So for the Independence Day weekend, we took a roadtrip out to the West Sea on Korea’s, well, west coast.  Now, to the rest of the world, this is known as the Yellow Sea.  It would only make sense to call it the West Sea if Korea were the center of the universe.  Oh wait.  I’ve answered my own question.

Anyway, the weekend started and ended with overcast days and rainy nights.  It all worked out fine though.  Saw some excellent countryside on the drive, which was really the point of the trip, before encamping at Daechon Beach in Boryeong.  This is the site of the famous (well, famous enough to have a Wikipedia entry) annual Boryeong Mud Festival.  Missed it this year by 2 weeks (it begins on the 17th) which is a good thing.  Room rates triple and I imagine things get a tad crowded.  Saturday and Sunday were pretty hoppin’ as it was.

Anyway, it was a good trip.  Photos pretty much suck, but here they are anyway:

Stopped at the Hwaseong rest area/foodcourt/gas station along the highway.  It seemed like half the population of Korea was there as well, but really the facility was built to handle volume and thing went rather smoothly.

The food court options were numerous if you were in the mood for something Korean.  Me, I was was craving a Big Mac…

Cripes, where did I park?

Hey, somebody stole the West Sea!  No, the tide was out near Amyeong…

Barbecue shell for dinner at a seaside restaurant in Daechon…

Preparations for the mud festival were in full swing.  Bali Bali!

The view from my night 2 room.  I stayed on the beach the first night, but damn, Koreans like to beach party all night long. Loudly!  Actually, I could still hear them clearly from my off the beach venue as well.

Typical Daechon architecture.   The big blue motel sign marks the spot of my first night’s residence.

By Monday morning the crowds had left and Daechon took on a more serene posture.

The Yellow West Sea.

It is always nice to get out of town and see that there is a whole ‘nother world and lifestyle beyond the concrete environs of Seoul.