31 Tuesday May 2016
Posted in Things to See and Do
I like baseball…but not to play (I catch and throw with the same hand, so nobody would want me on their team). But I do like to watch baseball…in person, not on television. My husband likes baseball too. So when we are home, we often go to watch our local AAA team, The Norfolk Tides. (yes, that is a helicopter landing on the field to let off the local TV anchor to make the first pitch).
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25 Wednesday May 2016
Posted in Things to See and Do
Welcome back! I’m still at the Korean Folk Village (at least in this post). I left you eating lunch…so are you ready for the rest of the afternoon? If you remember this living history village covers about 25 acres, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that there is a lot of open space and well…nature. Continueing on through the village, we walked past this waterfall. 
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23 Monday May 2016
Posted in Things to See and Do
Seoul is a vibrant city…busy day and night. I’ve heard it described as a city that never sleeps. Buildings are big and modern, The main streets are wide and the subway system is jam packed most of the time. 
Side streets can be packed with small restaurants, shops and people….lots of people. But it wasn’t always this way. If you want to see how the Korean people lived and worked hundreds of years ago, it’s worth the trip to Minok Village, a traditional Korean Folk Village….a living museum of history. Continue reading
19 Thursday May 2016
Posted in Things to See and Do
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Cheongwadae Hall, Geunjeongjeon, Gwanhwamun Gate, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gyeongjoeru Pavilion, Imperial Throne Hall, Seoul, South Korea, The Blue House
Welcome back as I continue my USO Tour of the Historic Sights in Seoul. After visiting the Jogyesa Temple, our tour continued to the largest of the five Palaces located in Seoul, Gyeongbokgung Palace. Built in 1395, it was the first royal palace built by the Joseon Dynasty in the newly appointed capital of Hanyang, (which is now known as Seoul). The Palace served as the Royal residence until several Japanese invasions between 1592-1598 that caused severe damage. Almost 300 years later in 1868 the palace was reconstructed and expanded to a complex that included 500 buildings. But the Japanese invaded again and destroyed the palace again during the years that they occupied Korea (1910-1945). Starting in 1990, the Korean government began a 40 year project to rebuild and restore the buildings that were destroyed during the Japanese occupation…so they are just a little over 1/2 way there.
This is an inside view of the gate, called Gwanhwamun Gate that serves as the entrance to the Palace grounds.
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16 Monday May 2016
Posted in Things to See and Do, Uncategorized
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When you don’t want to do all the work of touring around by yourself in a new city armed with a good map and a list of “sights to see”, then it’s time to let someone else do the work for you. It’s time to take a tour. While I was in Seoul, a city with a US Army base in the middle of the city…I took advantage of taking several tours hosted by the USO (United Service Organization).
The first tour I took was what they called the Historic Sights Tour. So at my appointed day and time, I showed up at the USO and hopped on the little tour bus with 7 other people and our guide and we were off. Continue reading
13 Friday May 2016
Posted in Things to See and Do
One of my favourite ways to explore a new city is to take a walk…so one of my first official acts of being a tourist in Seoul and check out the sights was to go someplace within walking distance….so off to the War Memorial of Korea I went. Although the name makes its sound like it’s just a statue like the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington Virginia, or something bigger like the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., this memorial is actually much more…it’s multiple statues
, plus a memorial building (museum) and children’s’ museum Continue reading
10 Tuesday May 2016
Posted in Everyday Life, Things to See and Do
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Finally getting to a place where I can get a few thoughts down. So here goes….A month ago I took a trip…a long trip….one 13+ hour flight to Tokyo, Japan, and then another shorter 2 1/2 hour plane trip to Seoul, South Korea. This little fluff ball, Lane, also took the trip. She was ready to be reunited with her “Mom”.
Lane is a seasoned traveller, and was so excited to travel again that she hopped into her carrier while we were driving to the airport. She has never done that before. I think she was ready to be going to her new home. Continue reading
Jumping Out of the Box 