Day Trip out of Seoul ~ Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

Over the weekend during my work trip in Seoul in May, we had a great road trip all thanks to my 2 lovely colleagues who drove us out of Seoul! I even managed to eat at the Duck restaurant that I visited with friends during my first Korea trip back in 2008. 

Our first pitstop for lunch!

Taebong-san Duck Restaurant (태봉산한터오리골)

Address: 4-3 Jubuk-ri, Yangji-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea 경기도 용인시 처인구 양지면 주북로 440 2층 단독주택
Telephone: 050-7724-7467

Spicy duck bbq

Non-spicy duck bbq

Sides

 Yumminess in progress - I personally preferred the spicy version!

Cooking was done on these huge hotstone tables

Fried rice in the making

One of the highlights of the meal was this rolled fried rice! So crispy and nice!

Watch how it's made and be hungry! :P

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Eco Green Campus [Daegwallyeong Samyang Ranch] (에코그린 캠퍼스 (삼양목장))
Address: San 1-107, Hoenggye 2-ri, Doam-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do 강원 평창군 대관령면 횡계2리 산 1-107번지 외 60필지
Website (in Korean): https://www.samyangfarm.co.kr
Telephone: +82-33-335-5044~5
Opening hours: 08:30-18:30 * Last admission: 17:30

*Update @ Oct 2016: Based on naver map estimate, the taxi fare from Hoenggye Bus Terminal (횡계시외버스공용정류장) to Eco Green Campus is about 10,700krw.

Our next stop was the beautiful Daegwallyeong Samyang Ranch. This place is definitely different in scale compared to the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm! The bus ride up to the top alone took about 10-15 minutes. You can always go for a hike if you have time to spare, as the fresh air and beautiful scenery will not leave you breathless since you are bound to make a lot of pitstops for photo-taking! 

Map of Eco Green Campus Daegwallyeong Samyang Ranch

Due to time and physical constraints (I was in my first trimester at that time and was not allowed to walk too much), we took the free shuttle bus available to the various stops.

View of the east sea (donghae) from the top of the ranch (Dong Hae Observatory)

Huge windmills - Just compare them to the size of the people!

The top of the ranch was really windy, and we couldn't stay there for long because all the Singaporeans were under-dressed! Given that the temperature was in the 20s, we tropical fishes obviously thought it was alright to go in tees and shorts. Our Hong Kong colleagues, on the other hand, were well-prepared in track pants and windbreakers. Just look at what most of the locals are wearing and you'll know how to dress for a spring day in May, on top of a ranch.

A beautiful place like this will definitely be a site for some drama or movie. In this case, the tree below seems to be the attraction.

Tree of "Lover's Concerto" movie in 2002

Sheep grazing in the vast lands

Ostrich Paddock

Sheepdog Herding Field

If you love sheep and wants to be upclose with them, remember to stop by at the sheep paddock!

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山水名山 (산수명산）

Dinner stop was enrouted to Phoenix Park. We stopped by a family restaurant for Spicy Chicken Stew!

Address: 27-3 Dongsan-ri, Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea 강원도 평창군 진부면 동산리 27-3
Telephone: 033-333-3103

Different types of mountain vegetables for banchan

Salad

Apparently this is a rare and expensive type of veggies, which the owner kindly gave us second portions because we were tourists. The vegetables tasted a little bland, so we dipped it in gochujang (chilli sauce).

Table filled with sides, enough to fill our stomachs without eating the main!

Main dish - Spicy Chicken Stew (Dak Bokkeum Tang aka 닭볶음탕)

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Our rest stop at Hanwha Resort

Hanwha Resort Phoenix Park (한화리조트 휘닉스파크)
Address: 228-33, Taegi-ro, Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do
강원도 평창군 봉평면 태기로 228-33
Telephone: +82-1588-2299

A very typical Korean breakfast out of home - Instant noodles, instant jjajangmyeon, rice and kimchi!

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The temple decorated with colourful lanterns as it was near Buddha's birthday

Woljeongsa Temple (월정사 (오대산)) 

Address: 63, Dongsan-ri, Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do 강원도 평창군 진부면 오대산로 374-8
Telephone: Woljeongsa Temple +82-33-339-6800, Temple Office +82-33-339-6618 Temple Stay +82-33-339-6606~7
Opening hours: 05:00-21:00

Last pitstop before heading back to Seoul - Woljeongsa

Map of Pyeongchang County

Nine-story octagonal pagoda, also called as the Sari-Pagoda (relic pagoda), that is found in Korean textbooks (according to my Korean colleague)

Stone stacking

Woljeongsa is located at the foot ot Mt. Odaesan national park, which makes it a good place for a walk or a hike.

And that marks the end of our weekend trip out of Seoul. Oh yes, definitely cannot forget our quick stop at Deokpyeong Eco-Service Area (덕평자연휴게소) for lunch!

Bibimbap at 자연소반 - View menu here