Which towns around Mt Yotei are worth visiting in October?

A few friends and I will be in Sapporo in the middle of October and we've decided to visit Mt Yotei, amongst other, with a rental car. However, I'm struggling to find much information about the area that's unrelated to winter sports/skiing.

Does anyone have any tips for lunch in the area, or some hidden gems (shrines, nature spots)?

We'll be travelling along the coast on another day (Noboribetsu, Lake Toya, Muroran and so on), so we've got that covered.

by Hellstrike