This being our third trip to S.Korea we decided to get out of Seoul and took multiple day trips to attractions in the surrounding areas. To visit Namiseom Island we took an ITX double-decker train to Gapyeong Station, where we got a taxi for the short ride to the ferry that goes across the Bukhangang River to Nami Island. (For other ways to get there see end of this post.) Nami Island opened in 1965 and is renowned for being a beautiful place to visit. It is also famous for the number of Kdramas that were filmed here, the most well known being Winter Sonata from 2002.

The car park for tour buses is huge, but head down towards the buildings and get your tickets for the ferry.  In busy times a lot of people get on the ferry so be prepared. Or if you are adventurous you can take the zip line there and then the ferry back. In the photo above you can just see 2 dots in the sky which are 2 brave people speeding to the island.

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There’s a small ‘village’ with an open square area when you get off the ferry, and that’s where there’s bathrooms, and tourist information, cafes, and other interesting things. But wanting to get away from the crowd we headed further into the island.

Nami Island is named after a 15th century general who won a great victory over some rebels. It only became an island after the Cheongpyeong Dam was built. Called the Naminara Republic and it even flies it’s own flags, as well as having ‘passports’. Long a popular destination for families as well as for romantic couples, it prides itself as being a ‘land of fairy tales’ and it has even been designated a ‘child friendly theme park’ by UNICEF. The main attraction, however, is nature, admittedly a nature that has been helped a lot by man.

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Parks and tree lined streets fill the island with beauty in every direction. It is a place of beauty in all four seasons, although Spring and Fall are perhaps the most popular ones.

The Gingko Tree Lane, pictured above, is perhaps the most popular attraction in Fall, while the Cherry Blossoms grace the Spring.

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The bright yellow of the Gingkos was everywhere, even overwhelming the other colors of Fall.

Being a place for families and children there’s a lot for them to see and do. There’s a Picture Book Library, a train, lots of local fairy tale characters, plus some animals in fenced pastures, and bike rentals and more. The bikes are also quite popular with couples. If you’re adventurous there’s also some water sports available too.

The ostriches were popular. Even though I think they’re scary birds parents were allowing their kids to get quite close to them.

The native squirrels, which were everywhere, were probably the most chased animal around as every kids under the age of 5 seemed to need to chase them. The one in the second photo was busily unwrapping the cloth tape from around this tree….until he was chased away.

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There are a lot of choices when you decide you’re hungry or thirsty. With at least a dozen restaurants and cafes dotted around the island you’re never far away from something delicious. They were also some little places selling traditional street food. We chose a cafe for a quick pick me up after our early morning journey. I’ve become a fan of all the different local styles of Makgeolli we discovered on this trip. This one was made with pine nuts and was very refreshing.

As we wandered around we came across so many interesting and beautiful areas. In one you could stack stones to make a wish, and even ring the great bell.

The whole time we were on Nami Island we felt rested and at peace. Everyone around us seemed to just be enjoying nature and family time. The hassles and stresses of modern life faded away.

The Kdrama Winter Sonata was filmed on the island and the ‘famous’ spot is clearly marked for fans. A few other Kdramas have also been filmed there since it has so many perfect areas for romantic scenes.

I think I would enjoy Nami Island at any time, but it was particularly beautiful being Fall. It was also extremely meaningful because we were able to enjoy the day out with Ken and his family.

After a fun filled time, we headed back to the ferry to leave the Naminara Republic and look for late lunch. Ken had found that there was a highly recommended restaurant tucked away up behind the tour bus parking lot. With a little effort we found it.

Lunch was excellent. The company was wonderful. And the day out to Nami Island was a day to remember forever.

Here’s to travel, good friends, and delicious food.

Have a great day everyone.

You may also enjoy My Favorite Place To Stay In Seoul,  Gwangmyeong Cave, and Gyeongju: Why You Should Visit On Your Next Trip To Korea.

All photo credits to original owners. Elizabeth Marzec, Kenneth Kim, and Debora Marzec.

