A Hike to Mt. Tokao

Today, we spent a day in the outdoors. We rode the train to the west to hike up Mt. Takao. It was so beautiful. We took a fairly difficult path (there were several to choose from) up the mountain. The views of the surrounding mountains and metro Tokyo were spectacular. The entire area has all sorts of quaint shops. I don't think I've ever seen such a temple complex, either (they're everywhere in Japan). We took a chair lift down, which was also fun. 

At the bottom of the mountain, we visited the local onsen. They are a critical part of the Japanese culture. They're hot spring baths - basically a bunch of geothermal hot tubs. Yes, they're as great as they sound, and they feel great after a really intense hike. We had dinner afterward, stopped at some shops on the way home, and will soon crash and no doubt sleep really well. Blessed to be here with the Glossons!