6.23.2006

Summer Plans for the Rest of Us

The place we visited last summer is completely booked this year so S tried to find a similarly inexpensive vista for a 3 day retreat for those of us who won't be visiting Caz this summer. The conditions he had were too difficult for the local travel agent to work with (about $60 a day per person including meals, amusement and accommodations with air conditioning and a TV within a $20 per person round trip train fare radius of our home). He picked up a few pamphlets anyway and continued the search at home. He finally decided that he was expecting too much and raised the minimum.

We then searched the internet for camping, pools, amusement park and airconditioned in Japanese and kept getting the same place we visited last year. I added "Tokyo" to the search and we learned that the amusement park next door to the Tama Zoo, 20 minutes by train from here, has a "camping plan" with access to their waterpark, a passport for the amusement park rides, admittance to a hot springs bath, dinner, airconditioned lodges or trailers and pre-set tents. I called right away to ask about reservations but they were closed all week for maintenance. This afternoon I was able to reserve a lodge for 2 and a tent for 3 so it looks like we're in business. S appreciates the proximity, the kids are excited about the water slides and rides and I'm looking forward to the spa but it does seem a little decadent to stay overnight just 10 miles from home...

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