~Lassen Volcanic National Park, Crater Lake,
Oregon Dunes Recreational Area
and Multnomah Falls~
and Multnomah Falls~
For those of you who've been following this adventure you already know that we saw some pretty country in our travels... but, oh!, there's so much more! As we headed north in California toward Redding we took a side trip east to Lassen Volcanic National Park near the town of Mineral. The weather was perfect and the scenery spectacular! My goal for this post is to include many photographs and minimal text, allowing the pictures to communicate the full beauty. Come on along and feast your eyes, Lassen is a GEM!
Yes, the water really is THAT blue!
On June 12, 1853, 21 year-old prospector John Wesley Hillman and others "discovered" the lake while searching for a gold mine.
"I knew when I gazed upon Crater Lake that even though the west was filled with
undiscovered wonders, Crater Lake would hold its own."- John Wesley Hillman
Native Americans were undoubtedly the first to gaze upon the breathtaking beauty of this high mountain lake. The ancestors of local tribes witnessed the dramatic events that led to its creation. European settlers moved west seeking their fortunes. During the late 1800s the lake was discovered several times and given a new name with each "discovery". In 1869 an exploring party named it Crater Lake. Although its existence is no longer a surprise, each person enjoys their own discovery upon seeing Crater Lake for the first time.
A gas station attendant* recommended a stop to us along the way: the "Sugar Shack" in Reedsport for a homemade donut. This is downtown Reedsport, just look at those glorious flowers! The enormous blooming "orbs" are actually hanging baskets! The donut was all that too- and more. Soon we arrived at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The dunes here run from Reedsport up the coast to Florence.
It was cool; 58 degrees, misty and very windy. We did learn that this is a typical summer days weather at the beach in Oregon. No bikini-clad sunbathers on beach towels here!
This quilt shop in Florence,Wenz-Daze, was a cute one, albeit a bit run down. The staff was friendly and helpful; yes, I found some treasures here too!
I bought nothing at the Quilter's Cove in Newport. This shop was well-stocked and neat, but this shopper is sad to report that when a shop's staff ignore customers in favor of their own conversations with each other while eating their own carry-out meals they do little to generate business for themselves. Driving further up the coast the next morning to an equally cool and misty Cannon Beach we headed east in the direction of Portland and the Columbia River Gorge.
Hannes received enough attention (ear scratches and head petting) from admiring tourists here to last a lifetime!
One more stop, back in Portland, before spending the night in Vancouver, WA; at Fabric Depot. What can I say about Fabric Depot-- Oh. My. Goodness!! The store is huge, a fabric super store; the selection is vast, the staff is warm, friendly, helpful and engaging. The size of my shopping bag in the photo is directly proportional to the shopping experience I had there! This store has a large on-line presence too, if you haven't checked them out already you should, they probably have exactly what you're looking for and even things you didn't know you needed!
This was my first glimpse of the store when I entered the front door: if I lived in Portland I would be broke for certain.
At the checkout I was among friends, one in particular-- Bonnie Hunter!
Snapple fun fact: "President Warren G. Harding once lost White House china in a poker game."
And yet another bit of trivia:* Gas station attendants are required in Oregon-- one cannot pump their own gas in this state. Live and learn.
Life is Good!
Next installment: The International Selkirk Loop, Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes
12 comments:
I need to come back to this post daily for my healthy dose of beauty, majesty, and Mother Nature's grandeur. Oh my goodness the views and scenery you shared today!!!!!!
What a great trip you're having! This post was especially fun for me because you visited much of my old stomping grounds.
gorgeous photos....cannot wait to see all those quilty treasures tho....thanks for taking me along....
Fantastic photos, thanks for the tour of your country. We have Blue Lake not far from here, which is blue like your Crater Lake, also in a volcano crater, but not so large or magnificent.
LOVE taking this journey with you. So many of these places I have been and loved--and others I yearn to see.
I can see that the next time we visit our daughter in Eugene, OR we should try to make it to Crater Lake!
Remembering our first vacation to Oregon as a young family, how little I knew about the northwestern coast. I had busily made shorts for all of my children. What a rude awakening our beach experiences were--cold and breezy most of the time.
Columbia River Gorge is a beautiful place. We loved Multonmah Falls--wasn't that busy when we were there, though. : )
I look forward to your take on the Selkirk Look and Glacier and Waterton. We have enjoyed those areas as well. Keep those lovely photos coming!
Was that a glacier you were in front of?
The Oregon report brings back memories of my trips to the Oregon coast.
I have loved following your trip. It looks like the trip of a lifetime. I have some questions I hope you can answer in a future post. How do you manage with Hannes. You seem to be holding him in many pictures; was there any problem in the parks with taking a dog in? How did you manage at lunchtime? Did you eat one at a time in order to stay with him. Obviously he is a well-behaved boy (aren't all of our fur babies?) but was it hard finding lodging that welcomed him? I am sure you have many hints for those of us wishing to travel with our babies and I hope you will share.
Thank you. Love your blog.
When did this EPIC adventure take place? I was at Fabric Depot Aug 8 and Crater Lake Aug 9-10. Crater Lake is gorgeous. It was the first time my stepmom had seen it and she's lived in Portland nearly 20 years. I could have done more damage at Fabric Depot but I knew a trip to Rushin Tailor in Skagway was on the agenda for the next week.
This has been the best! I can't wait to hear about Glacier. That is on our bucket list. This has been great that you have done all this work posting your trip for us. We would love to drive west and see all that this beautiful country has to offer but we have no idea how to do it or where to start. I am so in awe of how many miles you covered and what all you have seen. And it might just be my imagination but I don't get the sense that you were rushing through all these parks? That's what worries me, how to manage our time on the road and to see everything we want to see?
Many thanks!
Rondi
Wonderful photos. Loved seeing them. aaargh, you stayed in Redding. --We could have hosted you. Next time! Not sure the dates of your trip, but we were at Crater Lake on 8/15. --For the first time, after having grown up in CA and traveling extensively in earlier days in CA/OR/NV. Crater Lake is an amazing sight to behold. It is hard to describe the quality of the water, but your photos do a good job. Thank you for sharing all this beauty with us. Sad to say that the north state is full of smoke now. A forest fire broke out on the last Monday of August, filling a lot of beautiful areas with thick smoke, as well as burning a lot of beautiful trees. Your timing was good, to be here before that.
I loved Crater Lake too and good thing I did t know about the quilt shop at the time I visited. I was on a business trip to Nike and remembering driving late into the night thinking I would never get there. What a treat when I looked out the next morning!
Loved seeing the sights with you! I've been to Lassen many times and camped at Manzanita Lake as well. The Oregon coast is often foggy and cold; I love it's beauty but couldn't live in that climate(too much like San Francisco). Love hearing about all the quilt stores too. Glad you have your pup; you must have an RV to have him along. Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Noreen
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