One of the coolest things to do at Yunomine Onsen is to buy raw eggs from a local merchant and hard-boil them right in the hot onsen water! After we finished our first route of the Kumano Kodo, we took a rest day in a … Continue readingHard Boiled Eggs at Yunomine Onsen
In our 9 days on the Nakahechi and Kohechi routes of the Kumano Kodo trail, Dad and I saw many things and heard many sounds. I thought a long time on how best to represent some of these amazing things in video and I concluded … Continue readingSights & Sounds from the Kumano Kodo
Whether you are hiking all the way through or jumping ahead from checkpoint to checkpoint, hiking any of the 3 major routes of the Kumano Kodo will require you to take a local Japanese bus at some point. It may seem confusing at first but … Continue readingEverything you need to know about taking a Japanese bus along the Kumano Kodo
There are 33 manifestations of the Japanese Deity, Kannon. We hiked the Kohechi Route of the Kumano Kodo from Hongu to Koyasan. The first section is a pretty intense hike from Yagio to Totsukawa Onsen using the Hatenashi-toge pass. A very interesting feature of this section … Continue reading33 Kannon Statues along the Hatenashi-toge pass on the Kohechi trail of Kumano Kodo
Less than 12 hours until I depart. When I first assembled my pack earlier this weekend it was 18 pounds. After lots of negotiating and some swift cuts I am slightly below 12 pounds. I have reduced the contents of my pack to 11.8 pounds … Continue reading12 Pounds on My Back
Well…we’ve come down to this. After over a year of planning and prepping Dad and I are scheduled to arrive in Osaka in 4 days. The problem is the biggest storm of the year, Typhoon Hagibis is currently pounding Japan and conditions do not look … Continue readingWill I Stay or Will I Go?
In an attempt to document my Kumano Kodo adventure in October, I have decided to periodically check in with some updates to my preparation. WEIGHTLOSSPerhaps the biggest change that I have taken on since the beginning of the year is my change in diet and … Continue readingPrepping for Kumano Kodo: May 2019 Update
There comes a time in your life when you realize you are just tired. You realize that the day-to-day stresses and worries of work, family, and life has been a weight on your shoulders for a long time. One day, late last year, while laying … Continue readingA Spiritual Reset
We did it! On October 11th, 2011, our family visited Yosemite National Park and got our first National Park Passport stamp! It was a trip that would put in motion a new obsession for our family. But it wasn’t until 2014, when our kids were … Continue readingOur family’s goal to visit all 50 States #NgFamily50
