Trip to Grand Bend (Bad Apple Brewing Company, Hessenland Inn & Schatz Winery and Pinery Market)

Right after hard work from February to April, on May 16-17, 2026 me and my wife decided to go on a small trip to have some rest, change the scenery and unplug from the work routine.

This is us

Grand Bend beach itself wasn't the main part of this trip, but it still was a final destination.

Table of Content

• Why Grand Bend?
• Itinerary
• The Road
• Bad Apple Brewing Company
• Hessenland Inn & Schatz Winery
• Pinery Market
• Grand Bend City and Beach
• YouTube Videos
• Souvenirs
• Budget and Expenses
• Relevant Links
• Conclusion

Why Grand Bend?

Why did we choose this destination?

Affordability

It's possible to go to Grand Bend only as a one-day trip from GTA, and then the expenses would only be gas and some food on the way.

In our particular case, we spent a bit on that trip, as we also stayed in the winery and visited other places. There is a breakdown of all our expenses at the very bottom of the article.

West Coast

We have visited many places in the east of Ontario, a couple in the north and south, but not many on the west. The only place that we travelled to was Sarnia. The West Coast feels a bit different from the rest of Ontario. There are many farms and windmills, and the overall vibe is a bit different.

A Nice Beach in Ontario

It's not always easy to find a decent beach in Ontario, so Grand Bend is a great and famous option. We have been in Sand Banks during the off-season, and of course in Woodbine Beach (a while ago...), but wanted to try something else.

Trip to Korea - Day 5 (in progress)

The main agenda for today was to visit the famous Gyeongbokgung Palace in downtown Seoul. We wanted not only to visit it but also to do so while wearing traditional Korean clothing called hanbok. All of this was already planned for me, but I didn't know what to expect exactly.

This is how Koreans used to dress up

It's going to be a long day.

Table of Content

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• Souvenirs
• YouTube Video
• Relevant Links
• Conclusion

The way to the palace

We are lucky to have Eun-nyoung

Huge thanks to our friend Eun-nyoung again, who gave us a ride to the place and who was holding our heavy jackets (and it was still very cold...) while taking millions of photos.

Korea wouldn't be Korea without those pine trees

She also brought us a warm drink, power banks, and booked a hotel for us, so we can go on a DMZ tour the next day.

This is the location on the map

Formal address: 161 Sajik-ro, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea

This is the royal palace of the Joseon dynasty that was originally built more than 600 years ago. It was burned down several times and restructured by the Japanese, but after all the struggles that Korea went through, it was rebuilt and restored in its original form.

Trip to Korea - Day 4 (Woljeongsa Buddhist Temple and King Sejong Tomb in Yeoju - Yeongneung)

The main agenda for today was to visit the famous Woljeongsa Buddhist Temple in Pyeongchang County. While planning our trip to Korea, my wife asked me if I had any specific places I wanted to visit, and I mentioned that I wanted to see a real Buddhist temple.

Here we are

In addition, at the end of the day, Jiyul's father decided to stop by the tomb of King Sejong the Great (Yeongneung) in Yeoju, which was equally impressive. 

Let's start from the beginning.

Table of Content

• The way to Pyeongchang County
• Odaesan Minsok Sikdang (오대산민속식당) restaurant
• Woljeongsa Buddhist Temple
• Souvenir Shop
• Woljeongsa Temple Fir Forest
• Emart
• King Sejong Tomb (Yeongneung) in Yeoju
• YouTube Video
• Conclusion

The way to Pyeongchang County

The long way east

We started with waking up, breakfast and some TV.

The setup at Jiyul's parents' home

The Woljeongsa Buddhist Temple is located in the far east of the country and requires a bit of driving. My wife's father was our driver, and he is not young anymore, yet he handled the trip perfectly. He was really happy that we came to visit.

Trip to Korea - Day 3 (Korean hotel breakfast, Namsan Tower and Myeong-dong Neighbourhood)

On day 3 in Korea, we woke up in DoubleTree by Hilton hotel thanks to Jiyul's friend, Sunok. We had a good sleep and headed down for the famous Korean hotel breakfast.

The main plan for today was to climb up the Namsan Tower (N Seoul Tower).

We were at the top, a happy moment

This is the original Seoul observation tower where people would go before Lotte Tower was built, which we visited on our first day. However, let's start with breakfast.

Table of Content

• Korean hotel breakfast
• The Way to the Namsan Tower
• Namsan Tower
• Mom's Touch Restaurant
• Myeong-dong Neighbourhood
• Souvenirs
• YouTube video
• Relevant Links
• Conclusion

Korean Hotel Breakfast

A buffet with millions of choices

I enjoyed our hotel breakfast in many places we visited in Canada and in Miami, the US. It was usually a classic American breakfast with a few choices, and we liked it so much that we started to replicate it at home every once in a while.

Trip to Korea - Day 2 (Korean Appartments, Friends and DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton)

After a tiring 1st day in Korea, we decided to sleep a bit longer. 

We were staying in Jiyul's parents' place, and I decided to start by mentioning a few things that are unique to Korean apartments. Then we will visit the friends and a hotel.

She is happily negotiating our next steps in the subway

It was cold again, but we were getting used to it.

Table of Content

• Korean Appartments
• The Way to Seoul
• Meeting Friends
• DoubleTree by Hilton
• Vietnamese Pho
• YouTube Video
• Relevant Links
• Conclusion

Korean Appartments

What's different from Canada?

I wanted to share a few observations regarding Korean apartments and how they are different from what I have seen in Canada, Russia and other countries.

Bath and Shower

The first interesting thing was the fact that I couldn't see a bath in many Korean apartments. It's either because Koreans just don't like to waste their time lying down there, or maybe saving money on water bills. I also know that some Koreans, including my wife, consider bathing to be a dirtier way of cleaning (if I can put it that way) than taking a shower.

Trip to Korea - Day 1 (Seoul, JunoHair, Garden5 Mall and Lotte Tower)

After being married to a Korean woman for 3 years and being together 13 years, it was time for me to finally visit Korea. Originally I came to Canada from Russia and my wife came from Korea (South Korea, of course). She has never visited Russia, but my mother came to Canada one time before, and my wife's parents also came to Canada recently.

The main goal of the trip was to visit the parents and to see Korea.

I have never been to Asia before.

Table of Content

• The Flight and Arrival
• The Way From Yeoju to Seoul
• Seoul
• JunoHair
• Garden5 Mall
• Lotte Tower
• YouTube Video
• Relevant Links
• Conclusion
• First Impressions and Key Differences (Korea vs Canada)

The Flight and Arrival

The flight started with a fight

Lucky for us, we don't live far from Toronto Pearson International Airport, so getting there, checking in, and boarding wasn't technically an issue. The issue was my mood, but  I managed to resolve my internal struggles, and we successfully departed while praying to god.

We are on the plane

The flight is tough, 14 hours, but the food on Korean Air was pretty good. They offered some alcohol, but I prefer not to drink on such long flights to make sure I make it to the end in one piece.

Dolsot Bibimbap (돌솥비빔밥)

A while ago, I took long train trips in Russia, but then you could sleep most of the time, and there was much more personal space, so this long flight wasn't easy for me. Plus, a woman sitting next to us was constantly coughing; however, we, and most people there, were wearing masks.