Maisan & Jeonju: Our First Adventure, PART 2

After our Maisan hike, we headed over to Jeonju.  We had spent so much time hiking, that we didn't have a ton of time to spend there, but that's okay; I will be happy to come back!  Jeonju is somehwere we had visited the last time we lived here, but honestly, I feel like some of these place you cannot spend enough time in.

While there is plenty to see and do in Jeonju, the main attraction is definitely the Hanok Village.  This is where we spent our time.  This village is a throwback to the Joseon Dynasty with traditional Korean houses (called hanok houses), Gyeonggijeon Shrine where King Taejo is enshrined, along with cultural activities, presentations, and traditional foods.  Inside the Hanok Village they now they rent these golf cart type tuk-tuks that you can drive around the closed streets.  When we come back, we are definitely doing that!

Our first stop was lunch.  We were starving at this point.  Because we were in Jeonju, we had to get bibimbap.  Most of the famous Korean foods have an origin in a specific city.  Jeonju is known for its bibimbap.  Many people believe it originated with the Joseon Dynasty as their royal cuisine and then was passed down to commoners.  Whatever they history, it is delicious!  

It is made from various fresh vegetables (bean sprouts, cucumbers, mushrooms, radish, carrots, etc.) along with kimchi, rice, red pepper paste, beef, and my personal favorite -- an egg.  Beyond being delicious, it is simply beautiful.  I almost feel bad mixing it all together before eating it.

After lunch we walked around and enjoyed feeling like we stepped back in time.  

My personal favorite is the couples who come to Jeonju.  They rent the traditional Korean clothes (hanbok) and walk around in them for the day.  It is so fun!  These are just a few of the cute couples walking around.

Jeonju is also famous for their homemade choco pies.  Choco pies (similar to moon pies in the USA) are an incredibly popular treat, and PNB Bakery supposedly was one of the initial choco pie vendors.  PNB Bakery is the oldest bakery in Jeonju.  They opened in 1951 and started making Choco Pies several years later.  Their pies are still homemade and they are DELICIOUS!  Definitely worth trying if you are ever in Jeonju.  

We finally headed home after a fun filled day of hiking and eating.  I had to post one final picture of our drive home though.  This is one of the tunnels we drove through to get home.  It had rainbows projected through the entire tunnel.  Even driving home is fun!