I Remember California

What could be a more fitting symbol of returning to my home state of California from the north than the sight of Mt. Shasta dominating the landscape? According to my arithmetic, there is a 11,502 ft. elevation difference between where I'm standing and the top of the mountain.

I look forward to many more happy trails in the future.

To Be Or Not To Be...

That is certainly The Question. I noticed that the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is producing Hamlet this summer here in Ashland. That would have been cool to see in performance.

On the last day of our trip we had brunch at the Greenleaf Restaurant. Allow me to recommend the marionberry pancakes. They are to die for... or should I say "not to be" for.

Although we have occasionally suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous bloodthirsty insects, Dad and I both agree that this has been a really fun trip. Lots of new places and sights to see. Now, I'm on my way back to my own bed for the first time in two weeks to sleep, perchance to dream...

Mount Mazama

When you hear about how Crater Lake was formed, it's almost hard to believe that the Earth has that much power. But it does! The explosion that made the mountain collapse (eventually forming the lake) deposited ash as far away as Saskatchewan.

The lake itself is a beautiful deep blue color. It's the deepest lake in the Unied States at 1,949 ft. This is actually my second visit to the National Park. Dad and I came here in 2009. I remembered it.

We're almost done with our summer road trip and will be back home tomorrow.

Go With The (Big Obsidian) Flow

The Newberry Volcano in central Oregon last erupted only 1,300 years ago, but believe it or not, you can camp inside the caldera. In fact, there are two lakes and a resort there as well. I'm standing in front of a feature called the Big Obsidian Flow. It's kind of a landslide of shiny black volcanic rocks.

Now, I'm O.K. with camping here. But if I hear a loud rumbling or gurgling sound at 2:00 AM, I'm going to leave my sleeping bag and tent behind and run for my life in my long johns and bare feet.

Up Around The Bend

Did you know that you can go surfing on the Deschutes River in downtown Bend, Oregon? The engineers designed a dam with rapids that create a static wave. These guys who were out there on the river looked like they'd just beamed in from Santa Cruz.

The district where the lumber mills used to be is now a parkway with a bunch of shops. Luckily, there was a Ben & Jerry's. Thank you Ice Cream Goddess!