At The Last Stop

Will The Train Come?

to this last stop?

A pretty quiet Bessho Onsen station, late in the evening. I really enjoyed our trip to Bessho Onsen. We got to visit an Onsen town steeped with history.

In Or Out?

Indoor?

 Give me a bath with a view anytime! You?

One more question. Mixed or segregated onsen for you?  There were mixed onsens at Nyuto Onsen but none at Bessho Onsen. Don't get too excited about the mixed bath though. When we were there, there was nothing for us to see except each other, and the odd shriveled old guy. Hmph!

 Despite the hot weather we are having, it would be nice if I can go soak in the hot water again. Oh well, I have to make do with a western bath tub for now.

Peeling the Intriguing Layers of Wisconsin OLA

Colby cheese in the making in Decatur Dairy, Wisconsin 

We were not able to get to the northern part of Minnesota along Lake Superior and the western section where most of the lakes are (the state is known as the Land of 10,000 lakes). But from our campground there and from the one in Illinois, we peeled the fascinating layers of Wisconsin, one layer at a time, without staying in the state even a single night!

world's largest 6-pack in La Crosse

At La Crosse, on the Minnesota border, we were pleasantly shocked at suddenly coming upon the World’s Largest 6-Pack! Bill didn’t even know about La Crosse beer when those huge beer cans showed up, dwarfing the trees and parked cars. And happily raising his beer mug to the passers-by was the King of Beer from the 13^th century, Gambrinus.

National Historical Cheesemaking Center

From the Illinois border, we toured Decatur Dairy near Monroe, the Swiss Cheese Capital of the US and home to the National Historical Cheese Making Center.  Decatur’s Master Cheese Maker Steve has won many awards in the state, the US and Europe. Wisconsin supplies 26% of the cheese consumed in the country. Over 2.6 B pounds of 600 varieties of cheese are produced every year from the milk of 1.26 M cows in 13,000 dairy farms in the state.

Gambrinus, King of Beer

In Milwaukee, along the other great lake, Lake Michigan, we had lunch at Mader’s, a German restaurant that has been operating since 1902. We had the best beef goulash, pork schnitzel, veal sauerbreuten we have ever had. It was also my first time to have pretzel rolls…yummy! And for dessert…apple strudel! Gambrinus was again there, staring at me as I sank into their BIG chair. The region is home to a lot of good German cuisine. This is the first layer: outstanding food and beverage.

Milwaukee Art Museum

Wright's Place...Taliesin

Also in Milwaukee we were taken aback as the Milwaukee Art Museum loomed before us. It is prominently featured in Transformers 3. And this leads us to the second layer: art and architecture! A famous Wisconsin son: Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland, Wisconsin but there are 7 possible houses where he was born. Just a few miles south is Taliesin where Wright built his home, tucked away into the hills, as is his style, together with a school of architecture, a restaurant, and a visitor center.  

the Infinity Room of the House on the Rock

A few miles south in Spring Green, Wisconsin, is the House on the Rock, a complex of architecturally designed rooms, streets, gardens and shops by Alex Jordan, Jr.  On a singular standing rock he slowly built his home from left-over materials of his carpenter-father. Trees have now almost covered the spectacular view except for the Infinity Room that soars out 250-feet into the valley 150-ft below.

     

the Basilica on Holy Hill

A friend of ours (Didi Manarang) told us of her annual pilgrimage to Hubertus, Wisconsin, where the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary sits on top of a Holy Hill. In the Roman Catholic Church, a basilica is the highest Papal designation given to a building that carries special spiritual, historical, and architectural significance. Beside the Meditation Chapel inside the basilica is a receptacle of crutches that have, through miraculous healing, become no longer needed.

the simple tomb of Adele Brise

Further north near Green Bay, Wisconsin is the site of one of only 15 approved sites of a Marian apparition, an event in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared supernaturally to one or more people. Another friend, Loy Aquino, brought us there. Just a year after Lourdes, Adele Brise, a young Belgian immigrant, saw a beautiful woman standing between a maple and a hemlock tree and was given the mission to teach the children of the area their Catechism. The approval for Our Lady of Good Help just came on Dec. 8 last year. This is the layer that happily surprised us: religion.

