Okinawa!

We were very blessed to be able to spend the weekend together in Okinawa and even celebrate our second wedding anniversary!! Okinawa is about a 2 hour and 40 minute flight from Tokyo - so that gives you a sense for how far Japan stretches. It also explains why Okinawa has a Hawaii-like climate and why the northern-most islands in Japan enjoy snow that competes with the Rockies! (We're about in the middle - approximately the same latitude as Washington D.C. - so we get all four seasons and have similar weather to home.)
Anyway, Okinawa was beautiful! Palm trees, white sand beaches, turquise water, etc... We rented a car and tried to hit all the island hot spots while still taking time to relax and enjoy being together. We visited the beaches and ventured to the northern most tip of the island at Cape Hedo. We also got to go to Shuri Castle (the remains from a Dynasty long ago) and Kokosai Street - which is filled with many shops and crafters from around the region.
We did treat ourselves to one very American luxury while we were there - we ate dinner at Macaroni Grill (on base) on our anniversary! I write that with a little chuckle because we usually try very hard to take in all the local flavors - but sometimes a little "taste" of home is just what you need! (it was yummy and VERY relaxing to have everything be familiar!!)