u/seekingcellini

At lululemon in Wailea earlier today. Overheard a transaction where the manager said lululemon policy is now to do $50 increments for the Amex $75. After some persistence from the customer, they found that if you have a physical gift card manager can add the full $75 to that. Manager was happy and said “wow this workaround is going to save me a lot of headaches”

Sorry if posted earlier. Just saw the exchange and thought the community may find helpful.

Hi everyone - Thank you to this community for all the ideas you've shared. It has been very helpful while planning. As part of a longer trip through Asia, we (wife and 1 year old) are spending 3.5 weeks in Japan in July/August.

Open to any critiques or tips on the flow of days or specific activities. Also have some specific questions in italics about travel on July 20, Watch & Knife Shopping, Tokyo Sea Life Park, and a few other points.

Considering the summer heat (the dates are set), our plan is to not overcrowd each day and would appreciate hearing if you think we did overpack a day. Accommodation and order of trip is set, but we can change up the order of days or the things we're doing on certain days.

Furano — July 13-19 (staying Fenix Furano)

• July 13 — Land CTS around 8 PM. Crashing at Air Terminal Hotel in airport, trip starts in earnest tomorrow.

• July 14 — Pick up rental car from Nikku (station wagon for appropriate dad vibes), drive to Furano (planning for this to take ~4 hours, have my IDP). Settle in, maybe get some groceries.

• July 15 — Farm Tomita at 8am. Seeing the lavender fields was a big impetus for coming to Furano. If it's rainy we can come back later/multiple days. Eat lots of melon. Lavender East after/ in the afternoon for the open-air bus.

• July 16 — Check out Biei. Blue Pond in the morning, drive through Patchwork Road after, lunch in Biei. Chill afternoon. Maybe visit Farms Chiyoda Fureai Animal Ranch. How is the animal ranch? Seems like they take care of the animals well and would be a fun quick stop for petting zoo aspect.

• July 17 — Furano Cheese Factory for mascarpone workshop, pizza lunch onsite. Furano Ropeway after. Maybe winery, will see how energy levels are.

• July 18 — Flower Land Kamifurano in the morning, tractor ride through the fields. More melon, baby is gonna love it. Potentially Ningle Terrace at dusk, looks like a cool spot to walk around.

• July 19 — This is a transit day. Drive back to CTS (where to stop along the way? Michi-no-Eki Minamifurano?). Return car and crash near airport (JR Inn Chitose).

Kyoto — July 20-25 (staying MIMARU Shinmachi Sanjo)

• July 20 — Head to CTS for 11 AM flight. (I read this is a huge travel day for folks, anything to be aware of? Should we get to the airport super early? We are checking bags) Land ITM, limousine bus to Kyoto Station. Get settled in Mimaru and maybe check out Nishiki Market
• July 21 — Morning stroll through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka up to Kiyomizudera. Back midday for the baby's nap, then Gion at dusk and potentially dinner in Pontocho. This is a baby carrier day.
• July 22 — Fushimi Inari at 8am, back by 11. Afternoon free. Evening, go for a walk to check out the Yoiyama floats leading up to Gion Matsuri. This is a baby carrier day.
• July 23 — Sagano Scenic Railway around 10 or 11 AM. Walk through grove, then Tenryuji garden. Lunch in Arashiyama after then head back mid-afternoon. No evening plans, maybe Nishiki. Probably a stroller day.
• July 24 — Gion Matsuri Ato Matsuri procession in the morning. Chill afternoon. Yoiyama stalls in Gion in the evening. Carrier day.
• July 25 — Nara Park deer, Todai-ji bronze Buddha. Back to Kyoto late afternoon to pack up. We are staying in a Mimaru in Tokyo so will send our big bag ahead and travel light in Hakone. Stroller day.

