This past Saturday Travis and I drove across the country to Hirosaki. We wanted to experience their Cherry Blossom festival. It was only 120 km to Hirosaki from Misawa (75 miles), and being the Saskatchewan girl that I am I figured it would take about an hour, maybe an hour and a half to get there. Unfortunately for me, Japan is not nearly as flat as Saskatchewan. We decided to avoid the toll roads, and take the scenic route through the mountains. It was a beautiful drive, and we were able to enjoy the mountains, rushing streams, and all the newly green growing things. However, an hour long drive it wasn't! Due to the amount of switch backs, curves, and just driving up (and down) the mountains it took us about 2.5 - 3 hours to get to Hirosaki. It may have been faster to take the toll roads and highways, but the views we got through the mountains more than made up for the longer drive!
I'd love to say that the day was perfect, not a cloud in the sky or whisper of wind. Of course, if I said that, I'd be a liar! It was cloudy, a bit windy, and a tad drizzly in Hirosaki by the time we got there. We found a parking spot and got out and spent about 4 hours wandering the Hirosaki park and castle grounds.
I'll let you be the judge, but I think it was well worth the crappy weather and drive! I'd do it again in a heart beat.
~Kristen
You can see some of the rain drops in the water, but mostly I just love how the trees canopy over the castle moat.
I want someone to row me around on a rowboat under there. I would eat bon bons and write poetry and drink of nothing but red wine.
All those beautiful cherry blossoms... and all I keep noticing are the dandelions
!
My attempt at being artistic!
The inner castle moat. (from the outside).
If only those blossoms were just a little bit more in bloom, I think this picture would have been about perfect.
Overlooking the castle inner moat (from the inside) up on the hill.
Smiling in the rain!
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