Please do not copy or use without permission and accreditation.

Note. There are multiple ways to get to Nami Island. Many tourists go on specific tours offered by tour companies, others take a shuttle bus. Most Seoulites drive, take the ITX train, or even the subway. Any hotel desk, tourist information office etc can help with which choice is right for you.

This is what we did.

1. We took the Metro to Yongsan Station. Shop for your snack to eat on the train.
2. From Yongsan Station, we took the ITX Train to Gapyeong Station (about an hour) It is best to book a seat in advance, especially if you want to sit on the upper deck. Not all the trains may have the upper deck choice.
3. From Gapyeong Station, we took a taxi, but you can also take the “Gapyeong Tour Bus” to Nami Island Station.
4. From Nami Island Station, walk to down to the ferry terminal, or zipline for the brave. (2 minutes).

Having grown up in Europe I have a fondness for beautiful gardens and I got used to seeing them everywhere I went. Differing styles to be sure, but each stately home, public park, pub, or country village would have colorful growing things no matter the scale or style. From acres of gardens to a single hanging basket next to the front door, splashes of greens and bright colors would enliven wherever I went. I didn’t know how much I missed that until I visited Korea. (I live in Texas now.)

Although not necessarily considered high on the list for those who wish to visit the most beautiful gardens of the world, Korea is a hidden gem. I have visited Korea in three different seasons, Spring, Summer, and Fall, and each had its stand out gardens and natural areas. My latest visit was in the early Fall of 2017, and these photos are just random shots to show some of the beauty that is Korea.

Korea is a mountainous country and green is its default color, but against that backdrop of green each season brings its own colors. In Spring the Cherry blossoms, along with Forsythia and Azaleas produce pockets, and add ribbons, of color to the landscape. Summer brings the hot bright colors of chili peppers, summer annuals, and perennials galore. Roses are popular and there are multiple rose gardens. Fall sees the muted reds, oranges and yellows of trees and flowers alike, while even the grasses get in on the act. Winter is the hard blacks and browns of bark and limb silhouetted against the blinding white of snow.

Arriving at the airport, even before we collected our luggage,  walls of green greeted us. Incheon airport has many green spaces, gardens, and colorful plant displays and if you have extra time to kill it is worth a stroll around. (Its Stargarden has over 9,000 plants.)

Seoul has multiple city parks and green spaces and Korea, in general, has a large number of botanic gardens, arboretums, public and national parks. Many Koreans walk, hike, and bike regularly, and more parks and facilities are being added all the time.

From large to small, greenery and colorful plants were everywhere we went.

Obviously the trees turning to all the shades from yellow, through the oranges, to red were a highlight of the trip, but the small spots of color, and the unexpected mass plantings of bedding plants were a joy to behold.

Even the vegetable gardens, tucked away in every possible space were beautiful.

Mother nature, not to be outdone, showcased the beauty of wildflowers and fields of grass. Many public parks in Seoul, and elsewhere in Korea, set aside specific areas to be maintained for wildflowers and grasses.

Temples and Palaces changed their characters as the colors of Fall surrounded and softened their appearance. No longer were their bright colors backed by shades of green, making them the vibrant centerpoint, instead a riot of color commanded one’s gaze.

Ponds and pools of water, muddied by fallen leaves, still reflected the colors of their surroundings.

The indoors was not not forgotten and plant walls could be seen in municipal and business office  buildings. Even small businesses often had plants in their windows.

There were lots of sidewalk businesses selling cactus and succulents to liven up the office and home for the winter. (Korea grows an amazing number of wonderful succulents.)

Traditional Hanok courtyards and walls often harbored little islands of color.

Surprisingly on this trip we didn’t get to see a different botanic garden to those we’ve visited before, although we did finally go inside The Secret Garden at Changdeokgung Palace. We revisited a couple of gardens we’ve been to before and mainly enjoyed the parks of Seoul, many which were new to us, and the gardens of Temples, Palaces and Towns we visited on day trips out of Seoul.

