The Backpack Adventures

Week 92: July 31 - August 4, 2023 Day 637: July 31, 2023 Monday - Paternal Leave D1:   Sapporo & Ishikari Good morning, Kai! First full day in Hokkaido as a family of 4 Breakfast before checking out of Hotel MyStays Sapporo Station The matcha ice cream here tastes good! Today is the start of my 5-day paternity leave, and it began wonderfully. We had a lovely breakfast at Hotel MyStays Sapporo Station in Sapporo City ( 札幌市 ), Hokkaido, enjoying a relaxed morning as a family. We took our time in the cozy room until check-out at 11 AM, savoring every moment before leaving the hotel. 2nd Street Sapporo Kose Shop 2nd Street Sapporo Higashi Shop Our first adventure of the day took us on a 2nd Street hopping spree in Sapporo City, where we searched for treasures for our little bundle of joy, Kai. We hopped from one branch to another, first visiting the  2nd Street Sapporo Kose Shop and then to the  2nd Street Sapporo Higashi Shop. We filled up our tank at  Modasekiyu...

Day 636: July 30, 2023 Sunday – Farewell, Pat & Aya; Hello, KC & Kai Last day of Patrick and Aya in Hokkaido Today was a bittersweet day as it marked the departure of my beloved siblings back to the Philippines. It was a cloudy morning when we left Rumoi City at the crack of dawn, around 5:50 AM, heading towards New Chitose Airport in Chitose City . Although their flight was at 10:50 AM, we decided to take the longer and more scenic coastal route via Mashike and Ishikari City to make the journey memorable. Shirogane Falls Along the coastal drive, we made a brief stop at the enchanting  Shirogane Falls  in Ishikari City ( 石狩市 ) , surrounded by the peaceful sounds of nature. Despite the temptation to explore more, we knew time was of the essence and continued our journey to New Chitose Airport  in Chitose City ( 千歳市 ) . New Chitose Airport Parking Area Pokémon Store New Chitose Airport Saw these store-exclusive CTS Pilot Pikachu Arriving at the airport at aroun...