Enoshima Island

With the weather continuing to be so warm we decided to head up to Enoshima Island with some of our friends. The traffic getting there was a bit heavy but we didn't really care because we drove along the coast and enjoyed the beautiful views. My favorite section of the coast was along the beach at Kamakura. It was fun watching the many surfers out there riding the waves.

We were the last ones to arrive which wouldn't have been the case had I not taken the wrong turn onto the Yoko Yoko Expressway instead of the Zuyo Toll Road. Oh well. That is the way it is here. Driving is confusing and not always straight forward but I continue to drive anyways. Everyone was kind to wait for us. Our first stop was at the bottom of the main shrine. We stopped to take pictures and then bought our tickets for the escalator ride to the gardens and observatory tower at the top. On a clear day you are suppossed to be able to see Mt. Fuji. Even though it was a nice warm day it was not that clear so there was no sign of Mt. Fuji for us today. After each set of elevators we got to see something interesting. The first set of escalators landed us at the traditional water purification fountain area and then the entrance to the main shrine. With each set of escalators we undoubtedly found another shrine. One area had a large tree with pink wooden cards hanging all over the tree. Apparently those were prayer cards. We even got to walk through a flower garden, smell the flowers, and see the spectacular views of the Bay. When we finally made it to the top we stopped to enjoy the entertainer doing tricks for the crowd. The kids sat there in amazement as he juggled and did magic tricks. We finally decided to enter the gardens and go up to see the views from the tower. The breeze at the top of the observatory was so nice and I personally could have stayed there much longer than we did but it was lunch time and the kids were starting to show signs of hunger. We all sat and ate our lunches and then we got our $4 ice-cream cones. It just doesn't seem like that much money when you pay with 3 silver coins!! On the way back down we took the stairs as the escalators were only for going up the mountain. It was a good thing my stroller was light and Abby was excited to go down the stairs. We had so much fun hanging out with our friends and enjoying the beautiful day seeing a new place. I will have to bring the boys back here. I am sure they will love it!

A little history about Enoshima Island:

Enoshima Island is a small island at the mouth of the Katase River, which flows into Sagami Bay in Japan. Benzaiten, the goddess of music and entertainment, is enshrined on the island. The island in its entirety is dedicated to the goddess, who is said to have made it rise from the bottom of the sea in sixth century. Enoshima is the center of Shōnan, a resort area along the coast of Sagami Bay. Enoshima was the Olympic harbor for the 1964 Summer Olympics.