Ice Parks To Visit this Winter

Some families prefer to travel during winter time.  My family and I tried that idea but traveled few weeks before Christmas so we don't get in the holiday rush. However, the excitement of spending winter in a different country or away from home is an inviting idea to try for a change.

If you are one of those who want to travel this winter time or would like to see and feel what winter is like in other countries, then visiting ice parks will be a good idea. I live in a perpetually sunny place so snow is so alien to us and so is the cold winter. I have been dreaming of spending winter time in a really cold place so ice parks will be a good bet to try.

Some countries will have longer winter season than others. Choose the one depending on your time availability to make the most of your wintertime vacation.

Here are some famous ice parks in the world to visit:

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is one of the most famous winter festivals around the world. It is famously known for the beautiful ice sculptures and play area for everyone to enjoy so much snow and cold in one place. It starts on 5 January 201 and will run for a month.

Harbin is located Heilongjiang Province in the northeastern part of China. The location of the place makes it a perfect place for snow and ice festivals due to its arctic climate which provides natural ice and snow.

Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival in South Korea

Taebaeksan Provincial Park in Jungang-ro Street of Taebaek-si, and Hwangji Pond Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do provide a wide array of events and activities for winter fun!  Guests can even participate in the Snowman Festival and snow sledding with the scenic Taebaeksan Mountain as a nice backdrop for the whole event.

The event runs for almost 2 weeks from January 21-31, 2016. 

Ouray Ice Park in Colorado, USA

The Ouray Ice Park is a very unique and interesting winter attractions in the world. It is a human made climbing area in a gorge in Ouray, Colorado.  The best thing about this man-made attraction is that is is free and open to the public. Many activities will run from January to February 2016. 

Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, Japan

This is a festival held yearly in Sapporo, Japan. It is one of the famous winter festivities there that millions of visitors check out the festivities. It runs for a short period of time compared to the other winter festivals in other countries. The Sapporo Snow Festival will run from February 6 - 11, 2016.

Quebec Winter Carnival, Canada

Quebec, Canada is one of the wintry places in the world to enjoy ice and snow during the cold season. For the last 60 years, it has been home to fun and festivities due to the Quebec Winter Carnival. This year, the whole festivities will start from 29 January to 14 February, 2016.

Ice Music Festival in Geilo, Norway

(Photo credit: Hufftingtonpost.com/Photo by Emile Holba/Ice Music Festival)

If other  ice and snow festivals in the world evolve around sculptures, this event takes on a different turn in Norway as artists are required to make a musical instrument out of ice. These ice musical instruments will accompany the artists with their performances as they use them to make beautiful melodies.

It will run from 21-24 January, 2016 in Geilo, Norway.

Our Vacation in Seoul, South Korea Part 2

Our Seoul, South Korea trip will not be complete without a day visit to Everland Resort in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do Province of South Korea. It is similar to Disneyland Resort in Orlando as it is always compared to the latter due to the similarities in layout. It features a zoo and water resort as well.

We took the bus near the Lotte Department store that goes straight to Everland Resort. We got there around 10:00 a.m. It was not a very long ride. I think it was just around an hour if my memory serves me right.

As soon as the bus reached the terminal, we started taking pictures as the view was magnificent. There were plenty of unusual plants that I have seen for the first time. Such a lovely place and the pictures I am sharing here would show how beautiful the place was.

Enjoy viewing!



The ample parking lot of Everland Resort. This is where you will catch your ride back to the city as well.


This was taken near the bus terminal, few metres away from the main gate of Everland.

Notice the pretty "cabbage-like" plants behind me? They look so yummy! hahaha This is the area before you enter the park.

Just a bit of posing in front of the Everland Resort Logo as you enter the park.

This was taken at the Global Fair. It's the main area of the resort and so is the picture below.





This is my favorite view of the park. This was taken near the big fountain and you could actually see the various colors of fall in the vista. This place is a must-visit place in Seoul.

We were standing just outside the "gate" where the parade would start. We didn't realize the parade would start any minute and we were lucky enough to be in front of the sideline.

At the European Adventure





Bum poking hahaha




Taken near the T Express, the largest wooden roller coaster built in Seoul.

Our Vacation in Seoul, South Korea Part 1

Seoul, South Korea is a beautiful place to go to. We had the chance to visit the place 3 years ago when we met up with my mom-in-law and sister-in-law's family. It was a hush-hush trip since my mom-in-law didn't know we would be in Seoul too. She thought, it was her birthday gift trip from her children but little did she know, we had everything planned out.

I really enjoyed the 4 days we had spent in Seoul. We were there last October 29 to November 1, 2010. It was our first trip and hopefully, not the last. A week after that Asian trip, we headed to NYC and boy! That must be the most terrible jet-lag we have had experienced in all our travels.

We all enjoyed the short vacation. The weather was lovely as it was autumn. The autumn foliage was a sight to behold when we saw plenty of trees in dark shades of orange to red. It was not that freezing yet but it was cold enough to warrant heavy warm clothing.

Our accommodation was a very cheap hostel in Jung-gu but in the main area near the Gwanghwamun Gate and other tourists attractions. It was very small so we booked another room for our daughter and my mom-in-law while my sis-in-law's family stay in another area near the Myeong-dong Street, also known as the Fashion Mecca in Seoul.

Going around Seoul is quite easy. I find the subways in NYC more complex. You just have to note which line you have to take so you wouldn't get lost. I am glad my hubby took the rein in leading all of us in exploring Seoul using the subway and bus systems. We just asked the locals (who are all getting very good with the English language) for directions if we were a bit confused. We managed to see some of the tourists attractions of Seoul and even had the time to spend the whole afternoon in Everland, Seoul's Disney-like theme park.

Eating is not a problem. If you want the real feel of your South Korean visit then you should try their Korean dishes like the famous kimchi, bibimbap and bulgogi, amongst others. There are plenty of western fast food joints and restaurants too.

Here are some of the pictures of our wonderful vacation in Seoul. I don't mind going back.

Below pictures were taken in the Gwanghwamun square near Admiral Yi Sunshin Shrine and framed by the 12:23 Fountain.  The other picture is the Statue of King Sejong the Great. Below that  imposing structure is an exhibit "The Story of King Sejong." 

Below pictures were also taken in the Gwanghwamun square leading to the Gwanghwamun Gate. Inside is the Gyeongbokgung Palace. 

In the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds

Inside the King Sejong exhibit and some fancy stairs near the square.

Below are snaps taken near the Lotte Department store. This is where we took the bus going to Everland Resort.

Below are snaps taken near Myeongdong and the motorized diagonal lift leading to N Seoul Tower.

More pictures of our adventure in Everland Resort in my next post...

Sakura Season

I love sakura! It is such a beautiful and dainty flower. It is famously known in English as cherry blossom. It is a flower of several trees from the genus Prunus, more akin to Japanese Cherry. The cherry blossoms are widely seen in Japan during mid-March to late April where the trees are in full bloom. Varieties of the beautiful cherry blossom tree from Japan can also be seen in other countries during Spring time. Enjoy the pictures below of various cherry blossom trees found all over the world and marvel at their beauty. It will be nice if you can actually catch any of the Cherry Blossom festivals happening in many parts of the world.

Many places in Japan

Photo credit: japan-guide.com

South Korea

Photo credit: ourmaninkorea.wordpress.com

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Photo credit: iamsterdam.com

Various places in the USA

Washington D.C.

Photo credit: guardian.com.uk/Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Brooklyn Botanical Garden, New York

Photo credit: thedailygreen.com

Central Park, New York

Photo credit: centralpark.com