Media Room

Welcome to the Expedia.com Media Room（媒体室） where you will find everything for today's travel and technology media - from the latest travel news to data and tips about the latest travel trends, from exclusive travel insights about top destinations to rich art, Wordpress（博客系统） blog templates and other media resources. 

Weather天气

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation services - based in China.

America’s size plays to the traveler’s advantage when it comes to weather: it’s always perfect somewhere in the US and just shy of Hades somewhere else.（冰火两重天）

In other words, either your destination or your trip’s timing（时机） may need tweaking（稍稍调整）depending on the season. For current forecasts, visit www.weather.com.

The main holiday season is, naturally, summer, which typically begins on Memorial Day（对阵亡战士的纪念日） (the last Monday in May) and ends on Labor Day (the first Monday in September). But Americans take their holidays mainly in summer because schools are closed, not because the weather’s uniformly ideal: yes, hit the beaches in August, because Manhattan is a shimmering sweat bath（闪闪发光的汗蒸馆） and the deserts are frying pans.（煎锅）

The seasons don’t arrive uniformly either. Spring (typically March to May) and fall (usually September to November) are often the best travel times, but ‘spring’ in parts of the Rockies and Sierras may not come till June. By then it’s only a sweet memory in Austin, while in Seattle, spring often means rain, rain, rain.

And winter? It’s expensive high-season（旺季） at ski resorts and in parts of the southern US (blame migrating snowbirds), but planned well, winter can mean you have the riches of America’s landscape（风景） virtually all to yourself.

Whether you’re planning to join them or avoid them, holidays and festivals are another thing to consider.

DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT…

Checking current US visa and passport requirements.

Adequate travel and medical insurance（医疗保险）

Up-to-date medical vaccinations（接种）

Hotel reservations, particularly for your first night and near national parks.

Your driver’s license and adequate liability insurance. Not driving? Do it anyway – you might change your mind once you see how big this place is.

A handful of credit cards – they’re easier and safer than cash.

An open mind. You’ll find elites in the Ozarks（欧扎克山脉） and hicks in Manhattan, and everything in between.

Festivals & Events

January

Chinese New Year Late January or early February. Celebrated with parades(检阅), fireworks and lots of food; San Francisco’s Chinatown is a fantastic place to be.

FEBRUARY

Black History Month African American heritage(遗产) is celebrated nationwide.

Valentine’s Day(情人节) The 14th. For some reason, St Valentine is associated with romance; shops sell out of boxes of chocolate candy, flowers and cards.

Mardi Gras In late February or early March, the day before Ash Wednesday. Parades, revelry(狂欢) and abandonment accompany the finale of Carnival(狂欢节); New Orleans’(新奥尔良) celebrations are legendary.

MARCH

St Patrick’s Day(圣帕特里克节) The 17th. The patron saint(守护神) of Ireland is honored; huge celebrations occur in New York, Boston and Chicago. Wear green – if you don’t, you could get pinched(逮捕).

Easter(复活节) In late March or April, on the Sunday following Good Friday (which is not a public holiday); after morning church services, kids hunt for eggs hidden by the Easter bunny.

MAY

Cinco de Mayo The 5th. The day the Mexicans won the Battle of Puebla against the French in 1862; especially in the South and West, communities celebrate their Mexican heritage with parades.

Mother's Day The second Sunday. Children send cards and call their mothers (or feel guilty for a whole year).

JUNE

Father’s Day The third Sunday. Same idea as Mother’s Day, different parent, less guilt.

Gay Pride Month (www.interpride.org) In some cities, gay pride celebrations last a week, but in San Francisco, it’s a month-long party, where the last weekend in June sees giant parades.

JULY

Independence Day The 4th. The historic anniversary of the US becoming independent inspires parades and fireworks; Chicago pulls out all the stops with fireworks on the 3rd.

OCTOBER

Halloween The 31st. Kids dress in costumes and go door-to-door trick-or-treating for candy; adults dress in costumes and act out alter egos at parties – New York and San Francisco are the wildest.

