Japan Diaries 4: Day 343

Japan Diaries 4: Day 343

Day 343: October 10, 2022

Monday – Sports Day / 10.8-10 Family Roadtrip D3

It's a cold wet morning here in Muroran City (室蘭市) today. 

The view from our room in the 7th floor of APA Hotel Muroran
The view from our room on the 7th floor of APA Hotel Muroran

Time for breakfast
Time for breakfast. 

Our three-day, long weekend road trip comes to an end today. Before leaving for home, we had intended to visit Date City (伊達市) and the town of Sobetsu (壮瞥町), but the weather forecast called for significant rainfall today. It was true, so we had to make some serious adjustments to our plans for today.

Breakfast at APA Hotel Muroran
Yum!

Itadakemasu!
Itadakemasu!

Muroran manhole cover
Muroran manhole cover

Bye for now, APA Hotel Muroran
Bye for now, APA Hotel Muroran

After breakfast, we checked out of APA Hotel Muroran at around 9:30 AM. Our Muroran City itinerary was one of those plans that were radically changed today. I had to remove all the outdoor destinations from the list of places to visit. 


Regardless, I made sure to keep two: Muroran Hachimangu Shrine and the Muroran Roadside Station. As part of the requirements for our #Hokkaido179 travel goals, we need to visit the city, town, or village's main shrine and the roadside station (if available). 

The 200th Anniversary of the Providence Port Visit to Muroran
The 200th Anniversary of the Providence Port Visit to Muroran

Muroran Roadside Station
Muroran Roadside Station

Muroran Roadside Station

After paying respects at Muroran Hachimangu Shrine and also getting the roadside station stamp in the Muroran Roadside Station, we drove back on the same route that we took going to Muroran City yesterday. 

Horobetsu Bridge
Horobetsu Bridge

Katta Shrine torii gate
Katta Shrine torii gate

Katta Shrine
Katta Shrine

We made a stopover at Noboribetsu City (登別市) to visit Katta Shrine which we missed visiting yesterday due to time constraints so that we could offer prayer and also pay our respects. 

Saw Lightning McQueen on Route 36
Saw Lightning McQueen on Route 36

Lawson Tomakomai Utonai Shop
Lawson Tomakomai Utonai Shop

We then continued our drive to Chitose City where we visited the Chitose Shrine and the Chitose Roadside Station. Like in Muroran City, we didn’t miss these places out as it is part of the requirements for our #Hokkaido179 travel goals. 

It was still a 2-hour and 20-minute trip home from the Chitose Roadside Station. It was exhausting for my wife, who isn't used to driving long distances in terrible weather, so we sought a spot to stop on our way back home.

Another beautiful bridge on our way home
Crossed another beautiful bridge on our way home

Hokuryu Roadside Station
Hokuryu Roadside Station

Restaurant Windmill
Restaurant Windmill

We decided to make one final stop along the route to Hokuryu Roadside Station which is in the town of Hokuryu (北竜町). Aside from the restroom stop, we also had supper at Restaurant Windmill, which is located inside the roadside station. I tried their house specialty, the Black Dragon Miso Ramen which was amazing. 

Ramen for dinner
Ramen for dinner

Black Dragon Miso Ramen
Black Dragon Miso Ramen

We got back home a little before 7 PM. We didn’t stay up late though as we were all tired from the long drive. We just unloaded our stuff, freshened up, and then called it a day. 

Despite the severe weather and a drastic alteration in our itinerary for today, we still managed to visit three cities and one town. Aside from that, we arrived safely home after a lengthy drive, making this trip a success. See you on our next journey!

Read more:

Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 50



Location: Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan

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