Bear Butt Adventures

There are pros and cons about attempting to travel during COVID, but research and determine if you can commit to following all the CDC precautions to minimize risk. Places like Kyoto are usually bursting with tourists though there are minimal now there is more construction! Overall we have no regrets when we explored the city! Our favorite Kyoto sites: -Kiyomizu-dera temple as close to sunset as possible to enjoy the view ... -Fushimi Inari Taisha (the iconic Torii gate temple; a hike you the summit only took about 2-3 hrs total at a leisurely pace) -Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Kimono Forest, Tenryuji Temple, walking along the river, and all the tofu (you can easily spend the day in this part of town so plan accordingly) -Hanamikoji Street (I prefer seeing it at night for multiple reasons; book reservations for geisha dinners or find an izakaya) or just walk mindfully through all the streets and admire the minimalist and discrete architecture Stop and meditate at a temple. Listen to the leaves rustle in the bamboo forest when a gust of wind rides in... Safe travels

Want to walk along side and in a steaming river??? Or bathe in an outdoor natural hot spring (i.e. Onsen)? Put Kusatsu, Japan on your bucket list! It is far removed from any major cities about a 2.5-3 hr drive outside of Tokyo. But, for me, it is well worth the trip. Sometimes people crave city life but if you’re not that person than this quaint town will leave you wanting to move there :) The landscape of Japan is so unique because of the tectonic plates. So much to see... in this country. Even though COVID has limited our international travel luckily our local travels are still allowed. 377-1711 Gunma, Agatsuma District, Kusatsu, Unnamed Road https://goo.gl/maps/zxHjbswcByjF2wmd8 Safe travels!

What was your favorite thing to do in Kyoto? Share in the comments For some it is trying all the amazing tofu! If you’re able this is a highly recommended restaurant but go hungry because their set menu is often very large. Yudofu Sagano... 616-8385 Kyoto, Ukyo Ward, 45 075-871-6946 https://goo.gl/maps/WbrKfj9sApT6dLnQ7 Safe travels!

Our Japan tour is almost over. We definitely learned that when renting a car (if you’re driving over a few hours) get/rent the ETC card at your car rental company! It’ll save you the hassle of having cash and some rural exits won’t even have a spot for a cash option. Some ETC cards can be rented for 330 one time fee (Orix) and some have daily fees. Also these small Toyota Yaris was handy to have for the narrow Japan roads. But it had enough room for a large suitcase a...nd 2 small ones in the truck! Safe travels! Where are you going next??

Holy moly Nikk Tsh-g was amazing! The grounds are massive and the intricacies on the primary shrine demand mindfulness. Literally some aspects of the shrine were meant to be imperfect and riddled with various designs and sculptures! You could really stare at some parts for hours. If you’re planning a visit I’d recommend finding a hotel near the shrine or on Lake Chuzenji. Safe travels! ... 2301 Sannai, Nikko, Tochigi 321-1431 0288-54-0560 https://goo.gl/maps/iCBGue1KonoMDhcE8

Thank you all who have liked the page and kept following over the past 6 months! So sorry for the silence...COVID and our new baby have turned our life around like sooo many others. Stay safe and remember if you are traveling around don’t forget to enjoy what’s in your backyard! I regret not traveling more around CA while I lived there. Enjoy the slow pace! M Our backyard is in Japan for the next 3 weeks! We have tons of tips and places to visit/recommend here. Let us know what you’d like to hear about. Here are some pics from Nikko National Park in Japan. It’s about 2.5 hrs outside of Tokyo. Beware there are tons of switch backs going up some parts of the area. As always, safe travels :)

It is a very unique time in the world these days! Travel is not safe to many countries. Economies/certain industries are failing...but if you do have time, you’re following proper news channels, taking the recommended precautions and you decide to take educated risks you can see places you would’ve never dreamed of for cheap. But due to travel restrictions and closed borders, it’ll be those places that you haven’t visited in your own backyard. So if you need a staycation ...pop on AirBNB, Booking.com and call up some hotels to see if places are willing to negotiate weekly or longer rates! On AirBNB, when you look at a listing scroll till you find the contact us or message the host button. You can do this without putting in a booking request. It’d be nice to telework with a penthouse view or take a dive in an infinity pool on your lunch hour. Some places will say no but you might just find one willing to give you a deal because some money is better than no money! Safe travels be it now or in another year from now!! Planning your next trip might give you something to look forward to :)