First Family Trip (As an Adult)
We went on our first family trip!
Well, technically it's my first *since* becoming an adult, but whatever.
The destination was only a two-hour drive from Seoul, but since it was a family trip, we started from my parents' house.
I did a fair bit of driving on the way there, but Dad took over for the entire return trip. Haha...
I was supposed to share the driving, but I guess I'm a bad daughter...
August 22, 2025
Nonsan ➡️ Sokcho: Over 5 hours of travel time alone.
We left early in the morning and arrived at Seoraksan Mountain.
If we'd taken the highway, we could have arrived in about 4 hours and 30 minutes, but Dad wanted to take the scenic route and enjoy the drive along the local roads, so we went with his suggestion!
The weather was fantastic, but it was late August...
The sun was blazing – almost painfully so.
It was really, really hot.
Cute mountain goats!
I wanted to show this to a team member at work who shares the same name, but I was too shy and didn't have the courage.
We're not that close... haha.
Hmm, the cable car is pricey...
Just a heads up: there's no AC in the cable car.
Even without AC, a natural breeze comes in, so it's not too bad.
The view from the cable car~
I was surprised when Dad declared he didn't want to hike after we arrived at Seoraksan, but he was the most excited once we got on the cable car. Lol.
So, Dad likes mountains.
I'll keep that in mind for the next trip.
Chungchosu Mulhoe (Cold Raw Fish Soup)
A Mulhoe restaurant recommended by someone at work.
We ate there before checking into our hotel after coming down from Seoraksan.
It was good, but not a must-try, in my opinion?
Overall, it was tasty and clean, but not particularly impactful.
It was just nice and refreshing in the summer heat.
There was this side dish of something unidentifiable.
My family debated what it was made of.
Turns out, it was corn.
We asked an employee while paying, and they said it was a corn mash, a common side dish in Gangwon-do.
Looking at it now, it looks obviously like corn, but why couldn't I tell back then?
Sokcho Home Marina
I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the room was.
Since it was our first family trip (as adults), I splurged a little.
There's an Emart right next door, which is convenient.
It would be a great place for couples to have a staycation.
I missed my partner a little at this point.
I forgot to bring my toothbrush, so I took a toothbrush and a hat (not pictured) from my sister.
I feel like it's okay to take things from my sister.
After relaxing at the hotel for a bit, we headed to the nearby beach~
It was within walking distance, so I regretted driving. Parking was a bit difficult.
That's the hat I took from my sister in the picture lol
As expected from the East Sea, the water was clean, and watching everyone enjoy swimming made me want to go swimming too.
Next time, even if I'm planning not to swim, I should bring some basic gear.
Sokcho Jungang Market (Central Market)
I really regretted driving here.
And it was so hot, truly suffocating.
Because of the parking situation, Dad couldn't even look around the market... bummer... Things started to go a little sideways from here.
Still, I managed to buy chicken gangjeong (sweet and sour chicken) and everything else I needed.
Gamja Bawu (Potato Ongsimi Restaurant)
Dinner was at a potato ongsimi (potato dumpling soup) restaurant that Mom wanted to try.
I don't know about the potato ongsimi, but the raw fish noodles were really good.
When I asked my parents what their favorite food in Sokcho was, they both mentioned the raw fish noodles here.
However, the staff was unfriendly, leaving customers standing around while they were busy. They were also kind of aggressive in how they spoke to other customers... It was a little off-putting.
Back at the hotel, we were stuffed, but we still tried the chicken gangjeong.
I could see why it was so popular.
No wonder it's always sold out.
The spicy flavor was sold out, so I got the regular flavor, but I imagine the spicy flavor would be amazing!
Relaxing at the hotel~
What was really funny was that there were two TVs, so I thought it would be great for Mom and Dad, who are always fighting over the remote~
But they were both watching the same show...
Might as well watch it on one TV then lol
August 23, 2025
The trip back was long, so we didn't do much.
Stopped by Gangneung for a quick taste~
Chodang Sonamu House & Sundubu Gelato
We went to get sundubu (soft tofu) gelato, and ended up having lunch at the restaurant right next to the gelato shop.
Seafood Jjamppong Sundubu (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup with Soft Tofu) and Modubu (Whole Bean Curd).
It was okay.
I got a pretty good sense of my parents' taste preferences on this trip.
I thought I knew them well as family, but traveling together is a different story.
They really like sweets.
And ice cream too.
They seemed the happiest when they were eating sweets, which was a little anticlimactic, but
Next time, the trip will be even better!
Bought Gangneung Sand cookies from the shop next door~
They were just average.
The end of our trip with cookies~~
Honestly, if I had to say whether it was a successful trip, I'd have to say no.
My parents were tired, and my sister didn't put her phone down.
But I think I realized how precious and happy this time was, and why nostalgia is called nostalgia "sick".
I was pretty exhausted after the trip.
Or maybe I was just tired? lol
The truth is, my family hasn't traveled much compared to other families, so how can we expect to get it right the first time!
Next time, we'll have a more successful trip.
Let's use this trip as an opportunity to travel more!
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