While most of Honshu waits until mid-March for blossom, Kawazu blooms weeks earlier, lining the riverbanks with deep pink Kawazu-zakura against a backdrop of golden winter grass. The festival runs from early February through early March and draws big crowds on weekends, we avoided this by going on a weekday and it was so relaxing.

A 7-minute ropeway takes you to the summit, where the views of Mt Fuji and Suruga Bay open up on a clear day. At the top: walking paths, food and drinks, a foot onsen to soak in while you take it all in, and a post office to mail a card home, a small touch that shows up at a lot of Japanese scenic spots and never gets old!

Izu is full of incredible secondhand stores. The King Family chain (pictured, with me eating a Tomago sando in the trunk of our Kei car) is a standout for vintage and gently used Japanese brands like Beams. For cameras and records, Book Off is the move (they have Tokyo locations too). And the highlight of them all: Store Gen, which stocks designer brands at a fraction of retail, we had to buy a second suitcase (also found at a vintage shop) after visiting.

On the doorstep of Asaba Ryokan, Shuzenji (pictured) is one of the oldest and most charming hot spring towns on the peninsula. These onsen towns are best explored slowly and on your own, you'll start finding the hidden gems that line every street.

One of the highlights of any ryokan stay is the Kaiseki meal: a multi-course experience built entirely around what the season has to offer. Each dish arrives as its own moment, the presentation alone is thrilling every time. At Asaba, the highlight was a single melon massaged to perfect ripeness but Ochiario was our favorite overall. every meal felt like something to look forward to, and it delivered every time. With unlimited drinks included, we worked our way through a different sake each evening.

One of the most refreshing parts of exploring Izu's onsen towns is ducking into a local izakaya for dinner — no reservations, no wait (beyond refreshing after the hectic Tokyo restaurant wait times), just a cold beer and the freshest sashimi you'll find anywhere. It's the best way to feel the actual rhythm of these towns, away from the ryokan bubble. And there's something perfect about ending a night like that with a walk back to soak in your private onsen.

Kai cars, short for keijidōsha, or "light vehicles" are by far my favorite mode of transportation, nothing beats being a passenger in the cutest car imaginable, especially while indulging in tomago sandwhichs and ice coffee each day. Self driving is also the best way to take in all the peninsula has to offer.

Izu is a destination built for slowing down, and the onsen is where that really happens. Each ryokan we stayed at had a private bath in the room: at Asaba, the windows opened directly to a waterfall view, which made every soak feel surreal. Ochiario's outdoor public bath was another highlight: a sauna on site, and the sound of the river running below while you soak.