With the two full days in Asahikawa, we did one day at the zoo and another day at Asahidake. The zoo was okay... we spent 4.5~5hrs there. The seal / sea lion exhibit was the best. There weren't a lot of interactive or animal petting/feeding opportunities, though. Asahidake's ropeway was surprisingly expensive, but we're still glad we went.
JR Inn in Asahikawa is pretty nice. It's brand-new and imo is more than a business hotel. The lobby floor also has laundry machines, lounge, library, free coffee/tea and public baths. Public bath isn't onsen, but it's got a small rotenburo and a decent-size indoor bath. The best thing about the hotel are the location and the fact that it's adjoined to the Aeon Mall, which has KFC, MosBurger, Deli France, Starbucks and a food court. Exit the station out the back, and there's a great outdoor deck and a very nicely landscaped riverside park.
Originally Posted by
armagebedar
FYI,
I drove from Sapporo to Asahikawa, then down through Furano and then on to Chitose this weekend. Taking into account stops for lunch and to see Farm Tomita, the blue lake, etc., it took from 9 AM to 6 PM and we felt rushed; I was also driving for about 4 hours in total, sometimes in the rain, which was tiring. Asahikawa to Noboribetsu will likely take about the same amount of time, so I would keep that in mind when planning your trip.
We must've traveled the exact same route as you a day or two later, but in opposite direction. That's really too bad you got hit by rain. We left Noboribetsu ~11am, drove through Yubari, Furano, Biei and arrived in Asahikawa just after 6pm. I guess the reason why our trip went fast was that we really didn't do much along the way. We stopped at a few PA's / michi-no-eki's and made stops at Furano Marche and Farm Tomita. We didn't go to the blue lake because I think someone said upthread it wasn't a big deal. We saw someone feeding a fox on the side of the road south of Furano.