Yilan County Weekend Warriors

Yilan's weather gets a bad rap. Most times the sky is overcast grey and thus its perfect for a bike ride or hike. When its blazing sun of course cold springs or beach are the best choice. However, the weather is a bit of a gamble. Rule of thumb is, if its raining in the morning, it will clear in the afternoon and vice versa, but then we get these rains that can stay for a few days (or weeks) in which case check out my Rainy Day Suggestions.

Travel Suggestions

This is my list of spots near us, and we have been to most of them (some more than once). Still, there are a few I hope to cross off this summer.

Local Microbrewery in Yuanshan

Fulong

1.     Caoling Historic Trail 

2.    Long Men Bikeway

Yuemeikeng waterfall.

Wai'ao/Toucheng/Jiaoxi
Assuming you already checked out some of the hotsprings, Wufangchi Waterfalls and, Linmei Shihpan Trail, then check out:

3.    Niu Gang Leng Hiking Trail

4.    Xin Fong Waterfall

5.    Eagle Rock Tip

6.    Lanyang Museum
7. Yuemeikeng waterfall.

Yongzhen Beach Park 永鎮海濱公園.

Yuanshan

8.    Yilan Longtan Lake

9.    Wang Long Bi There are several trails to appreciate the lake from above, as well as walking through beetlenut hills. The lake itself has a few shops that sell snacks, a cafe and a pizza place. Local farmers sell their fruits from their orchards.

10.    Erhu Pineapple Museum

11.  Fushan Botanical Garden

12.  Artemis Garden

13.  Bee Museum, The Honey House right next to the Jim and Dad's brewery
14.Jim and Dad's Brewery

Plum Blossom Lake

Datong

15.  Taiya Lifestyle Museum

16.  Yilan Datong Yulan Tea Garden

17. Yulan Agricultural Leisure Area

18. Jiuzize Hot Spring
19. Jiouliao Waterfall- turn off right beside the gas station.  Trail takes about 40 minutes, to falls with a small rope bridge. There's some simple places to buy dumplings and drink homegrown oolong tea, right across from parking lot. Becoming more popular with tourists buses on their way to Taipingshan.
20. Syano Campgrounds- Opened June  2016 
21. River Creek Sihumut Campground 溪河木露營區- Opening now
22. Mu Ye Camping in Mingchi National Forest Rec Area
23. Taipingshan
24. Fanfan Hotsprings

Luodong

25. Yilan Luodong Forestry Culture Park

26. Miaojiesi

27. National Center for Traditional Arts

28. Lize Old Street

Dongshan

29. Ren Shan Botanical Garden

30.Meihua Lake

31. Wusin Stone Trail

32. Shyang Yeu organic Farm (picking tea leaves)+

33. Dongfong Farm (camping)

34.Happiness 20 Farm (not many animals, pizza DIY)

35. Dajin Organic Farm

Aohua, Nanao

FanFan

Nan'ao/ Su'ao/Nanfangao

    36. Aohua Waterfall

    37. Su'au Cold Springs
    38. Nanfang'ao Harbor
    39. Neipi Beach/Yilan Lover's Bay
    40.

    Zhuangwei (also spelled Jhuangwe, right east of Yilan City)

    41. Yongzhen Beach Park Coastal Bike Trail 

Rainy Weekends and Limited Choices

Tea Time, Artemis Garden

If it's raining on our blessed weekends, my kid and I have no problem making a pot of chai or oolong, indulging in a video in between me doing yoga and her practicing her flute. Sometimes her friend from the 7th floor comes down to play.

I feel sorry for people who come down for the weekend and the weather doesn't agree. If it's sprinkling, I think a hike or swim is perfect. But if its torrential buckets, choices are limited. My suggestions of what to do should you be stuck in Yilan when its pouring:

1. Luna Plaza: It's a shopping mall, so you have tons of food options for various budgets, plus movies and a bookstore (limited English section.) There's underground parking. Across the street is the Yilan Art Museum.


2. Yuanshan's Bee Farm, Jim and Dad's Brewery and Artemis Garden, are all basically next to each other. Hit the brewery first, sample some microbrews then sample the different honey and royal jelly before heading to Artemis Garden for an organic lunch or afternoon tea. While you're in the area might as well stop at the Kavalan Whiskey Distillery.

3. Lanyang Museum is an ultra modern building in the shape of a "cuesta" rock formation that is seen here on the coast. The Lanyang is  near where the boats take people dolphin watching at Turtle Island. It has a permanent exhibition as well as special exhibitions.

 

When in doubt, indoor hot springs either in Jiaoxi, or Datong's Sakura Spa are great choices as well as the indoor water spa in Silks Hotel (a part of Luna Plaza). We've learned to embrace the rain- yet that's easily said dry indoors and not on a scooter!

Recovering from Getting Burned

Mid March we were volunteering at our neighborhood church's English activity for the young people. Several of my students from work were there. Its like pulling teeth to get my kid to go to church, but for this function she was having a blast with the role playing and micromanaging. That was until a traumatic accident happened.

A boy just a few years older than her threw piping hot water on her chest. Her skin began unfurling, peeling off. Fast thinking women had whisked her off into the showers, while I unsuccessfully searched for ice (there was none.)

So I drove her to the ER (270 NT each visit, x2). She was crying behind me on the scooter mostly from gratitude (and shock). She said she literally felt an invisible force shield her face (her cousin?). The boy who is taller than her, had his bowl of just filled boiling water (for his instant noodles) right at her face level.The odd thing is they didn't even bump into one other, maybe he was startled or something but he turned around looked at her and threw his bowl at her. By all accounts he's already labeled as "disturbed" having had a childhood of parental neglect and physical abuse from his teachers (his aunt brings him to church). That's why I am hoping it was an accident but also doubtful, he didn't even apologize after it happened, which aggravated my kid. We had to wait several weeks for an adult to pry away his smartphone from his hands for a bowing apology.

2nd degree burns 

The kids group made her a lovely card and gifts, but my daughter was really resentful and bitter for her pain and slow recovery (she still has a scar and we are not sure if she will always have one). Her bandages had to be removed and cleaned daily, until new skin grew. Fortunately between her school nurse and the nurse at my work, this was done without me having to do it. (She's a much better patient with strangers).

Ultimately, my kid asked for monetary compensation to at least have him reimburse for the doctor visits. His aunt gave her 3000NT which was more than we expected and it did make her feel like justice was done, so I suppose we can move on now. She used 600 of it to treat me for Mother's Day, so win-wins all around. Until then we rub PawPaw Balm on it and hope the scar will go away someday.