Breathtaking Views in the Misty Forests — Camp at “Maple, Cherry, and Fir Grove” with Five-Star Bathroom Facilities

Text and photos byMike Peng

Originally, we hoped to extend our trip by one day by arriving late at night, sincethe campsite regulationsallow entry after 9:00 PM on Fridays but do not provide hot water and charge 200 yuan. However, the 9:00 PM entry time was just too late, and considering the unfamiliar mountain roads at night, we decided to play it safe and skip the late-night arrival this time.

On the day, the air was very humid, and just before reaching the campsite, we were greeted by swirling clouds and mist along the roadside — what a spectacular sight!

Although there was a light drizzle, the kids were thrilled to play on the flat grassy area once we arrived at the campsite.

Within minutes, thick fog suddenly rolled in.

Looking from the washbasin area in Zone A, the scenery was beautiful, but the power poles still somewhat obstructed the view. Next time, it would be better to reserve an upper-level campsite if possible.

The daytime temperature was only 15°C, and the humidity was off the charts.

Naturally, we needed a warm pot of red bean glutinous rice balls to comfort everyone’s stomachs!

The kids were absolutely delighted, even bringing out their dolls for a little get-together.

Tingting and Xiao Yanzai had a great chat — every time we go out, they always ask if Xiao Yanzai will be coming (though really, that depends on whether Daddy Shijun is coming too).

As it turned out, the parents started drinking in the afternoon.

Underage individuals should not consume alcohol.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

Excessive drinking is harmful to health.

During a break, we took a walk around the campsite, though the maple leaves were a bit sparse.

This is the reddest maple tree in the entire campsite.

Amidst the maple grove, the scent of burning firewood wafted through the air. You can also see the splash pad area in the upper-level bathroom facilities, which has been cleared out for the winter season.

Please ignore the trash bin down below.

It turns out the owner had been busy starting fires since the afternoon to prepare hot water for the campers.

The bathroom facilities are definitely the highlight of the campsite — as many have heard. There are screen doors at the entrance to keep insects out. However, the eaves above aren’t quite long enough, so on rainy days, you still need to hold an umbrella up to the door to avoid getting wet, which is a bit of a shame.

There are also plenty of bathrooms inside, with separate sections for men and women to ensure privacy, each having five shower rooms and toilets.

Five shower rooms.

The shower rooms are equipped with shelves and buckets with scoops, but do note the hot water supply schedule.

There are plenty of sinks as well — if you book this area, washing vegetables will be very convenient.

It feels so good to be surrounded by trees.

After returning to the campsite, the head chef and the sous chef were preparing our late-night snack~!!!!!!!!!! Eh? But it’s broad daylight!

That’s right, because we usually start cooking only after dinner, and then everyone ends up eating until midnight, and not even finishing everything. To avoid wasting food, we’ve specially started eating in the afternoon. It’s my first time shooting a late-night snack session, no worries about poor lighting.

A pot of steaming hot soup is an absolute must!

Also giving you a heads-up, tonight there’ll be Storytelling Sister reading stories to the kids here.

Before the activity begins, let’s do a site scout, and while we’re at it, pay homage—how come their shop is so fun to browse, I want to buy everything.

Their POCKY is really super well-behaved, no matter how much the kids tease him, he doesn’t lose his temper easily.

When night falls, that’s when camping really begins. I thought tonight’s weather would be nice enough for an open-air barbecue, but the rain just kept getting heavier as the night went on.

Last time atSongtao Ambiencewe had spicy hotpot, this time we’re going for seafood kimchi hotpot. It’s been years since I’ve had it since the kid was born.

The kid gets a non-spicy version.

The cooking skills in our group are seriously top-notch, so delicious even the cats came over drawn by the aroma.

Amidst a gasp of surprise, thinking something had happened. Turns out it was Santa Claus handing out candy (Huh?! Isn’t Christmas over? Maybe this Santa is on the night shift, I think) Ha, whatever, everyone’s happy with candy.

Finally got the kids to go take a bath and finish dinner, and once everything was ready, it was time for tonight’s main event—Story Time Up!

Everyone was completely absorbed, listening to the story.

The kids even acted along, super cute.

The atmosphere was really super lively, full of singing, storytelling, and humor.

Happy times always fly by, and gradually the night brought rain. Today everyone had to turn in early. But we were woken up early in the morning by the heavy rain, pitter-patter non-stop.

The originally green grass, due to continuous heavy rain, turned into muddy puddles everywhere, and there were multiple waterlogged spots inside the living tent.

But the happiest were the kids, who put on raincoats and rain boots or held umbrellas, playing joyfully in the heavy rain.

Today, did you pack up a wet tent?

After 35 camping trips, I finally encountered a wet tent takedown—the black garbage bags finally made their appearance. (PS… and after this post, we encountered an even worse wet tent situation the second time…… maybe I’ll write about it another time.)

Price: 800
Address: 10.3KM mark on Zhuxian 62 Township Road, Huayuan Village, Wufeng Township, Hsinchu County (for GPS, set location to Huayuan Elementary School)
Coordinates: N24 39 32.7 E121 10 19.3 (WGS84)
Elevation: 950M
Dates: 2015/12/26-2015/12/27

MackBang
Not home today, taking the kids on a little escape trip~ Parent-child outdoor fun diary

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