The Hotel “Tenku no Fune” in Amakusa

Last year, through hometown tax donations, we got a stay voucher for the hotel “Tenku no Fune” in Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture. We quickly coordinated with the family and went for an overnight stay. It turned out to be a wonderful hotel, making for a very satisfying family trip.
However, although we planned to take the ferry from Osaka Nanko to Shinmoji Port and then drive around Aso and the Milk Road, the cloudy weather and rain spoiled the drive, so we couldn’t fully enjoy it. This year, we decided we want to try again and get a proper do-over.

→[Reference article] Staying at Tenku no Fune in Amakusa and touring Aso’s Milk Road.

Recently, I booked “Tenku no Fune,” but almost all weekends this year are fully booked, and I finally managed to get a reservation for the end of November. That was close—just barely made it.

If We Bought an Air-Cooled Porsche, Would We Go in That?

I naturally thought we’d go to Kyushu in the Panamera, but recently my husband emailed me, “If we bought an air-cooled Porsche, would you go in that?”

…Wait, seriously (*_*)!?

I had never even considered that option… (I mean, we haven’t bought one yet anyway) But since I had the vague impression it would be cramped, I replied, “No way, that sounds too tight (-_-).” When he came home that day, he said,

“It’s not that cramped in an air-cooled Porsche. Actually, going touring in a 911 around Aso would make a great blog story, so it’s a good idea.”

But I stubbornly said, “When I rode in a 911 in Germany, the back seat was super tight, and the air-cooled ones are even smaller, right?…” So in the end, we decided to go in the Panamera.

Why the Family Dislikes Driving in a 911

I’ve heard that when Dad suggests going on a family drive in a 911, “the wife and kids complain and say no,” and this time I really understood why. Here are three reasons I came up with.

① Because It’s a Family Trip

If it’s just my husband and me, no problem at all. We can enjoy chatting in the front seats and take turns driving. But this time, it’s a trip with the whole family of four. For some reason, our eldest daughter insists on sitting in the front passenger seat. Even when we try to guide her to the back seat, she says, “No! I want to sit up front!” and won’t listen.

That means on a drive to Kyushu, unless I’m driving, I’ll have to spend the whole time in the back seat. Plus, with a child seat in the back, it gets cramped, and the kids get bored and noisy… I can already feel my stress levels hitting the max.

② Because You Can’t Sit Comfortably in the Back Seat

This overlaps with reason ①, but… even though the 911’s space is enough for me, my husband, a 4-year-old, and a 1-year-old, that’s only if the kids sit quietly in the back seat.

Since I’ll probably have to sit in the back, I can already see myself regretting, “If only we came in the Panamera, I’d be sitting comfortably…” while on the drive.

③ Because It’s a Long-Distance Drive

For a medium-distance drive of about an hour and a half one-way, a 911 is fine. But for our Amakusa trip, we’ll be driving south on the Kyushu Expressway from Shinmoji Port, then from Amakusa to Aso, probably covering around 700 km in total. Honestly, spending that whole time in the 911’s back seat would be tough.

A Wife’s Honest Feelings

The common thread in all these reasons is “I hate not being able to sit comfortably in the back seat”… I guess I’m a pretty selfish wife (lol).

When going on family drives, I think dads often do most of the driving. Especially if Dad loves driving, the driver’s seat becomes his usual spot. I like driving more than most people, so I understand a dad’s wish to “take the family on a drive in a 911 and let them experience the joy of Porsche.”

But from the passengers’ perspective… if the front passenger and back seats aren’t comfortable, long drives are honestly painful. While Dad is thrilled in the driver’s seat, feeling “That’s Porsche for you—this handling, this oneness with the car!” the family’s complaints just build up. Once you have that experience, it becomes hard to go on long family drives again.

When the kids grow up and we can go driving just the two of us, I’d love to tour in an air-cooled Porsche or a 911, but for now, my honest feeling is that I want to go in the Panamera.

By the way, does my husband really plan to buy an air-cooled Porsche anytime soon…? ((；ﾟДﾟ)！