My First Ever! Story of a One-Night Solo Touring Trip to Yamaguchi Part 2: Departure Edition
Although I was steadily planning my first-ever overnight touring trip, I ended up postponing it by one day due to concerns about the weather on the original day. I wrote about that in last week's note, so please feel free to read it if you'd like.
And so, the next day arrived in the blink of an eye, and it was finally the day of departure!! ...But...
What a surprise. It was raining quite hard from the morning... If I had known this, it would have been better to just leave the day before... In the end, it didn't even rain the day before (tears).
But there's no point in moping over what's already passed. The weather forecast said it would stop eventually, so I decided to wait for the rain to stop, even though it meant going over my departure time. And so, I managed to set off with about an hour's delay.
The roads on the morning after the rain were a bit chilly, but I rode my bike comfortably in the pleasant breeze. This is...
Truly fun! It feels great!!
It would be perfect if the weather were clear, though. Plus, the forecast for the day was cloudy all day. Looking at the sky, I could see blue patches, but right next to them, dark rain clouds were looming, giving me a sense of unstable weather... Hoping at least that it wouldn't rain, I headed toward Yamaguchi, driving safely.
On the way, every time I found a roadside station, I would park my bike and work on my stamp rally. But eventually, I realized something.
"Aren't there quite a lot of roadside stations?"
At this pace, I would significantly exceed my planned time... From that point on, I decided not to focus on the roadside stations and instead concentrate on my first destination. And I arrived safely at my first destination! That place was...
After going through quite a narrow path, by the time I finally arrived, the weather had cleared up and it was beautiful! What spread out below me was a truly beautiful view, just like in the photos. The area around the shrine seemed to be well-maintained as a tourist spot, with parking lots, restrooms, and souvenir shops, so I was able to enjoy sightseeing with peace of mind. After enjoying a good stroll, I headed for my next destination. The plan for the next stop was to eat something sweet and take a little break.
Leaving Motonosumi Shrine behind, I rode my bike through the narrow mountain roads again, and eventually, the coastline appeared. Beyond that coastline was my next destination...
Tsunoshima Pudding is famous as a souvenir and an Instagrammable sweet. The shop itself is small, but there was a simple eat-in space where I had some pudding while taking a break. The moderate sweetness spread through my tired body, and my energy was restored♪ I headed straight for my next destination, the main destination of this trip!!
Having said that, it was less than a minute's ride from Tsunoshima Pudding. I arrived at that destination quite easily. That place is...
A place I wanted to visit by bike, Tsunoshima♪ The weather didn't turn bad, and I was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Since I was at it, one more shot from the same angle...
Riding across Tsunoshima Bridge on a bike is so, so pleasant, it's like flying over the sea. I rode slowly and enjoyed the scenery to the fullest.
Actually, I had planned to go to Tsunoshima Lighthouse after this, but since I didn't have much time, I decided to cancel it this time. Furthermore, I had originally planned to eat Kawara Soba in Kawatana Onsen for a late lunch, but since I was way behind schedule, I ended up stuffing my face with rice balls from a nearby convenience store.
The time I lost since the morning really took its toll here... Well, this is also the real thrill of traveling.
And so, leaving the beautiful scenery of Tsunoshima behind, I headed straight for Shimonoseki, where I would be staying tonight. With my gas running low, I was nervous because gas stations didn't seem to appear along the Sea of Japan coastline. The sense of relief when I finally found a station was immense!!
Eventually, the cityscape of Shimonoseki gradually appeared, and I arrived safely without any trouble or accidents. I was able to finish the first day of my Yamaguchi touring trip with a pleasant sense of fatigue and satisfaction. The next day is the return trip. Well, I wonder what will happen. Please look forward to the next installment, "My First Ever! Story of a One-Night Solo Touring Trip to Yamaguchi Part 3: Conclusion Edition"!
Well then, To be continued......