Experiencing a Different Holiday - A Self-Driving Trip to Hometown for May Day Holiday

For the Spring Festival in 2021, due to the pandemic, I couldn't go home. I planned to return to my hometown for the May Day holiday, also to let the elderly see the two children. I debated for a long time whether to take the high-speed rail or drive. In the end, I chose to drive home. The 1,000-kilometer drive was still a bit challenging.

I planned to depart from Shanghai on the afternoon of April 30, arrive in Nanjing that evening, arrive in Luoyang on the evening of May 1, return on May 4, and arrive in Shanghai on May 5.

On April 30, we set off at 4:30 PM. The original plan was to rest in Nanjing for a night, but plans changed. As the May Day holiday approached, the highway from Shanghai to Nanjing was all red on the map, with traffic jams everywhere. After driving for five hours, we only made it to Wuxi. Discussing with my wife, we decided to find a place to rest nearby based on the road conditions. We found a hotel, and luckily they had a family room. We rested comfortably for the night. The frustration of being stuck in traffic was alleviated at the service area. The service areas along the Shanghai-Nanjing line are absolutely five-star: there is food, drinks, entertainment, and even pavilions and towers to explore.

The next day, May 1, we continued our journey. The first day of the May Day holiday was still jammed with traffic. I had experienced traffic jams before, but this was the first time I encountered such congestion. Departing on May 1, we didn't arrive in Chuzhou until nearly 5 PM. The Ningluo Expressway was still crawling. Near Xujiazhuang on the G36, traffic came to a complete stop. Checking the map, there were five accidents ahead, and two ambulances passed by one after another.

People stuck in traffic got out of their cars to stretch their bodies or look into the distance. The children also got out. Although the road was congested, we couldn't let it dampen our spirits. Both adults and children were still happy! After an hour and a half, the line of cars slowly moved forward. We took the nearest off-ramp to exit the highway and found a small town to have dinner. Huangnigang Town, a small town near the Ningluo Expressway. At the town center, a group of people were happily dancing square dance, while another group nearby was listening to storytelling. Not far away, there were firecrackers from a wedding. We found a farmhouse restaurant serving pan-fried chicken pot – freshly slaughtered local chicken with various vegetables. The boss also added dough stickers. It simmered in a large iron pot for 20 minutes. When the lid was lifted, the aroma was rich and delicious.

After dinner, we continued on the road, planning to spend the night in Huainan. Under the "guidance" of the navigation, we got lost in the mountains of central Anhui and even led another car astray. After making a difficult U-turn, we continued our journey. We arrived at the hotel at 11 PM, quickly freshened up, and rested.

Huainan, historically known as Zhoulai, is a prefecture-level city in Anhui Province, located in central-northern Anhui. I had long heard about Huainan's beef soup and had been craving it for a while. Since I was there, I had to try it. Checking reviews, the top-ranked was Xie Jihong Beef Soup, two kilometers from the hotel. I got up early and walked to the shop. At 8 AM, the shop was bustling with people, and there was even a queue. I ordered a bowl of beef soup with flatbread. The soup was rich in ingredients: beef, vermicelli, tofu skin, and a special small flatbread. The soup was slightly spicy and refreshing. After eating the meat and drinking the soup, I felt so comfortable!

After breakfast, the road was relatively smooth. 550 kilometers later, we arrived in Luoyang at 7 PM. I saw my parents, and the elderly saw their grandchildren. Finally, we could rest properly. Relaxed, I just wanted to sleep.

In early May, Luoyang had pleasant temperatures. The peonies had just finished blooming, followed by roses. At noon, we gathered the whole family for a Luoyang water banquet. Soups and broths, it was quite nice!

On the afternoon of the 3rd, we went to Zhoushan Forest Park, located on the west side of Luoyang. The mountain is 216 meters high, and it is said that from the top you can overlook Luoyang city. I took the three children and my brother-in-law to climb the mountain. The forest park was large, with walking trails and a camping area. The temperature on the mountain was pleasant.

On the 4th, we started the return trip. The Ningluo Expressway was relatively smooth. We had dinner in Fengyang and stayed overnight at a hotel in Chuzhou.

On the 5th, we set out early. We returned to Shanghai smoothly at 4 PM, ending the five-day trip. It was truly a different May Day holiday: traffic jams didn't dampen our spirits. Four days of the five-day holiday were spent on the road, but we also experienced different scenery and food, especially the pan-fried chicken pot in Huangnigang Town. The two children were not idle on the road either; they ate, drank, and played with everything. The second child's amenities were especially complete, including a full set of drawing tools.

In four days, we traveled from Shanghai to Luoyang and back, a total of 2,000 kilometers, spending nearly 45 hours on the road. However, if not for the rush, if we could slowly experience every passing scenery, we would still be able to discover the beauty around us!