Day 9 - Crater Lake

We woke up early to pack up and say goodbye so we could head to Crater Lake. We enjoyed our time in Albany, they spoiled us immensely and it rejuvenated us to get back on the road and keep traveling. The girls just had to get a few last pets in to Pipsqueak before we hit the road. 

Crater Lake was unparalleled in beauty. The east rim was still closed due to snowfall, but luckily the Northern Entrance opened last week so we were able to drive the west rim and enjoy the beauty of the lake. 

Noted as the deepest lake in America at 1943 feet deep, it is also the purest since no streams or rivers flow into it. All of its waters come from rain and snowfall melting. Once a massive volcano, it erupted over 7000 years ago, leaving centuries of rains and snow melt to fill the basin. Around each bend there was another breathtaking view of the lake. Having dropped 40 degrees (from 78 degrees to 38 degrees) on our way to the top, we were impressed by the 6 foot snow drifts still present and had fun playing in the snow. 

Quite the change playing in 30 degree weather vs the 100 degrees that we started at on this trip. We worked our way around the rim and ended at the Crater Lake Lodge. With its relaxing rocking chairs, it was a great Father’s Day stop to let Mark rock until his heart’s content, basking in the warmth of the sun, absorbing the amazing views, surrounded by the ladies that love him. I’m pretty sure we could have sat there all afternoon, but our tummies reminded us that we hadn’t yet had lunch. So, the road trip continued. 

We worked our way through Grants Pass down to Crescent City. By the time we reached the coast we were back up to the 80’s, checked in to our hotel, and went down to Bayfront Beach. The girls were so excited to swim. Our constant reminders that the water was too cold to swim in fell on deaf ears. They suited up and ran towards the water. 

The gasps from the first splash were hilarious, as they finally understood what we were talking about. However, it didn’t stop them and blue lips and all they splashed, shelled, and built sand castles. It was a great afternoon at the beach. 

We washed off and headed for dinner. Being in California, we had to take in the NBA final game and hang with the locals cheering on Golden State, so we ordered some pizza and wings and sat among the cheers and eventual sorrow of the Californians. Mark was secretly cheering for Cleveland as he wasn’t too fond of Golden State taking away from his beloved Bulls as best NBA team of all time. We headed back to the hotel for a quiet night where we thought we would turn in early, but fun got the best of us. Jumping on the beds in a hotel is just too much fun and winds you up or a long night of binge watching movies together! J