Night in a ryokan

We stayed in a traditional Japanese inn, a ryokan, the other night. It was so fabulous! We slept in a beautiful tatami room with sliding screens that opened into the garden. There was a hot spring bath (onsen) on site, and luckily there weren't many people around, so Trevor got to have his first Japanese hot springs experience. Most hot springs and public baths won't allow tattooed people in.

The onsen and ryokan is THE Japanese experience to have, in my humble opinion. After a good meal, you scrub down before entering a steaming, rock-lined hot spring for a long soak - or cooking, depending on the temperature that day. I really like to follow up with a cold plunge or at least a cold shower. Afterwards, you slip into a yukata (Japanese pajama), grab a couple cold beers, and head back to your room where you can enjoy the quiet garden before going to sleep on a Japanese futon. Ahhh.