Just escaped from the grasslands, with an empty wallet and mood
Just got back, here’s the real deal.
Driving the grassland sky road all the way around, rolling down the car window, wind rushing down the neck, hand out the window snapping photos of the sea of clouds, took over a hundred shots. But it’s really crowded, waiting in line to park, jostling for photo spots, even waiting 10 minutes to use the restroom🚗.
Enter the hundred-mile sky road from the south gate, grab a map. The wildflowers at Baihua Slope are indeed dense, stepping in can cover your ankles. The wind turbines on the hilltop turn slowly. Don’t stop too long at Liuyun Ridge, the winding road behind is tough, your foot will get sore from braking. The little train in the colorful forest clanks along, the glass walkway looks down on the treetops, feeding the deer requires buying feed, their tongues licking your palm feel a bit ticklish🌲. At sunset at Lightning Lake, the lake surface glimmers like broken gold, the wind turbine reflections stretch long. The 30 yuan admission is worth it just for that half hour.
Don’t go to the Great Khan Palace, the red walls and golden roofs are newly built, there’s nothing inside after a lap. Don’t trust the old men waving by the roadside for horse rides, arrange with a homestay owner. The official stables have insurance.
Here’s a two-day, one-night plan: Get up early Saturday, drive four hours from Beijing to the town, head straight to Lightning Lake in the afternoon, arrive before sunset, take photos then return to town to stay. Early Sunday, rush the hundred-mile sky road before the tour groups arrive, enjoy the mountain road smoothly, finish by noon, spend two to three hours in the colorful forest in the afternoon, then head back.
For food, try roasted lamb leg and hand-pulled meat. There’s a row of farm restaurants in town, pick any. The lamb isn’t too gamey, dip it in chive flower sauce. The lamb offal soup has pepper powder, warms you up all over after drinking🔥.
A few reminders: Big temperature difference between morning and night, no air conditioning in homestays, still cold at night wrapped in a thick jacket. Rain can come suddenly, there was a heavy storm this afternoon, always carry an umbrella🌧️. The UV is strong, applied sunscreen three layers, but still got a two-tone face after taking off sunglasses. No signal deep in the grasslands, download offline maps in advance. The mountain roads are sharp curves, drive slowly when meeting oncoming vehicles, don’t compete with big vehicles for the road.
Weekend room prices double, booking early saves some money, but don’t expect much comfort, just enough to sleep.
In short, the scenery is beautiful, but rushing here now means traffic jams, price hikes, and lines, all included. If you can handle it, come; if you don’t want the hassle, pick another time.