Kunwoo Travels to Gangneung (강릉)
Intro
My parents and I decided to visit Gangneung_강릉 (pronounced like Gahng-Lung) during the last two days of our Chuseok_추석 vacation. Our destination was Seamarq Hotel located right in front of Gyungpodae_경포대 beach. Here is how we spent our two heavenly days in Kangwondo_강원도 province of Korea.
Day1: Driving to Gangneung_강릉
We got hungry right after we left. We discussed in the car how traveling makes you chronically hungry. So we stopped at a rest area to get some food.
I wouldn't normally pay money to eat Ramyun_라면 noodles outside home, but rest area Ramyun_라면 noodles are somehow extra tasty. We couldn't resist.
I got myself a corndog as well. The best part wasn't the sausage inside, but the fried crumbs that cover it. Oh boy.. These rest area junkies are so good.
And my dad's favorite, Hodoo Gwaja_호두과자 (walnut cake). I'm kinda tired of it, so I didn't really eat it.
Day1: Seamarq Hotel Check-in
We drove and drove and finally arrived in Seamarq Hotel. We were worried about Chuseok_추석 traffic, but it wasn't bad at all.
Address: 2, Haean-ro 406beon-gil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, Korea
Seamarq Hotel is a six-star rated hotel that opened this July. The hotel was super wonderful. First impressions were white, modern, and classy. The white and modern looks somewhat feels cold at first, but there is plenty of nature that blend really well to provide warmth to its plasticity.
And just as you go outside, you will be meeting a wonderful view of the East Sea: blue, clear, cool, open, and relaxing.
I could sit here all day and absorb everything that comes through my eyes. But we got hungry again, so we decided to head out for lunch.
Day1: Lunch at Hyung-jae Makguksu_형제막국수
The bottom left is the restaurant and top right is our hotel.
Address: 646 Hongje-dong, Gangneung-si, Kangwon, South Korea
We have a restaurant finding app called Blue Ribbon Survey. We trust this app by heart because the restaurants it introduces rarely fail. We searched for a light lunch, and Hyung-jae Makguksu_형제막국수 (means Brother noodles) came up to our attention.
We drove for about 20 mins from the hotel. This place was packed with people. We had to wait for about ten minutes even to order our food. But overall, it was worth waiting for.
I got myself a bibim-naengmyun_비빔냉면. It's a Korean noodle dish with various kinds of vegetables, hwae_회 (raw fish), and spicy sauce. In Seoul you normally get beef instead of raw fish, but hey we're right near the ocean I guess.
It was delicious. It had a sweet flavor as well, which kinda cut the spiciness. The yuksu_육수, which is the cold beef broth as you see in the picture on the right, was AMAZING.
There is a quince tree right in front of the restaurant.
Day1: Coffee break at Terarosa_테라로사 Coffeehouse
Next we decided to drive south a bit more to visit Terarosa Coffeehouse for a coffee break. This place is quite famous for its coffee, so as coffee lovers, we were excited.
address: 973-1 Edan-ri, Gujeong-myeon, Gangneung-si, Kangwon, South Korea
We parked our car and walked for about five minutes to reach Terarosa. There we could walk along the country sides of Korea.
Chestnut trees and a scary looking spider.
A family farm.
A gigantic tree that's bigger than the house itself..
And finally, Terarosa coffee.
Well, well, well.... This place is packed with people. I mean PACKED. It's a touristy coffee house. We would have not come here if we knew we had to wait for about a half an hour just to get inside the cafe. I took a walk around while waiting.
You can have coffee inside a garden too.
(packed with people...)
Otherwise a beautiful place!
So we finally got to sit down and ordered two cups of coffee: Costa Rica Carlos and Congo.
The two tasted very different from each other, one having a burst of fruity flavor making the other taste bland. The overall atmosphere was quite nice and relaxing. I don't think I'm ever going to come back though. Too touristy.
Day1: Back to Seamarq Hotel
We came back to the hotel. We got the keys to our room. Our room had a fantastic ocean-view and really clean, modern interior and amenities.
Comfy beds :D
Amazing scenery.
Village behind the hotel. Beautiful!
The hotel was designed by Richard Meier. Indirect lights coming from all kinds of places, white smooth textures, and cutting-edge technology.. There were so many things to appreciate and be inspired of.
Day1: Swimming at Seamarq Hotel
Then we headed to the swimming pool. It was amazing. The pool blends perfectly with the ocean behind, almost giving you the feeling of just floating on top of it.
We stayed here until it got dark out. We were ready for our dinner. We previously planned to go out for Hwae (raw-fish cuisine), but we decided to stay in the hotel and dine at a restaurant within.
Day1: Dinner at Seamarq Hotel
I didn't take pictures of every plate I brought, but I think my favorites were sweet squash soup and the deserts. They bring you a stake cooked at your order, but the only problem was that they brought it while we were eating our appetizers. So the stake was kinda cold when I ate it but it was still delicious. The deserts were awesome. I think they were better than those of Shinra_신라 Hotel dinner buffet in Seoul.
I was soooo full.. I took a picture of my belly :)
Day1: Walking around Gyungpodae_경포대 beach
A look of the hotel from the beach at night.
I was listening to Hyukoh_혁오 while walking around the beach and I accidentally stepped into one of the beach puddles.. Guess which foot..
Restaurants along the beach.
A random chair discovered during my expedition!
Supermoon's out, but it was too cloudy out to see it clearly.
Day2: Sunrise and Jogging
I've set the alarm to 6:00am since I really wanted to watch the sunrise. It's difficult to watch a sunrise in many parts of Korea since the horizon lines are often blocked by mountains.
I woke up, put on my running shoes and went out. The sun was just about to rise.
It was a little bit cloudy, but I liked the weather since it made the scenery a bit more dynamic.
Beautiful, isn't it?
I tried to taste the sun. Yummy :D
Then I jogged/walked around the coast to explore more and more of Gyungpodae_경포대 Beach.
It had an awesome pine tree forest. Extra picturesque during sunrise.
That led to a farmland. Pastoral and peaceful.
My little morning expedition continued on till Gyungpoho_경포호 lake. I think the water's ocean water though. not sure.. But it's a lake with about 3km circumference bringing amazing scenery to the town.
I headed back to the hotel as it was very windy out. I took a little nap while my parents were taking a walk along the beach.
We had breakfast buffet at the restaurant (Very tasty). We went to the sauna to take baths. The sauna here is very nice too. You can walk outside with a robe on and just lay down in front of a garden, listening to the waves. I fell asleep for about half an hour there.
And there it is. Our vacation at Seamarq Hotel, Gangneung came to an end. It was a wonderful time, to be away from work, away from the mundane everyday and to be refreshed with awesome food, exquisite scenery, and aesthetic pleasures.
-fin
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