If you take a visit to Goyang-si or Ilsan Lake park, or just happen to find yourself far enough outside of Seoul for this area to be of interest to you, rest assured that there is still plenty to do out in this somewhat more suburban corner of South Korea. Goyang is a decent sized town just down the road from Hwajeong, which is a short drive outside of Seoul. 
There's a shopping mall, wall / rock climbing gyms, restaurant supply stores, ample restaurants and of course Ilsan Lake park to see! If your Korean is better than mine (which isn't any good) you'll have even more options available to you. The main road is quite busy and there's a lot of busses and traffic going through, so you can always opt for busses or a taxi if you'd rather not walk or take the trains. There seemed to be several hiking and historical sites of interest near here, too! I'd definitely recommend staying in this area if you're looking to stay near Seoul but don't want to pay exorbitant urban rates, or simply prefer a quieter more suburban neighbourhood. Goyang, being dubbed Flower City, is home to an annual international flower festival every spring! This year it's going to be from April 27th through May 13th, so I'd highly recommend taking a trip out around then if you're in Seoul or the nearby area! The event has been going on since 1997 and includes floral or flower-related displays from over 300 groups out of 25 countries! I didn't get to visit as I wasn't there during the right time of year but I bet it's spectacular. All the farms and gardens that dot the land between Goyang and Hwajeong certainly make the area appear fertile, so I can only imagine how lovely it would be in the springtime season.
During this sojourn it was more subdued. The majority of people on the streets were locals returning home from school or work, possibly grabbing a snack along the way. As the sun was setting and I had only taken the long and winding path once, a month or two prior, I was in a bit of a quest to get on my way. I had enjoyed my time at the park, marvelled at all the cute animals, and even ate some spicy noodles but it was time to get back to the apartment and I had miles to go yet...
More photos below!
There were some MASSIVE spiders in the trees, but it was hard to get a clear photo of them with the diminishing light and my reluctance to get any closer to them than absolutely necessary...
I ended up going about a mile or two out the wrong way, missing a turn somewhere... by the time I realised my mistake, I had gotten into another little township. I passed this guy doing rotisserie birds in a truck, though, which is pretty neat! Normally you don't see these set ups on the go, right?
Eventually I did make my way back to the right place and was quite relieved to take a shower and put my feet up.
Check back tomorrow for another adventure!
💖
XOXO,
NAU
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