NOVEMBER

Day of the Dead The 2nd. Areas with Mexican communities honor deceased relatives with candlelit(点然蜡烛) memorials; candy skulls(颅骨) and skeletons are popular.

Thanksgiving The fourth Thursday. A latter-day harvest festival: family and friends gather for daylong feasts, traditionally involving roast turkey. New York City hosts a huge parade.

DECEMBER

Chanukkah Date determined by the Hebrew(犹太)calendar, but usually begins before Christmas. This eight-day Jewish holiday is also called the Festival of Lights.

Christmas The 25th. Christ’s birth inspires midnight church services, tree-lighting ceremonies, caroling(唱圣诞颂歌) in the streets and of course, a visit from Santa.

Kwanzaa  From December 26th to January 1st. This African American celebration is a time to give thanks and honor the seven principles

Lake Tahoe塔霍湖

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation services - based in China.

Most people come to Lake Tahoe to ski, frolic（嬉戏） in the gin-clear（杜松子酒般清澈） waters of an alpine lake（高山湖泊） or maybe lounge in a resort by day and gamble in one of the casinos（俱乐部） by night. -- I've come to see a wolverine（狼獾）.

This isn't as strange a quest as it might sound. For decades, wildlife experts（野生动物专家） believed the wolverine had long disappeared from the Sierra Nevada mountains（内华达山脉）, which ring the stunning（迷人的） lake, but a wolverine was photographed last year, a few miles north of Truckee（特拉基）. Biologist also found other evidence of the animal's presence.

Why the wolverine? The primary answer is that the animal is one of the most elusive（难以捉摸的）, evasive（回避） and downright human-hating creatures on earth, not to mention one of the fiercest（凶猛的）. Pound for pound, the wolverine might be the baddest critter on earth.

About the size of a medium-sized dog, they’ve been known to kill moose（驼鹿）. They’ll go head to head against much larger predators（天敌）, including black bears, wolves and cougars（美洲狮）. Wolverines are the ultimate, fighting machines.

The other answer is that I’ve already seen one, when I lived in Alaska. It was only a glimpse, but I’ll never forget the way it moved.  It slunk along low to the ground with ill intent（意图不轨）, in an odd, menacing（来势汹汹）, almost serpentine（蛇形） movement. I recognized immediately that I was seeing a rare, strange creature.

A long shot一个长镜头

The sighting(瞄准), in the deep, snowy woods of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula（基奈半岛）, chilled me even though the animal did not attack. Indeed, it aggressively ignored me, if such a thing is possible. Still, the incident stayed with me. I won’t go so far as to say it’s an obsession（痴迷）, but there have been many a night when wolverines have insinuated themselves into my dreams.

I want to see another one.

I realize it’s a long shot.

Forest Service officials are not releasing information about exactly where the wolverine was spotted. Also, wolverines avoid humans like they’re carrying swine flu（猪流感）. I’ll be using the Tahoe Rim Trail, a 165-mile long trail that loops around the lake, mostly along high ridges. There will be awe-inspiring（令人畏惧的） views, but there will also be a lot of people.

Nor do I plan to spread around skunk glands(臭鼬腺体) or nail a deer carcass(尸体) to a tree, two ways wolverine-watchers hope to attract the animal. Still, I was lucky in Alaska. Maybe I’ll be lucky again. At the worst, I’ll be immersed in the natural beauty Lake Tahoe is famous for.

Stunning beauty（惊艳）

My personal quest will keep me outdoors, and the Tahoe Meadows to Spooner Summit part of the larger trail is my hunting ground（猎场）. It’s a nearly 22-mile hike, slipping between the granite（花岗岩） peaks of the Carson Range and offering probably the best views of the lake far below. I pass through wildflower meadows（长满野花的草地） that make you happy just to be alive. Despite the heavy use by humans, I actually don’t see that many people, other than a few other hikers.

