Seoul Tower

Today we visited the Seoul Tower.  It is in Seoul.  That's South Korea.  The capital.  The freezing weather and howling wind couldn't stop us from taking the cable car (that's the car dangling from a cable, high in the air) to the top of Namsan Mountain in the center of Seoul.  We wandered around the base of the tower for a bit, had lunch, then rode the cable car back down.  A quick trip, to be sure, but some great views of Seoul made it worth the trip.

The ride up to the top!

Lorri and Anna Grace checking out the city.

Not sure why, but there were thousands of padlocks with messages on

them all over the place around the base of the tower.

The view toward Yongsan Army Garrison.  The Dragon Hill Lodge

is the red brick building in the middle.

You can't HELP but snuggle on the slanted benches.

Six snuggly teddy bears.

Jacob and Ethan stand guard.

Anna Grace got tired.  Early.

Scout Camping Trip

With soccer and football seasons complete, we can now turn our attention to scouting.  Our first scouting event was a camping trip this past weekend.  Tents, burgers, hot dogs, camp fire (well, almost), and of course three thunderstorms between 0100 and 0500.  The boys got introduced to the basics of scouting, and got to stay up until the wee hours with some of their best friends.

Ethan slept through all three thunder storms that rolled through during the night, but Jacob was not so lucky.  He was sleeping in his own tent, a tent which proved to be not water proof.  Not water proof at all.  So, at 0300, Jacob transitioned into the big tent, just before the BIG thunderstorm hit.  Oh man was the campfire coffee tasty this morning!  By the way, an inflatable mattress is not compatible with a sore back.

As of noon Sunday, all three of our tents are set up in the parking garage, hopefully drying out!

Jacob and the Webelos 1 chopping wood.

The scene of the disaster.  Not sure which was louder--the drunks coming home to their barracks (just off the picture to the right) or the lightning strike just off the picture to the right.  At least the lightning was not yelling, "Hey you M-F'er," at the top of its lungs, over and over and over.

Ethan and the Wolf Pack during the pumpkin carving contest.

Lorri says this is someone with a baseball bat.  If that is the case, why is this sign outside the men's restroom?

Fire starters.  It took 35 minutes and lots of chanting to light the very green fire wood.  Chants from the scouts started with, "Rub some sticks," to, "Fire in the hole," to, "Pour more liquid."  That is a can of lighter fluid in the fire pit.

Jacob's sleeping bag the morning after.  There was at least a gallon of water in his tent.

Dad's Day Out

The kids had the day off from school on Friday, which was great since Lorri was not feeling well.  So, the kids and I ate breakfast, got dressed, packed a lunch and headed out, leaving Lorri still asleep at home (she woke up around 1000).  We did not have a specific destination in mind, but ended up in Suwon at the Hwaesong Fortress.  The kids and I rode the Dragon Train half way up the hill, then climbed the stairs to the top for some bell-ringing and site-seeing.  All in all, a pretty good time.

Gyeongbokgong Palace

Today we skipped church (Heathens!) and instead drove to Seoul with the intent to visit Gyeongbokgong Palace.  We left Osan and drove the 40 miles to Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul.  We parked the van at the Dragon Hill Lodge and hired two taxis to take us to the palace.  After a brisk drive through downtown Seoul, we found ourselves at the palace grounds.  The buildings were fantastic, and the surrounding scenery was awesome as well.  It was not a surprise that the kings put their palaces here.  In fact, the official residence for the President of the ROK is right next to the palace.  We spent a couple of hours wandering the grounds, viewing the fantastic architecture, changing poopy underwear, sitting on wet park benches and the like.  We lunched at a nearby restaurant and then headed for the gate to try and find a taxi for the return trip.  On the sidewalk we found a vendor roasting chestnuts.  Of course, we could not resist, so we bought a bag, and they were delicious.  We finally hailed two cabs and split forces for the return trip to Yongsan.  The average Seoul cab driver does not know where Yongsan Army Garrison is located, apparently, but they know where Yongsan Station is--a station for the Seoul Metro system.  The boys lucked out and got a driver who, after some stammering and a phone call to an English speaking dispatcher, was able to deliver us to within spitting distance of the Dragon Hill.  The girls, well, they ended up at Yongsan Station--about half a mile from the base.  Luckily, Lorri had a brochure with her for a museum that is right across from the gate she wanted to go to, so she showed it to the driver.  15 minutes after the boys arrived, the girls finally showed up.  We played at the Dragon Hill for awhile, then headed for home.  We stopped in North Osan on the way home and Grammie, the kids and I jumped out of the van and onto a train for a 15 minute train ride to Songtan.  Lorri got a few minutes of relative peace and quiet as she drove the van the remaining 10 miles alone.  Once in Songtan, we took one cab to the main gate at Osan airbase, and then another from the gate to our tower.  The fun didn't stop there!  Around 6:00 pm Owen's health suddenly and rapidly deteriorated as he complained of an ear ache.  We took him to the ER where they diagnosed him with a middle ear infection.  We got Motrin, Tylenol and an antibiotic (which he hates).  All that, and still home by 8:00 pm.  All in all, an exhausting but fun day!

One of the main buildings on the palace grounds.

Old, new, and silly.

Of all the great architecture, these three liked this the most.

Jacob listening to the English self-tour guide.

Anna Grace, alone and very unafraid.

Owen looking cute as usual.

Buying fresh roasted chestnuts.  Did I mention it was 50 degrees outside?

Ethan and Owen playing at the Dragon Hill Lodge.

Ethan and Jacob watching intently for the train.

Anna Grace ready for her first train ride.