We Wander… We Wonder!!

We are were not a skiing family. We lived in Phoenix for a long time, we have not ventured in Snowbowl or Flagstaff to ski. We have heard so much stories of queue time, ski rentals, and hassles throughout the years we have lived there. But, now that we are here we thought, why not! it’s only a train ride away 🙂 There’s a big ski culture in Hokkaido, but we learned that it get fully-booked early, and it can get pricey. So I told my kids, we will go to Hokkaido to ski, but we need to learn first, somewhere close to Tokyo. Before we venture to magnificence of Hokkaido. Off we go to Yuzawa.

We have no expectations since we have not been to any Ski Resorts. But wow what a welcome, from the train station, to the walk to the hotel, it was magical. The roads have natural hot springs flowing to melt the ice, and a hot spring for your feet, how cool is that?!

We tried to be as conveniently located towards the train and the ski lift. And what a perfect location 🙂 We stayed at Yuzawa Toei Hotel, in the Yuzawa Echigo Ski Resort. The hotel is convenient and since it just snowed the night before we arrived, the freshness of snow is breath taking.

A few days to explore the area and play in the snow. We had the play area. all to ourselves. We built snow man taller than us, we built not one but two snow couches, we burried someone in the snow, created our own snow slide, and the coolest find – an igloo!! 😀

And now time to be brave! It’s ski lessons time! I personally had no intention to learn how to ski 😀 But I need to be a role-model-adventurous- unafraid-Mom. I was happy to try, but must admit, I was the slowest learner. The boys are already learning to turn, while I am still learning to stop 😀 but that’s ok 🙂 I am so proud of how quick they picked it up, and we cannot wait to do it again!