Finally, it’s time to share the review of Day 2 of our Hokkaido trip with Chubby Mom and the family (feeling proud 😎). The second day’s schedule was... honestly, intense. So I hope you’re all ready to keep up! (Our family is seriously amazing—props to us! 💪)
👉 [Day 1 Recap – Tada!]
The first stop on Day 2: hotel breakfast!
This was something I found interesting—natto provided by the hotel!
It was smaller and cuter than the ones you usually find at Korean supermarkets, but the taste was exactly the same! Chubby Mom and her daughter, both big natto fans, made sure to grab one every time it was available. A must-have for them at every meal!
And then—off we went to Biei at 8 AM sharp! (So early... 😅)
Since it was quite a long ride, we made a stop at a rest area, thanks to the thoughtful planning of our guide and bus driver. We used the restroom, tried out the vending machines for the first time (so cool!), and stretched our legs a bit.
There wasn’t much at the rest stop except vending machines, but Chubby Mom was excited nonetheless! She even took a photo inside a phone booth there. The booth was surprisingly huge—way bigger than any we’d seen in Korea—and had such a clean, stylish design. Super photogenic!
And when we bought drinks from the vending machine, we finally got to use paper bills—and got some coins back! That’s when we proudly pulled out the coin purse we had prepared just for this trip. Such a satisfying moment 😭😭 From that point on, this little coin purse became super useful throughout the rest of our journey!
If you're curious about the coin purse we mentioned earlier, check out the link below for all the details!
👉 [Must-Have for Japan Travel: Yen Coin Purse Review]
“A Family Trip to Japan… and the Secret Weapon: A Coin Purse?!” 🗾✨(Necessary item for Japan trip, Recommend it to you
In just two days, Mom, me, and the whole family are heading off on a trip to Japan! (Drumroll, please...!!!) While most people are off to Osaka, our family made a surprising choice—Sapporo! ❄️ Since it’s a full-on family trip with lots of people to
chubby-mom.tistory.com
Back on the bus, we headed straight to Patchwork Panorama Road! This tree seemed to be the symbol of the area, and lots of other tourists were snapping photos here too. We quickly hopped off, hurriedly took a few shots, and then had to rush back to the bus—our guide sadly told us we couldn’t stay long because of the tight schedule. Such a bummer, but we made the most of the moment!
Finally, we arrived at Farm Tomita!!! Yay!!!
Honestly, one of the main reasons Chubby Mom and the family came all the way to Hokkaido was to visit this very place (tears of joy 😭). The other big goal was Aoiike (Blue Pond)!
With the recent rise in Hokkaido’s temperature, we hoped the lavender might already be blooming. But sadly... there were almost no lavender flowers to be seen. Maybe it needs much warmer weather to bloom?
But wait... just look at the photo below...!!!!!
But there were plenty of other flowers in bloom. The birch trees were absolutely beautiful, too. Since we couldn’t see the lavender, we enjoyed a flower related to lavender called “lavandin” instead—and treated ourselves to some delicious lavender ice cream.
Right next to the lavender ice cream stand, they were selling melon, so I bought some of that too... (oops, forgot to take a photo, silly me!). The melon was bright orange, super sweet, and really tasty!
The only downside was the restrooms at Farm Tomita... The main restrooms near the entrance are the ones you should use! 😢 The restrooms deeper inside the farm were crowded with tourists from all over the world, so the wait was long—and honestly, the smell was pretty overwhelming. I almost couldn’t handle it.
Luckily, I stumbled upon a lesser-known restroom near the entrance that most tourists seemed to miss. It was incredibly clean, and I was so relieved and happy to find it! Definitely a helpful tip for anyone visiting—head straight to the entrance restrooms if you can!
After that, we hopped back on the bus and headed to a vineyard and winery operated by the Japanese government, where we had lunch—Hamburg steak!
It was a bit salty for our family, who usually prefer milder flavors, but we still enjoyed it a lot. That steak looked absolutely gorgeous… so shiny and delicious!
Since it was a government-run winery, we couldn’t resist trying the wine! We ordered a glass to share among the family. I’m no wine expert, but my son said it tasted great! Definitely worth giving it a try if you visit. The cheapest glass was 836 yen, which isn’t too bad—after all, we traveled all this way, so curiosity won! (Always eager to try new things!)
After a hearty meal, we finally arrived at Aoiike (Blue Pond)!! 😭😭 I was completely enchanted by the unbelievably beautiful color of the water… It looked exactly like the photos we had seen before the trip.
The pictures came out amazing, and behind the pond, you can even see the snowy mountains—it was just breathtaking.
Trip goal: achieved! (Absolutely the best) Highly recommend this spot… Japan’s natural scenery is truly the real deal. No filters, no lies.
We couldn’t stop marveling at it… and of course, Chubby Mom’s family went full-on photo mode, snapping away.
And the daughter? She got some absolute once-in-a-lifetime shots!
Next up, we arrived at the White Beard Waterfall! (So busy, so busy!!) Wow, this place was stunning too. The water color was just as beautiful as Aoiike’s—pure magic. Add to that the powerful roar of the waterfall, the fresh, crisp air, and the snowy mountains visible just beyond the bridge… This was truly a masterpiece… an absolute gem!!!
And finally, finally, we arrived at our second accommodation—Shikanoyu Onsen Hotel, located in Jozankei Village! Ta-da~ The first hotel was newer and more modern, but here they gave us a spacious room designed for four people, even though there were just two of us. Perfect for stretching out and relaxing.
I accidentally snapped a photo when the room was a bit messy... haha! The room had four beds—and the closet even had two extra futons! Apparently, this room can comfortably sleep up to six people... wow!
Next up was dinner at the hotel buffet. But before we dug in, we got a special treat—a deer-shaped ice cream, totally free thanks to a coupon from Hana Tour as a souvenir! (Squee!! 🦌🍦) It was absolutely delicious!!!
As a bonus, we also received tickets to the Luminarie Festival right next to the hotel and got to attend! Busy, busy! We took a stroll through a beautifully lit forest decorated with twinkling lights. The course wasn’t very long, making it a perfect, light way to walk off dinner.
Besides the lights, there was a stunning firefly-like light show that beamed toward the cliffs and valleys—so beautiful and fun to watch!
After enjoying the Luminarie Festival, we headed back to the hotel—but first, a quick stop at a convenience store just a short walk away! It had been ages since we last visited a Japanese convenience store, so we were excited!
The store we went to was Seicomart—the one we saw most often around Hokkaido. We picked up some bottled water in case we needed more in the hotel room, and, on a whim, some cute jelly snacks we hadn’t planned on buying.
Then, dressed in our yukatas, we headed straight to the onsen! This time, the hot spring wasn’t alkaline, so we didn’t get that silky smooth skin feeling, but no worries! The hotel also had a sauna room, and Chubby Mom’s family made sure to enjoy that fully too!
Back in the room, I crashed straight to sleep like I was knocked out!!! What a fulfilling day it was (feeling proud and satisfied). Big shoutout and lots of praise to Chubby Mom and Dad for keeping up with the pretty intense schedule!
That wraps up Day 2 of our trip—stay tuned for Day 3 next time!
Hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am! (Fingers crossed 🤞) Wishing you all a wonderful day—until next time, toodles…!!!