Goal: Nozawa Onsen, whose claim to fame is a dozen-odd hot springs housed in ornate buildings like this one, which you can enter anytime free of charge (although they close briefly in the wee hours for security reasons). There's even a separate building entitled "Laundry Bath" (sentaku-yu) that’s off limits to tourists, though when I’ve peeked in I’ve only seen them washing vegetables and not laundry. With free hot springs, majestic scenery and ski lifts right downtown, Nozawa is reportedly the party town to end all party towns in the ski season.

Rounding a curve on the downhill road, we caught sight of this lovely bridge over a waterfall and shrieked with delight like a couple of kids.