Hakone — July 26-28 (staying Hakone Ginyu) staying here as we want a private onsen experience. Has anyone stayed in the Tsuki rooms? We asked for a different floor but this was only thing available

• July 26 — Shinkansen Kyoto to Odawara (buy Freepass there), taxi to Hakone Ginyu. Get checked in, onsen, kaiseki. Baby will be cute in robes.
• July 27 — As someone who likes geothermal activity and eggs, this is an exciting, though slightly ambitious day. Bus or taxi to Hakone Shrine early before too crowded. Pirate boat across Lake Ashi to Togendai, ropeway through Owakudani for sulfur vents and eggs (not counting on Fuji views but hoping we're lucky), loop back via Gora and Tozan Railway. Should be back mid-afternoon. Onsen, kaiseki.
• July 28 — Hakone Open-Air Museum in morning. Afternoon onsen and kaiseki.

Tokyo — July 29-Aug 7 (staying MIMARU Ueno Inaricho)

• July 29 — Shinkansen to Tokyo, transfer to Ueno. Get checked in and maybe take a walk through Ueno park depending on energy levels and weather.
• July 30 — Tsukiji Outer Market in morning. Walk through Ginza. Take a break in depachika basement at Ginza Six or Mitsukoshi. Definitely carrier day with Tsukiji.
• July 31 — JINS Ueno for new glasses. Maybe spend an hour at Tokyo National Museum. Stroll Shinobazu Pond loop, then into Yanaka (heard Kayaba Coffee is good, any other recs?). Not much going on in afternoon. Think we can do a stroller day.
• Aug 1 — Shinjuku Gyoen in the morning, Omotesando and Ura-Harajuku in the afternoon, take a peek at Takeshita Street. Think we can do a stroller day.
• Aug 2 — I spend the morning watch shopping in Ginza or Nakano Broadway (favorite watch shops? also will ask r/watches). Wife + Baby hang around Nakameguro canal. Depending on energy/weather, check out Daikanyama (heard Tsutaya Books is nice to visit) in the afternoon. Think we can do a stroller day as baby/wife aren't going to watch shops.
• Aug 3 — Morning - 1-2 hours at Kappabashi knife shops (prob will get a Mcusta folder - any other brands folks recommend?). Noon - Wanariya shibori class (already booked, they know baby is coming). Afternoon Sumida River water bus to Hamarikyu garden. Maybe call an audible for lunch in Asakusa prior to water bus, but won't force it. Stroller day.
• Aug 4 — Tokyo Sea Life Park in the morning, after Kasai Rinkai strolling. Is Tokyo Sea Life Park to be avoided like most other animal attractions? Stroller day.
• Aug 5 — Morning walk through Inokashira Park, late AM/lunch in Kichijoji. Probably head to Shimokitazawa for a bit in the afternoon. Stroller day.
• Aug 6 — later morning check out Kanda Myojin Shrine. Will walk through Akihabara if we haven't yet. Won't spend much time here but would like to see it. Pack up in the afternoon. Stroller day.
• Aug 7 — Flight from NRT at 12:45 PM.

So that's what we've got! It is our first trip to Japan so it is tempting to overload the itinerary. Please let me know if I'm crazy trying to bring a stroller to some of these places. It's smaller stroller so based on my research/The Tokyo Chapter blog I think we have a feasible plan here.

Hi! Our incredible nanny is looking for a new family. She's been with us since our daughter was a few months old, and we'd keep her in a heartbeat if we weren't leaving NYC in June. Our loss is genuinely someone's gain.

She has tons of experience with newborns, infants, and young children. We're on the UES but she's open to other parts of Manhattan and Queens (potentially BK).

Happy to connect offline, share more info, or serve as a reference. DM me!

Hi! Our incredible nanny is looking for a new family. She's been with us since our daughter was a few months old, and we'd keep her in a heartbeat if we weren't leaving NYC in June. Our loss is genuinely someone's gain.

She has tons of experience with newborns, infants, and young children. We're on the UES but she's open to other parts of Manhattan and Queens (potentially BK).

Happy to connect offline, share more info, or serve as a reference. DM me!