The beauty is so stunning, I almost forget about the wolverine quest.  Lake Tahoe（塔霍湖） was formed during the Ice Age（冰河时代）, where California and Nevada meet, and it looks it, as clear and pristine原始的 as a time before man. The lake is the largest alpine lake in North America, and the second deepest at more than 1,600 feet. Sometimes, when the sun is right, you almost think you can see halfway to the bottom.

The trail rises to Tunnel Creek Road and then descends gently about five miles to Snow Valley Peak雪谷峰. You can still see evidence of miners during the gold fever era（淘金热时代）. You can camp along the rail without a permit as long as you’re not in one of the wilderness areas, and as long as you’re 300 feet from the trail and 200 feet from any water source.

“Skunk bears”

It is at night, when I am actually dreaming about a wolf, that a noise startles me out of sleep. I get out my flashlight（手电筒） and look around, but there’s nothing to be seen, and I’m too chicken to scout out（侦察） the area in detail. Remember, I’ve seen a wolverine. The next morning, I find scat not 20 feet from where I was sleeping. I don’t have a scat expert at hand, but it appears to be the scat of a small, black bear. Could it have been a wolverine? After all, they are sometimes referred to as “skunk bears.”

I doubt it, but I tell myself it’s possible. I continue my hike and during the course of a beautiful day above the sparkling waters of Lake Tahoe, I see a couple of mule deer and what I believe to be a marten（貂）.But – no wolverine. For now, I’ll just have to be content to see it in my dreams. Lake Tahoe, on the other hand, is all too real and accessible.

Biking & Hiking Trails in Utah(在犹他州徒步和骑车旅行)

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation services - based in China.

Eden（伊甸园）, Utah (elev. 4,947) is a town located in northern Utah, 14 miles from the city of Ogden（奥格登市）. The town is home to Powder Mountain Ski Resort, Utah's largest overall skiing area. Eden is also located near Pineview Reservoir, a popular recreation spot for boating, fishing, hiking, ice fishing（冰钓） and snowkiting. In the summer, Eden offers many camping（露营） and hiking（远足）​​ opportunities.

North Fork Park Trail（公园小径）

North Fork Park Trail offers a relaxing, scenic hike on a gravel/dirt（砾石/泥土）road. The trail meanders through the park（蜿蜒穿过公园） and past campgrounds, stables（马厩） and meadows（草地）. The trail, a 3.3-mile loop, is rated easy by the Weber County Pathways Organization, a nonprofit organization（非营利性组织）dedicated to the promotion and construction of public trails in the area. There is a slight elevation gain from 5,440 feet to 5,800 feet. In the winter, the trail is a popular destination（目的地）for cross-country skiing（越野滑雪）, and is maintained by The Utah Nordic Alliance（由犹他州的北欧联盟）; it was a nominee（提名） for the Nordic and Biathalon events of the 2002 Winter Olympics（2002年冬季奥运会）(nearby Snowbasin Ski Resort was the site of the 2002 Super Gand Downhill（超级大回转和速降滑雪） skiing events).

Skyline Trail（蓝天之旅）

Arguably the most challenging trail in the greater Ogden area, the Skyline Trail is a apart of the Great Western Trail, which stretches from Montana（蒙大拿州） to Arizona（亚利桑那州）. The trail can be accessed at the North Ogden Divide Trailhead. Across the road from the North Ogden Divide parking lot, you'll find the Northern Skyline Trail（北天际线小路）. The trail climbs 11.4 miles up to the top of Ben Lamond and Willard peaks. It is a strenuous（艰苦） dirt hike that rises from 6,180 feet to 9,764 feet. The route is popular with hikers, mountain bikers（山地自行车）, equestrians（骑马） and motorcyclists, and can be crowded at peak times. It's known as a challenging but rewarding hike that opens up beautiful, far-reaching views of the valley below. On the parking-lot side of the road, you'll have access to the Southern Skyline Trail, a 9.5-mile, one-way route（单程路线）that is rated difficult. The Southern Skyline Trail eventually ends across the road from the Pineview Reservoir, near the Pineview Trailhead, so a shuttle hike is easy to coordinate. The elevation（海拔高度） rises from 4,920 feet to 8,100 feet.

