Hike it Baby

A friend of mine told me one day that there was a Hike it Baby group in Tokyo.  I was intrigued, in part because the organization was started by a mom from the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Oregon to be specific) to encourage families to enjoy nature.  I know several moms that hike frequently with Hike it Baby in Seattle.  It is a family friendly way to get outdoors and typically travels the trails at a toddler's pace.  While they try to explore nature as much as possible, Hike it Baby also encourages people to get outdoors by having meetups in parks and go on walks in the city.  It is a great way to meet other families with young children.

Since my son is in yochien (kindergarten) during the week and our family stays pretty busy with all our gallivanting on the weekends, I have not prioritized joining a Hike it Baby event.  However, when I saw a hike through Kawagoe to see the cherry blossoms during my son's spring break, I jumped at the chance.  I love the town of Kawagoe.  The historical themed town is so interesting to me.  Any chance I get, I head over there to explore and shop. 

We met up at Kawagoe Station and set off on an adventure.  Our first destination was Kitain Playground, a park behind Kitain Temple.  For this leg, we took the bus for a short time to get us over to the park in a timely manner.  As soon as we got to the park, my son climbed anything and everything he could ascend.  He was so excited about meeting new friends, he was full of energy. 

There was a lot of playground equipment,

but my son preferred climbing the trees.

Some of the families drove to Kawagoe, so they met us at the park.  I was surprised when more and more kept coming.  Soon we were a group of 13 families!  Through our conversations, I learned that there were several families from the US, but also from other countries, and over half of the families were military (Yokata Air Force Base).  I didn't even realize there was an American Air Force Base in the area. 

After some playing, and a bit of eating, we wandered over to the temple.  This was the first place we could see blooming cherry trees.  The temple was a welcome sight, since I love viewing sakura.  The trees were just a bit more charming in the Buddhist setting especially with pagodas in the background.

We took our time walking to the famed Kawagoe Tower.  I kind of chuckled to myself as we wandered along the street.  There were stops for snacks and diaper changes.  It was like we were herding cats through crowds of people.  It didn't bother me one bit, because it really gave me the chance to look around at the details of the city.  Also, I was really enjoying talking to the other parents.

After a while, we decided to break into two smaller groups because we all had different agendas and priorities.  Also keeping a group that big together on city streets is a bit hectic.  When our group reached the tower, we walked to the tiny shrine in it's shadow.  On all my trips to Kawagoe, I've never stopped at the tower and I didn't realize there was a little shrine there.

Coffee was next on the agenda.  The Kawagoe Starbucks is well known because it is decorated in an Edo style.  It is another place I've never been to.  It is lovely, with a little seating area overlooking a rock garden.  However, it was pretty difficult to keep all the kids out of the rocks.  In an effort to distract the kids, our host pulled out a book and read a fun story. 

It took a while to get back on the road.  It takes a while to get six adults and eight kids fed, hydrated, and pottied.  Once everyone was ready to go, we walked over to Penny Candy Lane.  My son loves this street, as there are tons of snacks to look at and we always seem to buy him an ice cream cone there.  He loves the bright purple sweet potato ice cream that can be found all over town.  Although it is called Penny Candy Lane, there are tons of sweet potato treats and rice crackers in addition to various types of candy.  Many of these are made right in Kawagoe.

The  flowers around town were beautiful.

We then headed off toward our last stop - Hikawa Shrine.  We walked through the streets and found our way to the Shingashi River, which leads to the back side of the shrine.  It is lined with cherry trees and is a highlight of the area this time of year.  As soon as we approached the river, an old woman told us where we could take a ride down the river in a boat.  The cherry blossom festival in Kawagoe starts tomorrow and they were practicing taking people up and down the waterway.  As soon as I saw it, I wanted to go so badly.  It would be such a special experience. 

Our hike host inquired, and they happily invited us to go.  Some of the families decided not to ride on the river.  But four adults and six kids decided to brave it and piled into the tiny boat.  My son and I were nervous.  The boat set deeply in the water with all our weight.  Each time it tipped one way or another, we tensed with not wanting to go for a swim.  Each time someone moved too much we would gasp, fearful of overturning the boat.  I did some deep yoga breaths which helped me to not be so reactive to each movement of the boat.  I loved seeing a different view of the blooms and it felt so special.  The whole experience was exciting and fun.

When we disembarked, I found that my muscles were tight from the anxiety of the ride.  I was relived we didn't go for a swim and were just able to enjoy the unique trip. 

The shrine was just a short walk away.  By the time we reached the final destination, all the other families had gone their separate ways.  Since the host and I had both already been to Hikawa Shrine on other days, we decided to make a quick bathroom stop and take the bus back to the train station.  I really enjoyed talking with the host and our two boys were playing non-stop.  They were full of giggles and fun despite walking so much.

We hopped on the train together and they got off a few stops down the line.  My son and I still had several more stops to go.  I sat back on the train bench and smiled.  I had such a lovely time meeting new people, talking, and wandering around a city that I adore.  It was a great day for both my son and me.  I felt as though my tank had been refilled.  I was both exhausted and energized at the same time.

By the time we reached home, we had walked 10.7 kilometers* (6.6 miles).  That's really far for a 5 year old!  But, boy was it worth it.  I am looking forward to joining Hike it Baby again for another adventure. 


*Note: Hike it Baby hikes are not this long!  The 10.7 km includes the walk between our home and the train station and a bit of an extra wander.