If you are interested in gardens and gardening you should definitely consider visiting Korea. To learn a little more see some of my previous posts such as Spirit Garden, about a wonderful garden of Bunjae (Bonsai in Japanese) where you can learn how the art travelled from China through Korea and then on to Japan. Or perhaps the post on Yeomiji Botanic Garden which houses one of the largest greenhouses in the world. (Did you know Korea invented the first heated greenhouse? See Korean Innovations.) There are quite a few more but I’ll leave you to explore on your own.

Have a great day everyone.

Please do not copy or use without permission and accreditation. All photo credits to Elizabeth and Debora Marzec.

We all need time off so here’s a quick change from the normal Korea centric posts I usually write. There maybe a slight relevance for some of my readers, particularly in Asia and North America, since Alaska is the closest and probably cheapest place for you to visit if you ever want to see the Aurora Borealis. Most of the foreign tourists we spoke with were from China, although a lot of tourists who visit Alaska are from Japan.

My friends and I flew on Alaska Airlines from San Antonio, through Seattle, and on to Fairbanks, Alaska. We flew the last flight out of Seattle and landed in Fairbanks at 2:30am. In a perfect world we could have seen the aurora as that is usually peak viewing time. But we weren’t so lucky. Fairly exhausted we took a taxi from the airport and  found our keys taped to the front door and staggered up to our rooms to try and get a least a little bit of sleep. We stayed at the Minnie Street Inn which was perfect for us.

We had 2 separate bedrooms with a shared bathroom and then downstairs was a living room, dining area, and kitchen that was open for all the guests to use. (Note, they no longer serve breakfast, so you can make your own, or head to The Diner, about 2 blocks away for breakfast, including reindeer sausage.)

The Minnie Street Inn has multiple buildings with a shared garden area, and deck complete with a grill if you’re adventurous enough to grill in the snow. There’s also a laundry area available for a small fee. We met people from all over and made some good friends with whom we later shared an aurora hunting evening. And split the cost which was good for all of us.

Maybe one of the best things about the Minnie Street Inn is that you can easily walk to the old center of town. So on our first day we took the pleasant stroll through a quiet neighborhood and then across the William R Wood Memorial footbridge to Griffin Park which winds along the edge of the Chena River.

At this point if you go straight you are in downtown Fairbanks. However we decided to take the scenic route through the park towards the Cultural and Visitors center.

First we came across a WWII memorial and then a moose antler arch.

There was an ice sculpture in front of the Cultural and Visitors center as well as a scenic cabin with outhouse. Once we’d finished being silly, I somehow fell pretty much face down in the snow, we went and gathered some tourist information and watched a free movie about the aurora inside the center.

Hunger hit and we left the visitors center without exploring all the exhibits. We strolled into downtown and found Soapy Smith’s Pioneer Restaurant which had been recommended to us. Owned by a third generation Alaskan it is full of old memorabilia and was pretty cool.

We had a phenomenal waiter who helped us choose some Alaskan beers. He also recommended the crab burger, and the halibut and fries. I was so hungry there isn’t a photograph of the meal. Both the burger and the fish and chips were good, but I have to admit I enjoyed the strawberry and rhubarb pie the most.

We headed back to our place to take a nap before our night time excursion out to see the aurora. We chose a tour that would come and pick us up and take us out to Cleary Summit to a viewing lodge. ( No way we were going to drive ourselves at night in Alaska with two feet of snow on the ground.) Unfortunately we saw nothing that night and returned home after about 3 1/2 hours of waiting/watching. The information we all see on the internet says there’s a 90% chance of seeing the aurora if you stay at least 3 days, so we made plans for the next night.

Next morning we slept in, and then headed out to The Diner for a hearty breakfast, including reindeer sausage. Then back to the Inn to wait to be picked up for what would turn out to be the highlight of our trip.

We went dog sledding, and somehow lucked into booking with what has to be the best choice in Fairbanks, Boreal Journeys. Run by a young couple who live off grid and know all the ins and outs of living in the wilderness we had an amazing time. Although they usually only take two people at a time they customized an afternoon for us that all three of us would enjoy.

