Rusutsu: A Want to Be Las Vegas Ski Resort?

After Hakodate, Sapporo was the next spot that we wanted to visit. Our options were a taxi to the train station and then taking a 3.5 hour train, a taxi to the airport and a 30 minute flight to the downtown Sapporo airport (the main one is 45 minutes away), or rent a car for a ~4 hour drive. We decided that keeping our kiddos (read Rose) behaved for almost 4 hours in a train sounded like a stressful endeavour. We went with the car rental and added a single night points stay at the Westin Rusutsu to the trip. A ski resort in the winter, but more visited by domestic visitors in the summer, with an amusement park next door.

We stopped for lunch at definitely local place that was famous for their crab rice. It was our first order via screen at the front of the restaurant and then sit and your food is brought to you. I was expecting fresh crab, but it was more fermented or dried or something. It was unique and yummy.

The first 5 minutes of the car ride involved way too much screaming. Eventually they consented to watching their screens in peace as we drove to a thermally active area, Noboribetsu Jigokudani Valley. This car had an ETC card (read E-Z Pass), so we could just zoom through the toll stations. It took a little bit of the drive to figure out the speed limit since many places aren’t marked with speed limit signs, and the speed limit of unmarked roads can be 50, 60, 70, or 100 based on a multitude of factors.

We did a short walk. It did a little raining. The kids said a lot of fart jokes.

The kiddos were not a fan of the Noboribetsu Jigokudani Valley. They said it smelled too much like farts. Their highlight was finding a few beetles on the path. It then started to rain. Rose melted a little.

We then continued our drive to the hotel. The goal was to get there and rush to get a 5pm-745pm reduced price evening ride pass. We checked into our hotel after a 30 minute wait, discovered we have 7 beds, and rushed to the monorail to go to the amusement park. The monorail it turns out does not believe in “rushing”. They say the monorail opened in 1998, but they must have bought it used. It is operated by a human and creaks along at a slightly faster than Rose walking pace, with a lot of creaking. The driver gets out, locks his door, checks that each car is empty by walking through it, then opens up the gate for people to amble on, leisurely…

We then rush to the amusement park and can’t figure out where to get tickets. After searching for 20+ minutes, asking two people, looking at the map, and examining the website. None of the places suggested sold tickets and I gave up, grumpily.

The animatronics we watched, on repeat, while eating. 100% in English.

What I did discover is the sister resort has a castle-like restaurant and really tries to be Las Vegas, with part of it trying to act like the USA. We ate dinner, and then Rose rode the free carousel on repeat, and Archer played a couple of arcade games (and won a rather creepy clown/joker keychain as a prize).

There were 1200 fireworks fired. It wasn’t enough to keep Rose awake.

We knew there were fireworks at 8p, and at the hotel they said to watch them from in front of our hotel. We did discover that the sister hotel is where they should be watched since they are set off 100 feet away and synced with music. It was a good 10 minute show, during which Rose fell asleep. After taking the monorail back to the Westin (they did not ask for volunteers to push, well at least in English they didn’t) we went to the “lobby lounge” and had a drink. Archer had 2 ice cream cones (paid), a water, a hot cocoa, and a ginger ale. He wanted all the beverages.

The kids slept in until 7:20am, the trip record so far, and we went to the very very impressive breakfast buffet. Then the amusement park. In keeping with tradition from our Azerbaijan/Georgia/Armenia trip, amusement parks are called fairs in our household.

The amusement park from the top of the Ferris wheel.

The start of the amusement park day had some grumpy children that didn’t want to listen, sit in the stroller, go one rides, or have fun. It was frustrating. Eventually they decided that having fun was fun, and their attitudes changed. Katy and I each did some roller coasters. The kids did a bunch of rides. Rose was a big fan of them all, particularly a spinning octopus whirligig.

Rose is an intense driver. I let Archer have 100% control of the steering wheel, there were no crashes.

We wanted the kiddos to sleep on the 90+ minute drive to downtown Sapporo where we were dropping off the rental car, so we decided on no screens. They didn’t sleep. They did scream. They did kick their siblings (read Rose). They did kick the back of my seat. It was frustrating. I was happy to be done with a rental car for the next 4 nights when we dropped it off.

We then Ubered to our apartment and ordered some sushi from dinner. It was a good day for all. This was the 13th night, we had been away from home (including the LA portion of the trip). The kids have started to say that they miss Wally cat.

Archer cumulative salmon nigiri count: 63