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C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) at Shenandoah National Park
We visited Shenandoah National Park this evening to try and see a comet, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). The weather forecast was favorable and things looked good on our way in with clear skies. Unfortunately, it was quite hazy and some clouds rolled in to the west before sunset and our viewing turned out to be only partially successful.
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Another Meadowlark Morning
We decided to head out to the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens again today, just like last Saturday! There was quite a bit new as many displays were setup for the annual Winter Walk of Lights. Some plants have been removed to make room, though there was still plenty to see. But, unlike last week, we didn’t see a single Eastern Bluebird! We did find a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker though, something we haven’t seen very often!
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A Bluebird Day at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
We decided to visit the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens this weekend as the weather was forecast to be pretty good. It was a bit questionable on our way there but the skies cleared quickly! We saw quite a variety of flowers, as usual, and many birds. In particular, there seemed to be Eastern Bluebirds everywhere! Later on in the afternoon, we visited the Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park in Leesburg for the first time.
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Meadowlark Weekend
We visited the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Fairfax County, Virginia twice this week, once on Saturday at sunrise and again on Sunday in the afternoon. Although there wasn’t an impressive sunrise, we did see plenty of flowers and birds. We even found a Swainson’s Thrush, a species we’ve never seen before. We also managed to find Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds on both days.
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Hongdae Before Departure
After waking up at the RYSE, we had our usual breakfast and went out to take a walk around Hongdae as well as had one final snack before checking out. We then took the train to Incheon to fly home to the US.
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Namsan, Gyeonghuigung, and the Seoul Museum of History
Our final full day in Seoul! After breakfast at the RYSE, we returned to Namsan for the Beacon Lighting Ceremony. We then visited Gyeonghuigung and the adjacent Seoul Museum of History before taking a quick look at the Sajik Altar. We ended the day with dinner at a BBQ restaurant by the Sejong Village Food Street.
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Myeongdong via the Seoullo 7017
After our usual breakfast at the RYSE, we took the bus to the western end of Seoullo 7017. From there, we walked to the east to the Namdaemun Market where we had lunch. We then saw the actual Namdaemun and took a bus east to the Myeongdong Cathedral. We walked through Myeongdong a bit before visiting Seonyudo Park and returning to Hongdae for dinner.
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Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo
After breakfast at the RYSE, we took the bus over to Changgyeonggung, the palace next to Changdeokgung. After spending the morning there, we visited Gwangjang Market before visiting Jongmyo. We ended the day back at Hongdae for dinner.
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Gangnam Style
After our usual breakfast at the RYSE, we took the subway over to Gangnam to meet up with friends. We started out at Bongeunsa, a Buddhist temple, followed by lunch at Haidilao. In the afternoon, we visited the nearby Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs before returning to the Starfield COEX Mall to visit the Starfield Library. We ended the day back at Hongdae for dinner.
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Deoksugung
After breakfast at the RYSE, we headed to Deoksugung to see the morning guard change and to check out the palace buildings. In the afternoon, we traveled over to Yeouido to visit The Hyundai Seoul, a department store that was featured as the Queens Department Store in the K-Drama Queen of Tears. We dropped by Yeouido Hangang Park around sunset before returning to Hongdae for dinner.
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Here and there but not quite everywhere!