The pre arranged pickup was prompt, and our driver a great font of local knowledge. The ride through the sparkling snow covered countryside was breathtaking. Upon arrival Jenna and one of the dogs came to greet us and lead us along the the trail to their cabin. The dogs heard us and began to get excited.

Jenna and David introduced us to the dogs, told us their names and explained a little about their lives. She also happily answered all our questions. The dogs were very happy to greet us, and to get a little bit of extra loving. Jenna and David keep their ratio of dogs to humans at 5:1 so all the dogs get a lot of attention and some even go in and out of the cabin…until they get too hot and head outside again.

We decided that Carolle and Michael would head out on the first run, while Jenna and I took a short hike along the frozen creek and into the woods. We helped harness the dogs, eight for this run. Carolle rode in the front while Michael stood on the runners on the back sled.

The dogs were really excited and wanted to get going.

Once they left Jenna and I headed out on our walk. We walked along the creek bed for a ways and saw various animal tracks in the snow. We even saw moose poop, but no moose.

We walked until we came to a trail crossing so we could wait to see Carolle and Michael go past.

Once we all got back to the cabin the dogs got a snack and time to rest before they headed out again. This trip I got to sit in the front for half the way while Carolle rode the runners and then we switched half way through. Both the riding in the front sled and riding the runners were a lot of fun, going up and down the river banks to cross the creek was like being on a roller coaster.

We spent some downtime after the rides with a drink, and a taste of freshly cooked moose meat which was delicious, before we said our goodbyes to the dogs and headed back to the Inn. It is hard to describe just how much fun we had. It is the memory of this afternoon that would bring me back to Alaska, and I heartily recommend it.

Once we got back to Inn a nap was attempted, and plans made for our evening adventures. Two young ladies staying at the Inn agreed to join us. We rented a Taxi for the evening at an hourly rate which is quite economical if there’s a few people sharing. At 11pm sharp we headed out in search of the northern lights. We were out until almost 4 am and drove many miles with no luck.

One thing about the aurora forecasts on the web is that they tell you what is happening up in the sky, not what you can see from the ground. If there’s fog, mist, rain, snow etc you won’t see the aurora, so in some ways the weather forecast is as important as the aurora one. We did have adventures though. We tried to be heroes and help a mini van that went off the road and into the snow, (we failed, later someone else with shovels etc succeeded) we saw a moose, peed in the snow, and bonded in our failure. But no aurora.

The next day exhausted and despondent we tried to muster and enjoy our last day. We had a great lunch at The Diner, a stroll to the Cultural center where we actually looked through the exhibits, and then I headed back for a nap and to pack, Michael went antique shopping and Carolle explored the Museum at the University.

The last evening we hung out with new friends, chatted, laughed and generally had a fun time, all the while trying to decide if we would head out for one more try to see the lights. Common sense and a lousy weather forecast dictated that we leave that night’s adventure to the younger crowd. (We had a 6am flight out.)

For any of you thinking of going to Fairbanks Alaska I would say do it. Even without the lights we had a fun time. The people were friendly, the day time weather was good, and there were unique things to see and do. (Molly and Nicole, our new friends, went ice fishing and caught 3 fish which were then cooked and eaten on the spot.) I would, however suggest maybe stay for 5 nights to ensure a good chance to see the lights. And even if you see them one night they are never the same 2 nights running. To do the dog sledding we took you’ll need to know basic English to understand the instructions, but there are other dog sled places where they are not so much in the wilderness. Many of the Chinese tours we saw were with large tour groups so less adventurous travelers might find that a good option.

I hope some of you travel to Alaska, and have better luck seeing the aurora than we did. If you do let me know in the comments.  Have a great day everyone.

Please do not copy or use without permission and accreditation.

All photo credits to original owners. Photos 1 and 32, plus 2nd video to Jenna at http://www.borealjourneysak.com . The rest to Carolle Ternus, Michael Seminara, and me.