Fridays at YISS meant the start of the 3-day weekend. Plans could be endless for Fridays. Between a bunch of school arranged 1-day field trips, Korean culture special activities (taekwondo classes, cooking lessons, & dance/sing groups), and just general extra free time.
There were 4 different field trips available at the time: Seoul City Tour, NANTA Show, Mud Festival, and DMZ Tour. They all required pre-payment and sign-up. Of those Bestie and I signed up for 2, the Seoul City Tour and DMZ Tour. The Seoul City Tour happened to fall on the first Friday of the YISS program. (Which makes sense since it is probably many attendees' first weekend in Seoul.)
Gyeongbokgung was definitely a must see on my Korea trip itinerary. Who isn't curious about how palaces were hundreds of years ago? I also just enjoy seeing how a part of history is preserved in a more natural setting, versus objects in a museum. It lets me fully immerse myself into the culture and surrounding.
Of course the architecture and colors used in the Korean palaces are just breathtaking. Even though they are smack-dab in the middle of high-rise buildings in a fast developing concrete jungle, once you step into the palace grounds and roam around it is as if you're in a completely different and isolated place. Even if you're not much of a history or architecture kind of person, I think is still worth a stroll around the grounds.
Stop #2:
Seoul Museum of History (서울역사박물관)
Seoul Museum of History wasn't on my radar but it was definitely an interesting itinerary stop. It worked well with the "learn more about Seoul theme". This museum was all about the history and traditions of Seoul. The exhibits showed how the city developed structurally to how the people and their lifestyles changed through the course of time. Judging from the photos I took, I seemed to have been really fascinated by all the different miniature models of the city.
Stop #3:
Ashley (애슐리)
Buffets are the style of restaurants I am more accustomed to on guided bus tours. However, let me tell you Ashley is no food-for-survival type of bus tour food stop. I remember everything tasted really great, hence the multiple plates in the above photo. The decor and cleanliness of this buffet chain makes it appear to be a fancy-type (i.e. expensive) buffet restaurant. I am not 100% sure of the price here since it was part of the field trip cost. I made a quick Google search and found that this is actually an affordable Western/fusion buffet restaurant chain.
Stop #4:
Insadong (인사동)
Insadong is a neighborhood in Seoul that is known to be more artsy: galleries, handmade crafts, teahouses, etc. We were brought to a particular street within there that had a bit of that artsy culture along with the typical tourist-oriented souvenirs shops. One of the things I was interested in buying was a personalized stamp. I wouldn't know when I would ever use it outside of Korea but it just seemed like a very interesting and more personal(ized) item to bring home. Unfortunately, with my indecisive nature and limit time restraint I wasn't able to get myself one that day.
Ssamziegil (쌈지길)
Ssamziegil is a shopping center for small artists and business to sell their works at Insadong. We didn't have a lot of time to spend at this fourth stop of the Seoul City tour so we couldn't explore the higher levels of the complex.
Poop Bread (똥빵) @ Ssamziegil
Instead we made the most of what was on the ground floor. What did that mean exactly? Poop bread!
Now that may sound weird but poop bread is delicious. Yes, dee-lish! Like taiyaki (or fish bread) in Japan, this is just a poop-shaped crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside bread stuffed with some sort of filling. If I remember correctly, this particular vendor filled it with a chocolate ganache or pudding. For ₩1,000 or $1 a piece, you can't go wrong. When paired with sikhye (식혜), or sweet rice drink, it was a nice refresher for the hot summer day in Seoul.
Stop #5:
Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을 - 北村韓屋마을)
The chances of me be able to stay at a traditional Korean house, hanok, anytime soon is not high. I have heard that they can be pretty pricey to stay in. But it is a very popular activity for tourists to just walk hike around the neighborhood to see the outside. The village, especially many of the more traditional looking exteriors, is situated at the very top of the hills in the area. Be ready for a mild workout to reach them. Since the style of the architecture is very different from typical homes & buildings in Seoul, I thought it was worthwhile for a sneak peak. We didn't get to really explore the neighborhood as it was a tour. Nonetheless, it was also a nice opportunity to walk off that big tasty buffet lunch we had.
Army Base Stew or Budae Jjigae (부대찌개) @ 18번지 부대찌개 in Sinchon
Dinner wasn't included with the tour. With a full day of walking and hiking up the steep hills in Bukchon, my friends and I were pooped. We opted to chow down in Sinchon rather than venturing too far away for food. Maybe the 18번지 부대찌개 signs shone the brightest or something, but despite the hot day and being all tired out we still chose a bubbly pan of army base stew for dinner. Don't underestimate the looks of the pan though. Everything in it with a bit of rice can be very filling. I think for the option we picked the price was only around ₩6,000 per person for this meal.
This past winter was unusually warm. I wasn't states side for the major end of the year holidays but my friends kept me well updated on just how toasty it felt for November and December. With the weather the way it was and scheduling considerations, we couldn't make a cold wintery getaway like last year's.
