Yamanashi Trip with Kids Day 1
March is my eldest daughter's 6th birthday.
This year, we went on a birthday trip to Yamanashi Prefecture.
Our destination this time was "Grand Mercure Yatsugatake".
This hotel has multiple kids' spaces inside, so you can play to your heart's content from check-in to check-out! Furthermore, since it's an all-inclusive hotel, drinks and snacks are all-you-can-eat and drink during your stay!
It was a paradise of a hotel for the kids♪
【Our rough travel plan】
After a 3-hour drive, we arrived in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture around noon!
11:30 Lunch at "Sobadokoro Sanbun-no-ichi"
A soba restaurant that makes handmade noodles every day using Hokuto City's famous water and carefully grown buckwheat.
There is no kids' menu, but there is tatami seating, making it easy to enter with children.
The kids were fascinated watching the soba being made through the large window while waiting for our food to arrive!
The two children shared a kake soba. I ordered the duck soup dipping soba, and my husband ordered the Sanbun-no-ichi soba set.
The soba had a nice chew, and the duck soup was slightly sweet and delicious!
There was a local produce market next door that sold additive-free items, which was fun to look at♪
(I was planning to buy some on the way back, but it was closed the next day...)
13:00 Off to the "Nakamura Keith Haring Collection".
This museum exhibits Haring's works collected by founder Kazuo Nakamura and is also involved in activities that carry on Haring's legacy.
A friend recommended this place, so we decided to go.
We were excited by the cool atmosphere from the entrance! Many works were lined up, including not just paintings but also three-dimensional pieces.
The building itself had a complex and artistic design, which was also interesting to see. There was even a corner in the shop where kids could draw.
After buying some goods at the shop, we headed to the hotel!
14:00 Arrived at "Grand Mercure Yatsugatake" hotel
Check-in is at 3:00 PM, but I had heard the reception gets crowded, so we arrived an hour early.
There was already a long line in the lobby...
(Executive rooms and suites have a separate reception, which was smoother! They also have a private lounge, so I thought I'd book an executive room next time.)
After waiting for about 30 minutes and finishing the check-in, we went straight to the kids' space. The kids were super excited!!! They dashed toward the play area.
At 3:00 PM, we went back to the reception to get our key cards. After going to our room to drop off our luggage, we went back to the kids' space. There are kids' spaces on the basement floor and the 3rd floor, and the 3rd floor also has a relaxation area.
There were kotatsu and tables lined up, with all-you-can-eat snacks and all-you-can-drink beverages. There were also books, manga, and picture books~!
Dinner is buffet style with a designated time.
The dinner reception also has a line, so I recommend having one parent play with the kids while the other waits in line for the reception! We lined up 30 minutes early and were second in line.
The buffet was average. Lol. It felt more like you could eat until you were full and be satisfied rather than it being super delicious!
After that, we went to the public bath and played table tennis as a family until bedtime.
There were also juices, tea, and amazake available for free at the entrance of the public bath, so we didn't spend any money during our stay at the hotel.
Went to bed around 22:00.
To be continued in Day 2.