(Da Tian’e Photography Home,06317841075, accommodation and+3meals, 150 RMB per person per day,150. It’s the New Year, so the price is acceptable.)
Four people in the car,3drivers, all new friends meeting for the first time,30~60, a true mix of old, middle-aged, and young.
Departed on time, first got onG2, thenG18. Road conditions were excellent, no large vehicles at all. Drivers switched roughly every200km. We chatted along the way and didn’t feel tired. After getting onS309/S301,GPSindicated we were close to Yandunjiao Village, so we called the farmhouse owner to confirm the exact location. We reported several village names along the way, but he hadn’t heard of any of them. After driving a bit further, the owner called back and mentioned two more village names: Gouliujia Village and Shentangmiao Kou.……“We immediately pulled over and stopped driving—we were about to pass it.”So we did as instructed. At that point, we were on a major downhill and then uphill section of the highway. Looking to the side of the road, we spotted a small bridge. Unlike other villages, there was no village sign. We turned onto the small path by the bridge and drove forward in the dark for about700meters before seeing a figure—it was the farmhouse owner who had come out to greet us. This matched up very well with the endpoint we had planned.GPSThis matched up very well with the endpoint we had planned.
Such a big table of food for just the four of us—really worried the owner would lose money. No wonder the swans love coming here; Shandong people are so generous.
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A proud piece of work on the farmhouse restaurant wall
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The sea grass house we stayed in had a kang (heated bed) with weak heat, and the electric blanket was too hot at night, so we decided to stay in Weihai the next day.
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D2 Swan photography, S704 for ocean views, half-day in Weihai
Took all kinds of photos. I only had my phone, but still had a great time shooting. Left at noon to head to Weihai. After seeing the swans, no other birds could impress us.……
There were vendors selling corn kernels by the roadside,5one bag for a few yuan, so we supported them3and bought a couple of bags. The swans here weren’t afraid of people at all — they’d rush over competing for the corn when you scattered some.……
Especially the “ugly ducklings” whose feathers hadn’t turned white yet; their swan parents even had to hold them back a bit to keep them from getting too close to humans.
We hit the road at noon, heading for Weihai alongS704the coastal highway, enjoying the sea view as we drove.
Let’s see who can spot the longest necks.
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Windmills along the way to Weihai
In the distance, nearing the Chengshantou Scenic Area — they said it was bad luck, so despite our strong urge, we didn’t go in —
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S704There were plenty of spots where you could get down to the beach. We saw a large group of seagulls resting on the sand, so we stopped to play for a while.
The seagulls all got scared away.
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Realized there wasn’t much to do in Weihai in winter, so after a little drive around, we found a Korean restaurant still open for business during the holidays via reviews and had dinner there. Stayed at Home Inn in Weihai — at least we could take off our heavy coats.Thought about the plan for tomorrow.
Day 3 (Lunar New Year’s Third Day): Went back to photograph the swans, took G309, stayed overnight in Laiyang.
A heavy snowfall came — there must have been10several centimeters of snow on the car. The drivers were initially hesitant to go out, but then, feeling cooped up, they decided to head back to shoot the swans again. With the snowfall, the scenery looked completely different. The drive from Weihai to Swan Lake took less than an hour, and we arrived pretty quickly.
Took all kinds of photos.
Borrowing a photo from an experienced traveler — the swans were so cold their noses were running.
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After lunch, we started thinking about the route back home. Because of the snow, we saw quite a few car accidents along the way. It being the holidays, safety was still a top priority. We drove toward Weifang, choosing the inland G309 route. There was no snow on the road, and we arrived smoothly in Laiyang where we stayed the night.
Day 4 (Lunar New Year’s Fourth Day): Traveled via G309 – G18 – G2
At 7:30 AM, we hit the road back home. Traffic was still light, though a bit slow through the Dongying section. No traffic jams the whole way, and we arrived in Beijing by 4 PM.
Over the four days, the average cost per person for food, lodging, and transportation was around 900 yuan. Fuel cost totaled 2000 yuan, which came to 500 yuan per person.