Hitachi to Onahama Ocean Hotel and Golf Club

Our ride yesterday getting to Hitachi was a challenge. We couldn’t get the route quite right as we were unable to get away from busy roads for part of the day. It was the type of riding that was pretty stressful and we were relieved to get it done. Accommodation was pricy in this area and so we decided to head inland a bit. On the map it didn’t look far, but with rain coming and rush hour, it was not our favourite ride.
Hotel Nomad is a modest hotel but with a lot of personal touches that made it charming. Our room was pretty basic and small but ok.

The breakfast room in the basement is clearly a labour of love. A couple run the hotel and the fellow runs the breakfast and check outs while the woman works in the afternoon. Bob Marley clearly reflected his interests. It was nice to have breakfast in a funky spot with music playing.

We arrived in the rain last night , and it rained very hard all night. Check out is at 10 and the rain persisted until 11. We were able to work out a solution… Barry worked on the trikes in the garage and I did some work on the journal. And as predicted, the rain stopped at. 11.

The weather has improved, yet the sun is behind the clouds.

What a dramatic drop in temperature….a few days ago, the heat and humidity were unrelenting, yet today, the skies are overcast.

We came upon this Shrine and were impressed by the beauty of its surroundings and how the shrine nestled so well into the forest.

These stone characters are at the Shrine.

Mini shrines on the property of the shrine.

Another image of the forested grounds of the Shrine.

The jewel tones of these purple flowers with a blue centre are quite beautiful. I can’t find a name for them, but they were lovely.

I think that this is our first sighting of a long 3 wheeled truck like this. A different kind of trike.

We have had some interesting riding today and here I go down a very welcome descent.

Lunch from a Konbini…sushi, inari (sweet tofu with rice inside) and delicious croquettes stuffed with sweet potatoes and cream cheese.

We got lunch at a very special Konbini. It had won an award for offering the best customer service. The store was quite unique as they sold lots of local produce, offered unusual stock items that you wouldn’t normally see. We also liked the rug at the door which is quite different from the usual generic monotone carpet.

This is the award winning store for outstanding customer service, a 7 Eleven initiative.

To win 1st in Customer Service in a country that exemplifies quality service speaks volumes about what a great store this is.

This cat was quite confident watching us, that is until we got closer. A nice looking cat.

Our route is closed due to construction. The sign warned us that video surveillance is active. We eventually found the route.

The route took us through a beautiful park.

This statue of the well known samurai, Yoshiie Hara on his horse was in the park.

We have made it back to the ocean and are getting close to our destination.

A lone fisherman near Obama fishing port.

We have to ride through this industrial area to get to our destination. It is good to have a dedicated path at this point in the day.

A slight detour to a Konbini to get supplies for our 2 night stay. We have booked 2 nights as heavy rain is on its way. To get to the Konbini, we rode through an area of Love Hotels.

The hills have been worth it. We are now at our destination, the Onihama Golf Club and Country Hotel.

The golf course is spectacular and sits in a beautiful location.

Watching the golfers while eating our breakfast.

This character rich huge rock feature has survived the test of time and the elements.

We enjoyed a beautiful view from our room.

Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 1,534 km (953 miles)

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