Lambeau Field of the Green Bay Packers

But, according to Bill, Green Bay is host to a spot, another miracle, where thousands gather! It is known as Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, SuperBowl legends! I also have to mention that Harley-Davidson’s Head Office is in Milwaukee (although we took the plant tour in Kansas City instead)! Well, that’s Wisconsin for you…made up of solid layers that make the state known and loved in the country…plus all the other bonuses!

6 layers of motorcycles at Harley-Davidson

Next Stop: Meeting in My Kind of Town, Chicago! 

I Miss This... The Food

Need I say more?
Gosh, I'm making ME hungry. ^^!

Contrary to what many believe, Japanese food is not all raw food. I love these too!

 

 

 

Must. Eat. Now.

Akita On The Move : View From The Resort Shirakami

Apart from the awesome ride on the Akita Shinkansen, we had a ball of time taking a on the Resort Shirakami (Buna). We intended to travel from Akita to Aomori but decided to stop short our trip and hop off the train at Hirosaki Station just in time to catch the sleeper train Akebono back to Akita.

Rain accompanied us on this trip

And rain sure makes one particularly hungry. An early dinner for Raimie (or was it a late lunch?)

 

I wish I had taken better photos of the coastline, on the Gono Line. Oh well... I was torn between looking at them and being glued to the window and yet wanting to take photos of them, lots of it.

Just like on the Akita Shinkansen, we saw more paddy fields.

Villages located right by the shoreline

Then, we saw a giant apple upon arriving Hirosaki Station which Raimie tried to nick, but he can't roll them away. ^^

Got our last minute booking for the L'Ex sleeper train Akebono and went down the platform to wait for it.

Our train arrived!

Just When I Booked My Flight To Japan

Look at what I received this in my inbox this morning.

A promotion from Japan Airlines.

Experience "Colorful Japan" -First wave -
** Available at your travel agent in Malaysia **
Do you want to feel autumn & winter in Japan? JAL is offering very affordable air fare to Japan(Tokyo) with 3person or more travel together at RM600.00 per person on economy class.(excluded surcharge and taxes)

At the same time, we are offering business class fare at ONLY MYR5,000 per person.(excluded surcharge and taxes)

Of course with JAL, you can extend your destination to Japan domestic cities such as Hokkaido, Osaka and Kyushu.,etc "one world YOKOSO/Visit Japan Fare" (10,000 yen per sector).
Don't miss this opportunity!

Other terms & conditions apply. For more information or reservation, please contact your travel agent.

Period : Until July 31, 2011
Outbound travelling Period : September 01, 2011 - December 10, 2011 

I would've booked this JAL's promo airfare in a heartbeat if not for the fact we already have bookings with budget airline, AirAsia.  Why? I don't mind budget hotels - I've slept in buses and trains too just to keep accommodation cost down, but I don't really do budget airlines! XD

But of course I just had to "disturb" my travel agent and check the total fares. Those planning to fly to Japan this coming year-end school holiday (or the Raya week, for that matter) can take advantage of the promotion. 

What can I say? I'm such a sucker for Japan Airlines.

Arcade Game For 10Yen?

And you can still find it in Hanayashiki!

 Wanna have a go?

A slightly new version at a slightly higher price. 20yen per play, folks!

If you want to be nostalgic, head over to Hanayashiki. Plenty of fun games and rides there and they need not be high tech for you to have fun.

Colorado Wildflowers Early July 2011

Colorado State flower - Columbine

I took these photos when we were near Estes Park and Allenspark, CO and at the Wild Basin entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park .  

Sandbagged creek running through Estes Park

We had a real wet winter so the creeks were running high and the flowers were all starting to bloom.  Very colorful. 

Looks like Wild Honeysuckle

Purple Fringe

Wild Geranium

Wild Rose

 

Columbine