Today is my day off, and I saw on social media that the wisteria flowers at Maeda Forest Park are in full bloom. The weather is great, with clear air and a bit of heat. I decided to go check it out. Since it's such nice weather, I treated myself to some soft serve ice cream. I originally wanted chocolate flavor, but they only had chocolate mixed with vanilla. So, I opted for strawberry and vanilla instead. It was delicious, but I wish it had a bit more tartness.

I visited Maeda Forest Park for the first time and it was spacious and pleasant! After walking around and feeling a bit tired, I visited the observation room. There was a snack corner where I bought my favorite potato. I enjoyed the potato while admiring the wonderful view from the large window. Fried foods are cooked after ordering, so they are hot and delicious (*^^*). After resting for a while, let's go for a walk again. Thank you, Observation Lounge, for the meal♪

This is Maeda Forest Park ^_^ I walked, drank coffee, took a break after a few laps, and finally reached the observatory. There was a high school girls' marathon going on, so I couldn't help but cheer them on as I passed by, saying "Good luck~♫" It made me tired to cheer them on. As expected, I ended up choosing soft serve ice cream! I debated between that and "Sujata" but since there were no other shops around, I had no choice but to go with the Chocolate Mix for 300 yen. After exercising, even Sujata would taste good! Sujata doesn't have much volume, so I finished it quickly... it was just okay. This is my 86th review of ice cream this year. Now, should I walk back home for an hour~(*_*) Thank you for the meal ^_^

Maeda Shinrin Park^_^ I came here for a walk٩(^‿^)۶ But my main goals are weight loss and soft serve ice cream! I've been walking around aimlessly, so I've already walked 12,000 steps, which means I can enjoy a soft serve ice cream without feeling guilty, right?♫ I'm heading to the observation lounge. I see families enjoying BBQ, young couples on a date, boys playing baseball, elderly men taking a stroll, and ducks floating on the pond... Premium soft serve vanilla ice cream for 300 yen. The observation lounge is nicely air-conditioned. It's just perfect for this hot weather. The soft serve ice cream I'm eating in this cool environment is rich and slightly sweet! It's a fluffy kind of ice cream, perfect after some exercise. Now, I guess it's time to walk back home^_^ Thank you for the meal^_^

"It doesn't feel like Japan, right? It's not a foreign country I've been to, but the foreign countries in TV shows or movies... The scenery is amazing. I'll go inside the building. The sign says "Restaurant," but weren't they embarrassed to write that? First, I'll look at the park from the deck. It's really impressive for a country bumpkin like me. Oh? It's May, right? There's a person skiing... even though there's no snow. Oh, it's kabo-cha-san... Ah, must have had too much to drink. Walking on skis on the grass, struggling because they won't slide. How much weight are they going to lose? I can't watch this, so I'll go into the "Restaurant." I'll order a coffee at the ticket machine, and I'll have milk. Kabo-chan won't get mad at me for that. The milk is from Kurashima Milk in Yoichi. It's delicious because I'm thirsty, but it's not too rich, just regular milk. But sitting here somehow makes me feel happy. I checked if there were any reviews here, and surprisingly, DGD-san and Sapporo Tsumako-san are here too... It seems like we're all attacking from within (laughs). Harahide-san was here the other day too. I could imagine the coffee, but it's served in a paper pack. I understand, but I wish they would at least do it out of sight. Yome-san said, "It might be good for a paper pack coffee," but it was just a paper pack coffee. Anyway, the view here is delightful. The kids were eating yakisoba and curry. It's 4 o'clock. What's for dinner? Could it be snacks? "I'm drunk," "I like big sisters," "I'm a big eater"... And then, they start to act silly..."

On May 18, 2016, there is a vast park in Sapporo city that will make you feel great. It took 10 years to complete from 1982, and a canal stretching straight towards Mount Teine for about 600 meters can be seen from the observation lounge, with around 240 poplar trees on both sides looking up at the sky, giving off a foreign atmosphere. There is a shop on the second floor of the observation lounge where you can take a break, and the menu includes light meals such as curry, soba, udon, and onigiri, with a choice between "Italian" or "French" vibes. Here, you can enjoy a soft serve ice cream made with plenty of Hokkaido Sarobetsu milk for 300 yen, and an iced coffee for 270 yen, which you can buy from a vending machine and then wait a bit. The premium soft serve ice cream is a bit firm and delicious, while the iced coffee is served in a stainless cup, which is a plus point for being not disposable. The parking lot was full, but the park feels spacious and relaxing with few people around.

When I visited Maeda Forest Park, I stopped by the observation lounge and shop where you can enjoy a break and the view while on a date or with family. The menu at the shop includes meals like soba noodles, onigiri, curry rice, shrimp pilaf, yakisoba, and special forest soba and forest udon. I was intrigued by the forest soba and forest udon dishes which use carefully selected milk from the northern lands. I bought soft serve ice cream from the vending machine, but was shocked by the poor presentation when it was handed to me. Despite being made with abundant Sarobetsu milk and tasting okay, the appearance matters too, right? The portion size was also different from the photo which was disappointing. After eating the ice cream, I thought about buying some takoyaki, but the misshapen and poorly finished look made me lose interest and I decided to skip it. ☆☆☆ Next time, I'll try the food without expecting much in terms of quality.

The place is Maeda Forest Park. I was originally planning to go there, and just in time, DGD posted a picture of the snack shop, which was quite a coincidence and interesting, so of course, I headed to the snack shop as well. However, this park is huge. It's quite a walk from the parking lot to the observation deck, so I strolled around the park while exploring. Since there are few large parks in the area where I live, walking in a spacious park gives a sense of openness. There were kids playing with balls, perfect for riding bikes, and even an older man flying a radio-controlled airplane. It seems like a perfect walking course for dogs too. Now, I have arrived at the observation deck. The view looks great, and of course, my goal is to get soft serve ice cream. I ordered the premium vanilla for 300 yen. It was made with Sarobetsu milk. The soft serve had a slightly firm texture and was served in a normal cone. As I enjoyed it while looking at Mt. Teine, it was light and very easy to eat. I like rich flavors, but this light one was also good. It's perfect for the upcoming season! I enjoyed the soft serve while admiring the majestic view.