JapanGirl64

 This week we were able to make a daytrip to Nikko on a Thursday due to Veteran's Day (US holiday). It's very nice to travel on a weekday and avoid the crowded weekend. Nikko is located at the base of the mountains and there is a very winding road that takes you the mountain to Lake Chuzenji. There are actually several lakes in a row, each one draining into the next with a series of stunning waterfalls. The most famous is Kegon Falls. We had hoped to ride a ropeway to a lookout that has a view of Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls, but the ropeway was closed the day we visited. But we were still able to see Kegon Falls by taking an elevator ride down 100M to a viewing platform near the bottom of the falls. We also saw Ryuzu Falls, Lake Yunoko and Yadaki Falls. Each one was beautiful! After we came down from the mountain we went to a place near Nikko called Tobu World Square. It has famous landmarks and buildings from around the world built at a 1:25 scale. We went at night and all t...

 Hiking in Nishizawa Gorge has been on my list of things to do for over a year. Last fall the MWR office offered a trip to do this hike and I tried to sign up but before I could get on the list they had to cancel it entirely. It turns out that during a big rain storm a section of the trail was washed away and so the entire trail was shut down until repairs could be done. Finally it seemed that the trail was open. The MWR office offered a tour on Oct 30th and I immediately signed us up! However, dad is not a fan of going on MWR tours and begged me to cancel it. So I did. Instead we went to hike it on our own this weekend.  Saturday was PERFECT weather - cool, cloud free, and sunny! The hike is a 10K loop with the uphill half of the hike following closely along the bank of the Fuefuki River and the downhill half following an old railroad track. Right from the start of the hike the scenery was AMAZING. I'll post pictures, but they just can't do it justice. There is no way to capt...