Hello fall!
Was this year's summer the hottest and the longest summer ever or what?!?! I don't know about you, but I am so glad it's October and the weather is finally getting cooler. 
Well, today I would like to share two perfect fall activities; glamping and apple picking. I am going to share two different places for both. I will share about this past weekend trip and places that we visited last year. 
This past weekend we went glamping overnight and we stopped by an apple orchard on our way home. Before I start, for those who are not familiar with glamping, it stands for "glamorous camping." Glamping is when you go camping without pitching the tent yourself. Everything is already set up. Since we have 3 young kids, this is a great option for us to spend some family time outdoors. Both places we went had heated floors, bed, cooking pots and utensils, and this time even had a bathroom inside the tent. Some places even prepare BBQ for you upon request, but we prepared our own food both times since it's usually cheaper and we needed to prepare food for our kids anyway.
This past weekend, went glamping at 353 Camping in Pocheon (포천), about 90 kilometers north of Seoul. First, the campsite is surrounded by mountains, trees and a stream running through it. It's so beautiful here that I highly recommend this place just for the scenery. They have regular camping sites where you bring your tent, about 10 glamping tents, and 1 caravan, so you can enjoy camping at your own preference. All the regular camping people share a common bathroom and shower, and all the glamping tents and a caravan have their own bathrooms and shower with electricity and hot water running. They also have a small convenience store, so don't worry if you forget something or if you want a midnight snack. The glamping tent was spacious enough to fit our family of 5 comfortably. It had one queen size bed and a pull out bunk bed, some storage space, small refrigerator and a fan. We took a pack n play for our youngest to sleep in and we didn't feel crowded at all.   
This was our view.
It rained all day while we were glamping, but it didn't stop us from having fun. Rain actually made it more fun hanging around the bonfire I think.
I don't know what they are looking for, but they loved gazing up at the sky while it was raining. 
Smores! 
The next morning when the rain stopped and fog and mist covered the mountains. To wake up in the morning with crisp, fresh air, and to the sound of nature is one of the highlights of glamping.  
You can check out more pictures and make reservations on their website: www.353camping.com 
There is a lake, hiking trails, streams, waterfall, and more outdoor attractions nearby this campsite. We stopped by Sanjung Lake (산정호수) after we checked out the next day, which is only a 5 minute drive from the camp. 
There was an amusement park at the entrance of the lake.
Some interesting art...
And boats... (these were pedal boats and cost 25,000 won an hour).
This lake is also famous for its walking trail which takes about 1 hour to go around and has views and cafes along the trail. We skipped this trail since, we made plans to stop by apple picking. So we got into our cars and drove 25 minutes down south towards Seoul to 사과깡패. 
When you arrive, they give you some apple samples, 100% apple juice, apple jam with bread, and boiled eggs as a snack. Then the owner leads you out to the orchard and shows you how to pick apples. She was super friendly and great with the kids.
From now until the third week of October is mini-apple season. They will be picking regular sized apples starting from end of October. We paid 15,000 won per person for snacks and apple picking fees. Each person can pick generally 1kg of apples. Starting from end of October, apple pie and jam making classes will be available. If you could get a group of 20 or more people, she can reserve the whole place for you. 
These mini-apple trees were the perfect size for our toddlers. Even my 22 month old could pick them all by himself. And they have 10x the vitamin C of normal apples according to our host. They are super sweet and crunchy.




Kids had a blast picking these mini-apples and they are delicious too! I definitely want to go back to pick regular size apples here. 
So this wraps up our trip this past weekend. To give you more options for glamping and apple picking, I will share the places we went last year. 
First, Glamping: Hongcheon Huttopia Glamping
Website: www.huttopia.co.kr for information and booking

 
Our morning view from our deck.
This place is located right by Hongcheon River.
And 5 minute drive from this sheep farm where you can feed them. 
This place had beautiful scenery as well and had a nice yard with a small playground and a cafe for all you coffee lovers. This place only had showers in the tent. We had to use a common bathroom to use the toilets. The heating floor was too hot that we couldn't sleep on the floor, but it was too cold to sleep on the bed. You really have to bundle up if you go here during cold season. 
Overall, don't expect hotel service when you go glamping no matter how nice the pictures look on their website. You are still sleeping outside in the tent. You will hear everything outside, there are bugs, and it's really hard to adjust the temperature even with heated floors during cold seasons. So take some bug spray, extra clothes to bundle up at night, and expect to get little dirty, but friendly with the nature. 
You can enjoy glamping all year round, but I believe fall is the best time to do it because of the beautiful weather and colors of the fall leaves are spectacular!
*Browse through Korean shopping sites such as Coupang or Gmarket to see if they have any glamping deals, especially if you don't have a particular location in mind. Somethings to check for when booking glamping: bathroom situation, heating system, light out time, pets allowed, store nearby, location etc. if these matter to you. The price will vary according to different options and services they provide. 
Apple picking in Paju: This place also has mini-apples. They charge 10,000 won per person. 
Homepage: www.appleshine.net (more like a blog page) 
Wow, one year makes a huge difference in kids. She looks so small here! 
Our kids also enjoyed digging for sweet potatoes as well. 
Overall, I really like picking mini apples with toddlers because the trees are the perfect size for them. Appleshine farm is very close to Seoul. It took us only 40 minutes drive without traffic to get there, which makes a perfect day trip. They have various classes and art activities available and also can host a birthday party for kids!   
You must call and make reservations for apple picking since they host groups from schools or traveling groups. You can go as a group, usually 20 or more people if you want the place to yourselves. These places are a lot smaller than apple orchards from the States, but they are big enough for my apple loving toddlers. 
I hope this post was helpful. Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook for future updates. I hope your family will take advantage of this beautiful weather and enjoy outdoors and nature this fall!
Lastly, if you are interested in glamping and need help with the booking, 
please message
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directly here.