After Hakuba, we went to Takayama City for some free time and a tour of the Takayama Floats and the Government House. It was interesting and would work well for a side trip. We stayed in the outstanding Associa Hotel. It certainly was my favorite. It had excellent baths with views of the city and a lovely bar area overlooking a fountain. I would go to Takayama just to go to the Hotel.The next morning we went to Shirakawago and had time to explore the village. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage site and is interesting. We were able to tour one of the buildings and walk through the village. It will make a nice side trip. We ate in a small restaurant just outside of the village and had trout that had only been swimming minutes before. We were all taken back at first as they served the trout with almost everything in tact, but almost all of us ate every bite. The next night we stayed in the JAL City Hotel in Nagano. It was an excellent hotel and is in close proximity to the bullet train station. The rooms were very small, but it still was very nice. Unfortunately we didn't have much time in Nagano. I did walk to the Temple and enjoyed that.
Reflections of Carla and Clair By Clair N. Quenzler, Treasurer, Florida Ski Council