Instead, our only option was in early March. Even then the days we stayed at the ski resort were in the 60s-70s! Much too warm for snow activities but at least, thankfully, they were still open (as we paid in advance for lessons). And hey, it's the time we spent together that matters most.
The first day we arrived at Camelback Resort was spent at their newly opened indoor water park: Aquatopia. I believe this indoor park is for lodge/resort/hotel guests only. They do have an outdoor park during the warmer months which replaces the ski resort. That park may be open to all but don't quote me on that.
Aquatopia is on the small side but considering it is indoor and included with the stay there's enough to keep you entertained. The lines can get pretty long but it seemed to move relatively fast. I am not the biggest fan of water activities but my friends are and they enjoyed the water park very much.
I think the highlight for us was the Venus Slydetrap. As long as you stay within the weight limit, your group can all sit in one big float and enjoy being shot into darkness, spheres, and up & down the plant inspired mouth trap. Another one of the park's special features are the two very tall and steep slides with trap door contraption. (I think they're called the Paradise Plunge and Skydive Plummet.) Brave souls stand atop the door and way to be released & drop down below. I was barely willing to go on other the "tame" slides, so I steered clear of that thrill ride.
The activity that I was most excited for during the trip was snowboarding. A part of me was hoping that it would be like riding a bike, i.e. pick up right where I left off. If that were to happen it would mean I wouldn't fall much and be able to stop myself at will.
I think I did relatively well at our beginner class. I had some memory of how I should position my butt to steer a certain way. Our instructor this time was stellar. I can't remember his name but I do remember him putting a lot of care and effort into building our confidence. It also helped that the school was terribly busy the day we went because our instructor was able to extend our lesson and let us practice more with him. We also witnessed him giving advice to other beginner snowboarders on the bunny hill later in the day who weren't his students. The guy just can't help but help others!
Once we were set free to the bunny hills, my "skills" gradually went downhill as the day progressed. More falls. More unexpected crashes into the fences. Less control of turns. I want to attribute it to the melting snow conditions. Maybe I just do better on soft powdery hills? But it could have been...probably was due to the fact that I was losing confidence in myself after continuously falling. Guess I won't know unless I try again next time.
Yes, I am aware I look like a gray Michelin man. I was prepared for coldness! This get-up worked for me last year in what felt like the extreme cold. Little did I know...even though there is "snow" on the slopes, with 50s-60's°F weather, snowboarding can get HOT.
After the disappointing snowboarding session I had the day before, snow tubing sounded like it would be the highlight of the trip. I wasn't intimidated by it since we had so much fun on these slopes last year. Plus (I thought) the warm weather would make it more enjoyable this time. No more frozen fingers and toes! (Despite all the fun we had last year snow tubing, the freezing temps got to us fast.)
My prediction was half true. Snow tubing made up all the falls I had the day before. The weather was a nice cozy warm yet the breeze from going down the hill was refreshing. The only downside was the hill wasn't icy enough, which meant snow tubing wasn't as fast. It was more akin to a leisure car drive than being in a speedy race car. You get some, you lose some.
With the near indoor water park, there also came the Camelback Lodge. The two are directly connected. While the ski/snowboarding hills are a short drive away, there is a free shuttle bus for transport. Don't fret if anyone is more experienced and could take the lifts up to the higher slopes. There is supposedly a ski in and out area of the hotel as well (according to my friends who explored the lodge). I think Camelback frequently has specials on their site if you're interested.
What travel post is complete without food?
Landmark Restaurant
809 Seven Bridge Road East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
Country Fried Steak Breakfast Platter $8.95
Yes that is 2 very full plates of food for $8.95! It is a very cozy spot where a lot of other skiers and snowboarders dined before hitting the slopes. Affordable, big portions, and tasty...can't go wrong.
Dinner at Red Lobsters in Bartonsville, PA
Lunch from Camelback's Big Pocono Family Eatery
Get the fries! They were definitely the highlight of the pricey lunch.
The sandwich and pasta I got weren't too shabby either. This lunch was definitely much better than what I remembered having last year.
Buffet dinner from Camelback Lodge's Hemispheres
The selection is alright. It IS a buffet at the resort lodge so it is expected for it to be pricey. But since we were pooped from snowboarding all day it was worth the convenience.
If you do eat in, get the chocolate chip looking cookie with all the nuts (if you're not allergic)!
Meal from Sonic Drive-In in Bartonsville, PA
I've seen their commercials with the two guys on TV all the time! Since NYC doesn't have any Sonic's (I don't think) we were all excited to try it. Yes, excited to try fast food. We can indulge sometimes too. The Cheeseburger was standard. The chili cheese tots sound great but the tater tots were pretty soft and crisp-less. Just go for the plain tots, they're much better. Their shakes are great for sharing. Unless of course you can handle the cup full of sugar and cream. Then more powder to ya!
There is a video to accompany this post, just like last year!
In fact there are 2 videos this year. My friends found Jelly Belly's ever so popular Bean Boozled at the lodge gift shop. We've been curious to try it out but never had the time to all sit down for so long to attempt the challenge. Let's just say, we were defeated.
