Korea Road Trip Day 2: Mountains, Beaches & Penis Rest Stops (NSFW)

After a lovely day on Nami Island, we hit the road the next morning and headed for Sokcho on the east coast of Korea for some much anticipated beach time. Having spent a good amount of time in traffic the previous day, we were determined to beat the odds by leaving earlier and searching for the least congested route possible. Spoiler Alert… it didn’t work out.

After a little over 3 hrs on the road it became painfully obvious that there was no way we were escaping the cruelty of holiday traffic. It was also around this time that we noticed a large phallic object jutting from the side of the road. We were tired, sure, but not delusional. After a double take and a quick U-turn, we found ourselves driving into a parking lot with a huge pink penis majestically rising from its center. Apparently we had wondered into rest stop/ sculpture park.

Chungjung Sculpture Park is apparently dedicated to uniquely handcrafted sculptures… penis sculptures to be exact. There is even a museum where you can get your fill of impressively carved “wood” and a gift shop where you can actually purchase some phallic art for your home. It certainly would be a conversation starter.

Being a rest stop, you can actually stop by to stretch your legs, use the restroom, buy some snacks or drinks, then sit on the patio and enjoy the “view.” While I wouldn’t say it’s a place to go out of your way to check out, it’s definitely worth a look if you happen to be driving through the area.

After an amusing time at the sculpture park, we got back on the road. We didn’t know it at the time, but our route to Sokcho was actually taking us up and over Seoraksan, one of Korea’s most famous mountain ranges. I’ll admit it was a bit scary driving up steep inclines and going through all those sharp twists and turns, especially since we weren’t expecting it to begin with. Luckily, there was a rest stop when we got to the top, so we could park, stretch our legs and take a look at the view.

The boyfriend and I aren’t really camping or hiking people, so if it weren’t for this trip we might not have ever gotten a chance to see it. We are so glad we did though. It was beautiful and the air was so fresh! I can totally see the appeal. Thinking about it now, it almost makes me want to go hiking… almost.

The drive through Seoraksan was long, difficult and although it wasn’t too far from Sokcho, we still didn’t arrive at our destination until 7:00pm! Despite our best efforts to beat traffic and the optimism of our GPS, we had spent an entire day on the road.

Exhausted, I didn’t have much hope for actually enjoying what was left of our day there. Luckily, it wasn’t anything some good seafood and shooting fireworks off the beach couldn’t remedy. Despite being on the road all day, we actually said see a lot and it certainly was an adventure. Finishing the day with a “bang” was actually the perfect way to end the day.