Honestly, we visit the US for sightseeing every summer, but we couldn't go there this year due to the Corona virus. It's too bad and it can't be helped, I think. Instead of visiting the US, we went to Hokkaido with our car by ferry boat in summer vacation. Our trip started by boarding a ferry boat at Maizuru port in Kyoto on the evening of August 7th. After 21 hours ferry ride, we arrived at Otaru in Hokkaido around 9 PM the next day. We stayed at the hotel with hot springs in Asarigawa near Otaru port one night and headed to Sapporo downtown the next morning. We watched the baseball game, Fighters against Lions in Sapporo dome stadium. Admission in the stadium was limited to 5,000 baseball fans, but fortunately we could get the tickets for that ball game. We were excited at the game and the Fighters beat the Lions by 2-1. Unfortunately, there was only one baseball game to watch in Hokkaido and after the game we headed to Nayoro which is located north of Hokkaido.
Actually, we've been to Hokkaido for skiing many times in the winter, but it was the first time for sightseeing there in the summer. In winter some museums and activity facilities are closed due to sonw, but these were open this summer. So, we enjoyed the rail bike in Bifuka, Horonobe underground research center, Shiretoko sightseeing ship, Shibetsu salmon museum, Kushiro wetland and Sahoro bear mountain museum in 7 nights and 8 days. We enjoyed craft beer and local food like a fresh sea food, fresh vegetables, beef and mutton in Hokkaido. They say that Hokkaido is food heaven, because many fresh fish are taken from the oceans around the Hokkaido island and it has huge farmlands for cows and other animals. We had a great experience there and I’d like visit to Hokkaido again in summer someday.
