The next morning we boarded a domestic configuration 777 to kick-off our Hokkaido adventure!

^ground and flight crew always say goodbye to the passengers! Super cool stuff.

I wish US based airlines would put 777-300’s on 1.5-hour flights…

Door 4 galley with stacks of blankets for economy passengers. Wait… WUT?

Door 5 galley with more blankets, and clear bags full of airplane toys for kids. I got three.

 

We landed around noon and drove across Hokkaido to Kawakami-gun. Our first destination was going to be Akan National Park, home to the famous Mashu-ko, the clearest lake in the world. Along the way, we got distracted.

What is this?!

A hot spring!!

It smelled…

But we persevered and took some photos!

…and went to the gift shop, where one could get a variety of canned foods

 

BEHOLD!!! The famous Mashu-ko!
^What? It’s been fogged over all morning? well f*ck.

…at least it had some neat looking trees.

We went to the visitor center and got some curry-pan and ice cream. An hour or so later, it teased us by showing us its ‘lil boop of an island.

We got tired of waiting, so we hit the road, and found clearer skies

And an alternate lake!

Behold! Kussharo-ko! The largest caldera lake in Japan!

 

Lunch was had here, and then we hit the road for our next destination!