Crater Lake & Redwood National and State Parks
Thanks for all of your comments, words of encouragement and, best of all, taking this journey with me! It has truly been an incredible experience. In this special edition, I will focus on national parks, and no discussion of national parks would be complete without a tip of the hat to Teddy Roosevelt, who preserved enough land, in national forests, parks, landmarks and other designations, to cover all East coast states, from Maine to Virginia, plus Vermont, Pennsylvania and West Virginia! Also, as a special preview, I have included a snippet from my final blog entry -- the Oregon Coast -- because it is just too juicy to hold onto for a few more days! Happy reading!
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
Established as a national park by Teddy Roosevelt in 1902, Crater Lake is (1) is a volcanic caldera -- a hole made by the collapse of a volcano, (2) at 1,943 feet, the deepest lake in the United States, and (3) the only national park in the state of Oregon.
Now that we have dispensed with the facts, I do believe that in this case, a few pictures are worth a thousand words....
Crater Lake at Sunset
Crater Lake on a Beautiful and Sunny Day!
Volcano Boat Tour
The highlight of our trip was a Ranger-led boat tour that took us on a loop around the lake. It was amazing to see the brilliant blue of the water up close, to learn more about the lake's history and formation, and to see nooks and crannies that are not visible from the rim above. Of course, in order to enjoy this wonderful trip, you had to hike a 1.1 mile trail and descend 700 feet. It wasn't so bad, until you considered that the return 1.1 mile hike, with a 700-foot ascent in elevation, is equivalent to climbing 150 flights of stairs! No worries, though, as the girls were real troopers and we have some beautiful pictures to show for our efforts!
And, lest you think Crater Lake is only about water, here is an awesome photo of needle-like formations of rock, called fossil fumaroles, projecting from the Sand Creek Canyon floor.
The Pinnacles
You're Never Too Old...
The ranger on our boat tour was an elderly woman (late 60's-early 70's) who told us that she had dreamed of becoming a park ranger ever since she had visited her first national park at the age of 11, but then life took her on a detour -- she married in her late-teens, had four kids and spent 30 years as a stay-at-home mom. As her kids began to have their own children and she was on her own for the first time ever, she dusted off that dream and worked for a number of years to become a park ranger, a dream she realized within the last few years. What an amazing story and a reminder that we are never too old to pursue our dreams, learn something new, change careers, etc.!
Oh, and did I mention that she hikes the 2.2 mile roundtrip journey every workday, as that is the only way to get to and from the boat dock?! Awesome!
REDWOOD NATIONAL & STATE PARKS
Nearly 50 miles long and comprising Redwood National Park and California's Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks, the parklands can be a bit overwhelming. As such, we decided to focus our sights on Jedediah Smith, which is right outside Crescent City and considered by many to be the most scenic and unspoiled redwood park. We were not disappointed! The same cannot be said of Crescent City, which is a hardscrabble town that has seen better days but, hey, it has two incredible attributes -- proximity to the ocean and the redwoods!
We also had a chance to participate in the Junior Ranger Program -- a favorite activity -- and so the girls were sworn in as Junior Rangers and received their pins! We are building a real collection.
Here are the breathtaking photos!
KEY OBSERVATION
While our national parks may be remote and require a real effort to get to, they are absolutely stunning and worth every bit of the effort!
Okay, that's all for now. We arrived safely at our final destination -- Astoria, Oregon -- so stay tuned for the final blog that will focus on the Oregon Coast! Miss you much!
P.S. Final Blog Preview --
ANGELS REALLY DO EXIST
Our visit to Crater Lake National Park and Redwood National and State Parks was followed by a lovely and scenic drive along Highway 101 to our next destination, Yachats. We arrived safely, but herewith is a bullet point summary of a key road trip travel tip -- always check your fuel guage!!!
The Background -- During our first day of sightseeing, we ran out of gas on Highway 101, a narrow and twisty single lane highway with little to no shoulder and very little in the way of activity between towns. Lucky for us, we were heading downhill and luckier still, we were close to a picnic area and so we were able to coast into the entrance and park the car off to the side. With the knowledge that a man had been struck and killed walking along Highway 101 the day prior (sadly, we witnessed the aftermath), there was no way that we were going to walk the 4 miles back to town.
Observation #1 -- Cell service, cops and park rangers are nearly nonexistent along large swaths of Highway 101!
Angels 1 & 2 -- A lovely elderly couple, after failing to find a cop or park ranger for several miles in one direction, circled back and gave us a lift to the nearest gas station, which was 4 miles back in the other direction.
Observation #2 -- Not all gas stations sell gas cans. So, with only 15 minutes before the hardware store closed and 6 blocks between us, we purchased a gas can.
Observation #3 -- Yachats is a "rural town" (e.g., there is no cab service and the local bus only runs on weekdays (it was a Saturday)).
Observation #4 -- In some parts of the country, 911 can be used for non-emergenices, such as to procure a ride to your gasless car (or, so said the hotel receptionist).
Angels 3, 4 & 5 -- A family happened to overhear our conversation with the gas attendant and offered to take us to our car, never mind the fact that they were traveling with others in a second car. So, the mom and son climbed into the backseat of their pickup with their two dogs and me, the girls and the dad rode in the front.
Conclusion -- Safely back at our car, with a little gasoline spilled on me for good measure, we were back on our journey.
This story could have taken so many different turns, and so we are humbled by the generosity of complete strangers and grateful for their kindness. They were truly our guardian angels!
The Scene Where Our Detour Began!