Escape from Tokyo: Karuizawa

We had the chance to get out to the woods over the weekend by heading to Karuizawa for a wedding.  Karuizawa is an hour and twenty-minute bullet train ride from Tokyo.  This place is beautiful, set with a mountain backdrop and surrounded by forests.  To be honest, I've been here at least three times for my law firm's annual firm trip and not had the greatest times.  Of course, on those trips, lots of drinking the night with colleagues ends up with hung-over mornings where I try to escape on an early bullet train back to Tokyo.   Being here with the family is a bit different and much more fun.  Here are some selected pictures from our time out there over the weekend.

We took the 9:10 Asama bullet train out from Ueno.

All aboard!!!

Nothing wrong about starting at 9:30am...

Welcome to Karuizawa.

Wedding cake anyone?

Master chef preparing our fancy wedding meal.

Our beautiful salad.

Foie gras.

Cream of cabbage soup.

Fish.

Wagyu beef.

A delicious dessert.

That was the wedding.  You need a car to get around where we stayed.  It was about 35 minutes from Karuizawa station.  Let's get some shots of our lodging.

Almost there...

Our second-floor cabin.

A little friend I rescued from the cabin.

Driving to the cabin and staying there reminded me of a childhood trip to Holland, Michigan with our family friends, the Murdoch's.  The cabin we went to in Karuizawa was much newer though.

We stayed at one cabin and rented another for a BBQ.

Full-sized gas grill... Oh yeah!!!

Watch out for bears!

No bears here...

Or here...

Wonderful little breakfast place.

Best pizza toast I've ever had.

I love Karuizawa!!!

 That's it for now guys.  Have a good weekend!