This fall we have spent a majority of our time catching up on regular life things and staying inside because of sickness and air quality. Anyone else there with us? This fall 2022 was our last fall in Korea and I feel like it passed by so quickly! I know it's spring and I'm jumping back to last fall, but hear me out. These places would also be stunning in the spring, just in a different way. In fact, we might go here this weekend and see if we can pick up the tail end of things blossoming.
I had a handful of things I wanted to do last year, but I'm sad to say that as much as we've traveled all over this peninsula, we will leave so many stones unturned. Korea is alive and so rich with history and culture.
I was thinking back to the past two falls and all the things we did. We have done so much! (I'm so thankful for your patience as I get caught up.) One of my favorite "Day" or "Half Day Trips" we took was a bit rushed (we only took A and had to get back to get G from school) but it was beautiful. We happened to go on a week day, so things weren't as crowded as they can get. We were also there in the morning. So keep those two things in mind. Because if you go on a weekend after 11 am (anywhere, really) then you'll be fighting for parking and looking for ways to get around the crowd. All these photos are from November 2021 and it's amazing to see how much our family has changed in just one year!
If you read my last post about our day trip to Asan then this is a good follow up. Both of these lovely places are about five minutes from one another in Asan and make a chill day for walking around and seeing beautiful foliage and historical places. We did it as the ginkgo trees were starting to lose leaves and it was still so lovely. "Ginkgo Tree Road" is actually Eunhaeng name-gil. So, if you're looking for it in KAKAO or Naver, that might help. Also, the Korean Address is: 충남 아산시 염치읍 송곡리 71-9. It's about a 45 minute drive from Osan/Pyeongtaek area and there is parking right by an entrance to the road, but the parking fills up fast as the morning goes on. We arrived around 11 on a week day and were just fine but cars were steadily flowing in.
The colors were falling, but they were still so gorgeous and the bright yellow down each side of the road was eye-catching. It made me want to stop and stare. Amelia and I threw some leaves around. I watched the small children on field trips enjoy their time in the leaves and interact with A who was around their age. The river wasn't full since it was no longer the wet season, but it was peaceful to sit and enjoy the fall sunshine with the smell of mud and water from the river and leaves permeating the air.
We enjoyed walking around and seeing the foliage while stopping at a random food truck for custard treats which are really popular during the cold months.
Once we got our fill we made our way down the road about five minutes to Hyeonchunga Shrine (Korean Address: 충청남도 아산시 염치읍 현충사길 126 ). This shrine is for Admiral Yi Sun-shin and is free. We did take the stroller and left it by the entrance to houses or at the foot of the stairs and didn't have any issues (thank you, Korea) so we could explore a little more. I love places like this because the littles can run around and explore to their hearts content. Especially when it's not crowded.
The Babe has learned a lot about Admiral Yi and willingly fed me information on him as we explored. This was saved by a committee during Japanese Occupation and had since been preserved, enlarged and rebuilt. There are many things here that will catch your eye and stir your intellect. The fall colors were so beautiful and I would even recommend this place just for that. But then I wouldn't be doing it justice and the history is rich and sacred. This place holds artifacts of Admiral Yi as well as his old house, and graves of family members. He is buried on a mountain 9km away.
These two places made for a perfect morning outing and we finished both in around three hours. I am going to miss this beautiful country when we leave, but we're also excited for the journey to come. Until then, more exploring. See you out there!