Resort Park Onikoube - Miyagi Prefecture

 This time we're visiting the Resort Park Onikoube in Miyagi Prefecture. We stayed at the Hotel Onikoube and I have to say that the Hotel provided outstanding service. To start with they sent a van to pick us up at Sendai train station. From the train station to the hotel is a two hour trip! And, we were the only people they picked up. The driver of the van also kindly stopped at a Michi-no-eki so we could use the restroom and look around for shopping. Outstanding!

Here we are arriving at the Hotel Onikoube. This place is in the middle of nowhere.

Hotel Onikoube's website

The hotel's main entrance. The hotel is designed to be like a Swiss Chalet. 

Emi getting us checked in at the front desk.

A coffee and cake corner near the front desk with a big fireplace. I think this is a popular place for the skiers to warm up in the wintertime. 

My first priority after checking into the room was to visit the hot-spring bath (onsen). Normally I wouldn't be able to photograph the bathing area but because we were the first customers to check-in I was able to take some pictures. 

Put you clothes in the baskets on the left and head in!

Nice!

A nice view to enjoy while soaking in the bath. There are other Onsen baths in the hotel to enjoy but this was the only one that I was able to photograph.

Back in the changing room to dry off and get dressed.

A quick selfie after putting on my hotel yukata. 

Next day after breakfast it was time to explore the resort area. The big thing to do here is to ride a gondola to the top of the ski slopes and go wandering around. So, here we are at the ski slope gondola place!

The gondola ropeway.

And, there goes a gondola!

This ropeway is no joke! It's a long way to the top!

This is the gondola station at the top of the mountain.

And, this is the view from the top.

We didn't expect this; there's a swing with a scenic view. Of course I asked Emi to swing on the swing so I could take a picture.

Next thing we did was to follow a hiking trail through the woods. 

We followed the trail for about a half an hour and then we headed back to the gondola station for our ride back down the mountain.

By the way, it was not a busy day here, we were the only customers. I'm sure it's quite crowded on the weekend. The guy in the shadow is the ropeway operator.

We were told that one gondola is for 4 people. They must be for 4 tiny people because when Emi and I got in I didn't see where 2 other people would sit.

The operator is standing by our gondola waiting for us to get in so he can send us down the slopes.

Down we go!

This is actually a lot of fun!

Last day: Time for breakfast. 

The doorway on the left side is the entrance to the dinning room.

This is the dining room. The day before it was quite crowded at breakfast but today there's only a few people. 

Also, the day before breakfast was a big buffet but today with fewer customers breakfast is a set menu. No problem, it was delicious!

Emi serving rice.

There are plenty of tables, they seated us at the table with the best view.

The view from our table. After breakfast it was time to pack our bags and check-out. I have nothing but good things to say about Hotel Onikoube; especially the staff and the quality of the food... outstanding!

We stayed at the Hotel Onikoube for two nights and on the morning of the third day they provided us with shuttle service to Naruko train station where Emi and I started our next adventure!

All the best,

Mike