Tokyo Day 5: Tama River and Yokota Air Base

We left Tokyo on Saturday and drove halfway home, to Sendai. First we headed towards Yokota Air Base to fill up with gas. We stopped for a quick walk along the Tama River Trail so we could enjoy the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The trail itself is 48 kilometers long and is a great place for biking, walking, running, and enjoying the scenery along the Tama River. In the Fussa area, the trail is known especially for the cherry blossoms blooming along the trail. The Fussa Cherry Blossom Festival is held here every year.

There is a free parking lot next to the trail and a large sports park. This about 10 minutes from Yokota AB:

Alivia wanted to take a picture with Daddy in it. It was a valiant effort...

Next we headed to Yokota AB to fill up on gas. They had a power outage on the side of base where we entered, so we had to drive across base to find the open gas station. We got to experience cherry-blossom-envy on these beautiful cherry blossom lined roads. I haven't seen any roads on Misawa AB that compare to this:

Finally we said good-bye to Tokyo and headed towards Sendai. We stayed at the Miyagi Zao Royal Hotel (technically in the town of Zao, south of Sendai). The rooms had the perfect layout for our family, but we were disappointed to learn upon arrival that ALL of the western style rooms are smoking rooms. There was no indication of this on the site I used to book. Still it was only one night, so we made due. 

I guess there had to be a reason why this amazing room was only $140 a night (which is super cheap for a Japanese hotel). "For just $140 a night you can experience burning eyes and throat. One lucky guest may experience an asthma attack. We know you will enjoy your stay so much that we'll let the smell of your room linger on all your belongings."

He crashed hard after a week in Tokyo. 

We had such a great time in Tokyo, but we were also looking forward to returning home.