Day 629: July 23, 2023
Sunday - Sibling Road Trip 2 – Flower Parks and Blue Pond
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| Sibling Road Trip 3 |
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| First stop: Totoro Pass in Fukagawa City |
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| We didn't miss the chance to take a group picture with Totoro. |
Our first stop was at the outskirts of Fukagawa City (深川市), where we parked at Totoro Pass Parking Area. We took a walk to the Catbus, which was a delightful sight. It was my second time visiting this interesting landmark. The first time that we visited Catbus was on September 10, 2022.
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| Hoshinofurusatoo Bridge |
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| Hokkaido Kannon / Dai Kannon |
We then made a quick stop at Ashibetsu Roadside Station in Ashibetsu City (芦別市) to use the toilet, and I couldn't resist checking out the Hokkaido Kannon / Dai Kannon from the Hoshinofurusatoo Bridge.
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| We rode the chairlift up to the observation deck of Hokuseiyama Lavender Garden |
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| Nakafurano as seen from Hokuseiyama |
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| The smell of lavender filled the air, so this place was quite relaxing for us |
After our short break, we continued our drive to Nakafurano (中富良野町), around 30.5 kilometers away. Once there, we visited some fantastic places, including the beautiful Hokuseiyama Lavender Garden, the Tomita Melon House, and Tomita Farm.
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| Lavender Melon mix soft cream |
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| Lavender soft serve |
We couldn't miss out on trying the special soft cream flavors of the town, so we savored the Furano Red Melon, Furano Green Melon, Lavender, and Lavender Melon mix.
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| Lunch at Tonton Tei |
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| Itadakimasu! |
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| Sagariyaki set meal |
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| Katsukare |
By the time we left Nakafurano, it was already past noon, and the next stop was Kamifurano (上富良野町). We decided to have lunch at Tonton Tei and tried their famous Sagariyaki set meal. The meat was incredibly tender and delicious, almost resembling wagyu, but it was pork.
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| The lavender fields of Hinode Park |
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| Tokachi Mountain Range - Kamifurano town |
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| Roadside Station Biei Shirogane Birke |
From there, we made our way to Biei (美瑛町), where we had planned to visit the Shikisai No Oka flower field. However, my sister felt overwhelmed by the flower fields, so we decided to skip it this time. Instead, we stopped at Roadside Station Biei Shirogane Birke. My sister, daughter, and I collect roadside station stamps, so we made sure not to miss it.
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| Shirogane Blue Pond / Biei Blue Pond |
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| Family photo time! |
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| Blue soft serve |
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| Tastes like soda |
Our road trip didn't end there, though; we continued to Shirahige Waterfall and before leaving, checked out the Shirogane Shrine. These places were breathtaking, and the natural beauty of Biei was truly captivating.
As the day was coming to an end, it was 5 PM when we left Biei. The timing worked out well, as we still had daylight on our drive back home to Rumoi City. It was a relief compared to our drive the previous day when exhaustion made me nearly fall asleep at the wheel.
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| Quick grocery at COOP in Rumoi City |
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| Car wash before heading back home |
We arrived in Rumoi at around 7 PM, and since we had the energy to spare, we decided to go to COOP to buy some groceries. I also took the opportunity to wash our car, Ruru, at the coin-operated car wash at the Suzuki dealership in Motokawa-cho.
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| Sibling nomikai |
To conclude the day perfectly, my siblings and I had a nomikai, enjoying some drinks together. It was an ideal way to end the week filled with adventure and laughter. As we look forward to tomorrow, with me returning to work and Ella heading back to school, we eagerly anticipate what the coming week has in store for us.Read more:
Japan Diaries 4: Week 90
Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 90
Japan Diaries 4: Day 628
Totoro Pass & Catbus Shirogane Blue Pond Revisited 2023
Shirahige Waterfall
Shirogane Shrine
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