2 . A Journey to the Yosemite Firefall

Each year, thousands of people are attracted to the Yosemite National Park in California for a chance of seeing —and photographing ——the unique “firefall”. The amazing “firefall” comes to life only when there is enough water from the melting（融化）snow to keep the Horsetail Fall flowing and when the light of the setting sun hits the waterfall at the right angle. It can only be seen for a short time in February on clear sunny days.

This year, the weather isn’t stopping the “firefall” from happening, but it is making the journey to see it more difficult.

“What would have been a 10-minute walk turned into a two-hour hike through deep snow,” photographer Ryan Fitzsimons said about his recent trip to see the phenomenon. “Our clothes were all wet by the time we got to a viewing site. But the heavy snow made the sight much more beautiful since the waterfall is much bigger this year.”

Another photographer Andy Heitz was making his first trip to see the “firefall”. He had to wait five hours in the extreme cold for his turn to take a picture.

“I got to the site at about 12:00 at noon. The place was already filled with hundreds of people waiting to see and photograph the ‘firefall’. I was so lucky that I shot a really wonderful burner! I was completely amazed with what I saw,” he said. “You know, only on a couple days of the year in February and when the sun sets down at the perfect angle to shine on Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall can we see the ‘Fire Fall’. I’ll never forget what I have seen.’’

The “firefall” should continue to be there from 20 to 24 February. But park officials said that there’s no guarantee（保证）that visitors will see it on any given day.

4 . Is there a place that you have a strong desire to visit before you are too old to travel? If so, you’re in my shoes. The following places are where I desire to visit very much and most probably your best choices.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

The region is famous for its amazing natural beauty. Many 5A scenic areas and geological(地质的)parks are located there. The park not only has natural wonders, such as strange looking peaks and a thick forest, but also rich animal and plant resources. Tourists can feel like stepping into a natural botanic(植物)garden and kingdom of animals. After visiting here, one will realize the great natural beauty of our world.

The Rainbow Mountains

These geographical(地理的)wonders look as if they were painted with a giant paintbrush. The bright colors stand obviously among the surrounding green plants. Wild as it is, these mountains are a part of our world in China’s Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park. This wild variety of color does exist in the real world. No Photoshop is necessary for the natural beauty of these mountains.

Bora bora.

This place offers the chance to live like a native Polynesian. The clear open sky and the calm waters offer you the unique opportunity to observe how the native people lead a life nearby the sea. Many holiday centers are built here and offer different tours and experiences.

The Galapagos Islands.

The islands consist of 13 volcanic(火山的)islands and six smaller islands. Although known for Darwin’s visit, they’re more attractive than you might imagine. There are 900 species of animals found on these islands. 200 of these species are specific(特有的)to the Galapagos. Most travelers come to this lovely place for the specific wildlife here.

5 . At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural medal at the 2021 German iF Design Awards.

The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li still worked on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.

In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.

The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.

Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.

7 . I had planned a tour in New Zealand and when I finally visited the country last year, I simply fell in love with it.

New Zealand is a nature lover’s paradise. Wonderful scenery, pollution free, good climate, challenging activities…what more can one ask for? No skyscraper in cities at all. A four or five-storied building is a high and huge one here. The West Coast beaches attracted me most. Sitting on the sand, listening to the wind, watching the fantastic tiding, we were exposed to a wild and pure picture.

We rented a car and drove throughout the South Island. You can reserve one through the Internet. It is quite convenient to get and return the car. We started our driving in Christchurch and stopped in Dunedin seven days later.

New Zealanders call themselves Kiwi（几维鸟）. This simple and kind species exists merely in this island. That is just what a New Zealander has.

The engine once stalled suddenly. However we tried, it refused to work again. There was not even one car passing by. Just then two bikers appeared and offered help. Finally the car could move. Another time we lost the car key. We searched the way we walked inch by inch, hoping to find, but failed. All the things were in the car. We went to the Lost-and-Found to try our luck. The gentle policeman gave us all keys found within one hour to check. Our key was lying there!

That is New Zealand. A simple but splendid place!

9 . Everyone loves a holiday! A little time off for some much-needed R&R (rest and relaxation) can be exactly the thing to rejuvenate and refresh from work. So if you're struggling to think of your next destination(目的地) then look no further. Don't waste time debating where to go, but let your blood decide.

Everybody has a lineage(家系). Recently, finding out more about our family origins has become popular. By the start of 2019, 26 million people had taken an ancestry DNA3 test at home, according to a report by MIT Technology Review. They believe by 2021 this number will have risen to 100 million.

This trend has been noticed by opportunistic travel operators. Some are looking to provide a service that both allows people to track their family roots and travel to the destinations where their ancestors originated from.

Airbnb, an online boarding marketplace, recently partnered with 23andMe, a DNA testing company, to offer recommendations that encourage travellers to walk in the footsteps of their forefathers. And they aren't the only ones.

The Shelbourne hotel in Dublin has its own 'genealogy butler(宗谱管家)'. Hellen Kelly offers advice to help guests track their Irish lineage using official records. This allows them to 'fill in the blanks of their Irish ancestry', she told Good Morning America.

The Conte Club, a luxury travel company. offers custom routes of travel based on DNA tests. "These experiences are about going deeper into who we really are." says Conte Club CEO Rebecca Fielding in an article in the Condé Nast Traveller. "It might be the most meaningful trip we can take."

So next time you think of going on vacation, why not take a DNA test first? Once you know how far your family has come, take the time to holiday back.

10 . A walking tour in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park covers about 41square miles with dozens of mountain peaks. More than 250 species of birds will delight your senses and more than 900 types of wildflowers will keep you marveling(感到惊奇) at their beauty.

Your Colorado walking tour officially begins. To ensure that you arrive on time we strongly suggest that you arrive one day before the departure date.

Day 1   The trip begins at 1: 00 p. m. Travel by bus to Rocky Mountain National Park. Check in our accommodations, enjoy a fresh lunch and head into the park for our first hike.

Day 2   During today’s hike we will cover 3.8 miles. We’ll stop to enjoy both “The Pool” and Fern Falls on our way to Fern Lake. You’ll enjoy every minute of today’s hike and then spend a relaxing evening in the town of Estes Park.

Day 3   Glacier Gorge, the main section of the Park, has some of the most beautiful attractions in the Park. Today we’ll push our boots up the trail to Black Lake, about 4.7 miles. With views of Longs Peak, we’ll hike past a major waterfall and several smaller lakes before arriving at Black Lake.

Day 4   Today we’ll head to Wild Basin, southeast of the main park area, for a hike to Ouzel Lake. Wild Basin traverses(穿过) through Aspen forest past rushing streams, to a high mountain lake where we will enjoy a picnic lunch.

Day 5   The Flat Top Mountain area will delight your senses with thick forests and meadows of abundant wildflowers. Our feet will carry us for about 8.8 miles.

Day 6   Catch the Estes Park Shuttle to Denver International Airport or continue on your own to other adventures!