Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Day 1: Crater Lake!

After a nice, uneventful 5-hour drive, we arrived at Crater Lake.  I have visited a couple times before and you never get tired of hearing yourself say, "Wow, it really is that blue...."  Seriously, this place is amazing.

The lake was created about 7500 years ago when the volcano Mt. Mazama erupted and then collapsed in on itself, making the crater which then filled with rain and snowmelt.  It is one of the clearest bodies of water in the world--and the deepest lake in the U.S.  Plus, it's on Oregon's quarter. :)

Geez, who dressed these yahoos?  Everett and his twin use binoculars to look for the Old Man of the Lake.  He's a log that has been floating vertically (yes, as in upright) in the lake for almost a hundred years!  We didn't spot him this trip, but Aaron asked a ranger who said he'd seen him on the far side of the lake about 3 days ago.  Maybe next time he'll float our way....

Day 1: We're Off!

Brian had a great opportunity to switch positions at work--but it meant he'd have to take his sabbatical next summer.  So, we're still taking a week & a half of vacation in the camper and have a little fun before school starts!  The plan is to leave today (Wednesday) and make the long drive to Crater Lake in southern Oregon, then hit the Redwoods in CA and sort of meander up the coast until heading over to Bend, OR by the 20th for the High & Dry Bluegrass Festival.  

We have campsite reservations through this weekend, but after that we'll have to see what's open.  I doubt we'll have trouble finding a place to camp during the week.

We've got fresh sheets on the beds, a full tank of gas, plenty of propane and a packed fridge & pantry.  What else do you need*?
*ah, yes, internet access would be nice so you can post about your trip while you're still on it.  We were blissfully off the grid for 95% of the trip, but I took good notes, so let's relive it together, shall we?