Pineview West Trail（Pineview西部小径）

The Pineview Trail can be accessed via the Pineview Trailhead or North Arm Trailhead, both along Route 158 on the way into the main section of Eden. The trail is an easy but scenic trail that follows the shoreline（海岸线） of Pineview Reservoir. There is minimal elevation gain from 4,910 feet to 4,960 feet. The trail is a good destination for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.

Wolf Canyon Trail（狼峡谷步道）

Located right off of Eden's main artery, Route 158, Wolf Canyon Trail is easy to access from town. You'll see the trailhead on your left after crossing through the gates on the way to Powder Mountain. This is a 3-mile, one-way route that parallels（平行）158, climbing gradually up to Powder Mountain Ski Resort. The trail is overgrown in parts, but offers great views of the valley below. Weber Pathways rates it a moderate（温和） hike and it climbs from 6,020 feet to 7,600 feet. The organization recommends it for spring or fall due to its southern exposure.

San Francisco（旧金山）

By Freelance Chinese Translator Li – English to Chinese translation services - based in China.

    San Francisco (San Francisco三藩市), to be known as the San Francisco Chinese（旧金山中国）. West coast of California San Francisco Peninsula（半岛）, an area of 47 square miles, is surrounded by water and beautiful environment, is one mountain. Climate Dongnuanxialiang（气候冬暖夏凉）, sunny, known as "the most popular American city." 1769 Spanish found here, in 1848 joined the U.S. Federal. The city's population of about 760,000, of which 250,000 Chinese. San Francisco City and County (City and County of San Francisco), called San Francisco (San Francisco), Cantonese transliteration（粤语音译） for the San Francisco, literally（字面上） translated as San Francisco（三藩市）, is a merger（加利福尼亚城市和乡村的合并） of California cities and counties, the population of California is the fourth large cities（第四大城市）. The northern California coast, San Francisco, North Point peninsula east of San Francisco Bay, the west Pacific. Also included in the administrative division（行政区划） of Wanli of Alcatraz Island（恶魔岛） in San Francisco (Alcatraz) and Treasure Island（金银岛）. City south of Silicon Valley（市南硅谷）, both with Oakland (Oakland) and the north of Marin County (Marine County) together, the San Francisco Bay Area.

 Golden Gate Bridge金门大桥

    Golden Gate Bridge was built in 1937, cost 35.5 million U.S. dollars, is the world's largest suspension bridge single hole（单洞吊桥）, one of the Golden Gate Bridge up to 2780 meters, the center of the bridge from the sea to the height of about 67.84 meters. There are two ends of the bridge tower up to 227 meters. Today the Golden Gate Bridge is the world's busiest bridge, one of about 10 million vehicles every day from the bridge rumbles...

Art Heaven艺术天堂

    MH de Young Memorial Museum shows visitors Youxiang magnificent American art. Vast park, towering trees, Santa Cruz's "plank road"（圣克鲁斯的“栈道”） has a long history. Ferry shuttle in the bay（渡轮穿梭于海湾）, towards Alcatraz Island. Rail travel winding mountain cable car（登山缆车） in the background is the fog-shrouded Golden Gate Bridge. It is aroused through the bridge, then south diverted to Highway 1, California Redwoods to greet the eye.Jie Liangbian every household are also at the d Flowers and grass...

Good place to play（旅游的好去处）

    Because San Francisco has many immigrants（移民）, all immigrants of different nationalities, according to a party formed as a small country in general Chinatown, the restaurant is full of exotic breeds（外来品种） and health. In addition to authentic cuisine of California加州的地道美食, there are a lot of exotic dishes（有很多异国情调的菜肴）. Abundant local raw materials（大量新鲜的原材料） with reference to foreign cooking, chefs（厨师） in San Francisco with a new formula allocation of excellent flavor laws of the United States who meet the nutritional science of food...