Muroran

　　I took a short rest at a parking lot looking down on the Muroran City. The highway was running smoothly and the sky was clear. I had a tendency to step on the gas and I was grateful for my radar detector. I had some tourist spots which I wanted to visit in Hakodate, today's destination, so I skipped several great sightseeing places on the way, like Muroran City, Noboribetsu Hot Spa, Porotokotan Ainu Peoples' Museum, Toyako Lake and Volcano-associated facilities, and so on. They can be called a golden sightseeing route of southern Hokkaido. It was surely regrettable not to be able to drop in at them.
　　Above all, the view of Mt. Usu and Mt. Showashinzan standing out against the background of a clearly blue sky was spectacular. I should have stopped at Mt. Usu Parking, but I found myself having passed the parking when I saw the great view. I was really sorry not to be able to take pictures of them.
　　Whenever I had visited around here before, it was always raining or heavily clouded. Mt. Usu is an active volcano and Mt. Usu Ropeway takes us to the summit of the mountain, from which we could have seen an indescribably beautiful view.

　室蘭を見下ろす丘で一服。ここまで一気に走ってきた。道路はすいていて、天気が良くて、思ったよりも速く走ってしまう。警察に注意！先を急ぐため、室蘭市内観光はもちろん、登別温泉、ポロトコタン、洞爺湖などゴールデンルートとも呼べる観光地をすべてパス。残念な気もするが、仕方なし。
　快晴の空を背景に有珠山と昭和新山が並んでいるのは圧感だった。有珠山パーキングに寄るべきだった。気づいたときには既に通り過ぎた後だった。この辺りに来るときはいつも雨か霧でまともに山を眺めたことがない。今日なら有珠山ロープウェイに乗れたが、時間が無い。..いつか乗りたい有珠山ロープウェイ！