What to Eat Along the Nakasendō Trail: How Autumn Tastes in Japan August 13th, 2026 • by Kristin Calkins Walk the Nakasendō Trail in October and autumn follows you straight to the table. Chestnuts, wild mushrooms, persimmons, buckwheat, and seasonal vegetables appear in meals served at ryokan and along the old post towns in the Kiso Valley. On a Boundless Journeys Japan hiking tour, walking this historic route is also an introduction to the… Read More »
The Magic of Staying in a Japanese Ryokan in Autumn August 12th, 2026 • by Kristin Calkins For many Boundless Journeys travelers, the most memorable part of walking Japan’s historic Nakasendō Trail isn’t the miles covered each day. It’s arriving at a traditional ryokan while paper lanterns glow beneath brilliant autumn maples and gentle mists fade across the mountains of the Kiso Valley. The day’s hike is over, but another centuries-old tradition… Read More »
Nakasendō Trail: A Guided Tour Along Japan's Original Highway August 10th, 2026 • by Kristin Calkins October is the best time to hike through Japan. After the summer heat fades, the mountain air turns crisp and brilliant colors light up the Kiso Valley. Japanese maples glow in shades of crimson. Golden ginkgo trees brighten temple grounds and village streets. Persimmons hang beneath farmhouse eaves like orange lanterns, while harvested rice fields… Read More »
What to Eat in Japan June 2nd, 2026 • by Bryan Haggerty When you’re traveling to a foreign country, deciding what to eat can feel stressful. That’s not the case in Japan. Simple. Tidy. Fresh. These are the three adjectives we would use to describe Japanese cuisine. While many countries in Asia use a plethora of spices in their food, the Japanese prefer less complicated flavors, allowing… Read More »
7 Cultural Treasures of the World November 15th, 2020 • by Matt Holmes No exploration of a new walking tour destination is complete without interacting with and learning about the culture. Culture affects the landscape and vice versa. For us, a well-rounded, fulfilling journey means balancing time in nature with unique cultural encounters. Here are 7 of our favorite cultural treasures of the world: It’s impossible to describe… Read More »
Some Like it Hot (tub) October 22nd, 2020 • by Matt Holmes I love the water. One could even say, I live for the water. Not only is my house on a pond, but I often swim before work, kayak and canoe with my dogs, and usually plan personal trips to include being in, on, or near some type of water. One of the most tranquil and relaxing… Read More »
Our Favorite Adventure Books 2.0 June 16th, 2020 • by Matt Holmes After our very first Temporary Armchair Traveler email with a few of our favorite books about adventure and other cultures, not only did we come up with more, but a few of our guests shared their recommendations, as well. Here’s our next round if you’ve finished the last batch or are practicing tsundoku and need a few… Read More »
7 unusual animals you've probably never heard of April 21st, 2020 • by Bryan Haggerty As the person in the office who boasts the most pets (3 dogs and a cat), it came as no surprise to my co-workers that I wanted to do personalized pet gifts and to write a post on animals. There are so many unusual animals out there in the world, I’ve picked out a few… Read More »
Video: Japan's Nakasendo Trail December 2nd, 2019 • by Matt Holmes The Nakasendo trail is a historic inn-to-inn walking route that linked Kyoto to Tokyo during Japan’s feudal period. It was the ‘road through the mountains’ (as opposed to the Tokaido route which traveled the Pacific coast) traveled by feudal lords and their retinues, samurai, merchants, and travelers. On our Nakasendo trail hiking tour, we spend… Read More »
There's No App For This... August 6th, 2019 • by Matt Holmes In this digital age, it’s easy to be an armchair traveler—browsing travel magazines on an iPad, scrolling through photos on social media, or reading a blog on the newest undiscovered destination. But nothing replaces actually being there and experiencing a new culture, landscape, or activity! An app can’t leave you breathless as the Northern Lights… Read More »