Crater Lake

We stayed home on Labor Day weekend.. had family over.. visited family.. relaxed.. and then the boys had their first days of school, extra curricular classes resumed and we have started to fall back into out routines. I posted their first day of school pictures on Instagram
Coming back to our summer vacation.. it all started in Portland, then a day along the Oregon Coast. We spent the night in Florence. We woke up the next morning.. again relatively early and started the 4 hour drive to Crater Lake. We made a quick stop for some coffee and donuts. Two 16oz cappuccino's and a giant glazed doughnut roll all for a whopping $3.50. 


It was a hot hazy day. When we got closer to Crater Lake we learnt that because of the heat there had been a few forest fires in the area. Unfortunately that resulted in lack of clarity the day of and in the pictures.

We decided to only drive the rim.. 






We had gotten the boys binoculars and they loved them.



Did you know Crater Lake is a caldera lake? A caldera forms when a volcano implodes creating a crater. Crater Lake was formed 150 years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. It is considered the deepest lake in the United States and 9th in the world. The lake features two small islands, Wizard Island where tour boats dock and you can get off and explore further on your own. The other much smaller island is knows as Ship Wreck.


As seen above are the pinnacles. While not part of the lake, they are part of Crater Lake National Park, these towering needle-like formations of rock are called fossil fumaroles. After the volcano's collapse all the hot gases and steam trapped beneath the ground needed to be released so these vents were created. Slowly thanks to erosion the rock around the vents fell away leaving us with these unique pinnacles. (sorry for the geography lessons.. M and I just found it all so fascinating)

We headed back north.. a 4 hour drive to Cascade Locks. We hit traffic.. had to stop to eat and before we knew it it was getting dark, the roads winding.. especially when we entered the Mount Hood area and we had no service and while we didn't say it then we were both thinking the same truth.. if something were to happen to us no one would ever know. I know it seems morbid but when we finally reached our destination, tucked in the boys and got into bed we talked about how scary that was.. I knew we were driving cliff side.. not knowing how great the drop was on the other side.. (we drove that same road the next morning and the drop was steep!) barely any cars passed us.. what exactly are you supposed to do in such a circumstance. We thought we should start checking in with a family member.. but we didn't want to worry anyone unnecessarily.. In the end we decided to time thing better and make sure we are never on the road (especially that kind of road) that late.. 

                  Etsy           Instagram           Twitter           Bloglovin  

Comments

  1. Hena, thank you so much for stopping by my blog this morning. I was just thinking about you two days ago, but I could not remember the name of your blog.

    I enjoyed so much reading and seeing about your trip to Crater Lake, Oregon. I thought your pictures were pretty amazing, in spite of the haze from the forest fires nearby. And I loved seeing the family picture, as well as the pictures of the boys with their binoculars!

    I hope you have a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have never been to Oregon, but wow. Just gorgeous view! The 16 oz cappuccino and glazed donuts sound pretty fantastic, too!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yikes, glad you made it safe.

    Once we drove through the night to Orlando and when we got there, we said we are never doing that again. You just never know...especially when there are other drivers on the road. Another time we drove through the night (apparently we don't learn) from VA to KY, through mountain roads. That was probably even more dangerous.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can imagine how scary that experience must have been. Glad you reached your destination safe and sound.

    Those rock formations are so cool!

    ReplyDelete
  5. No apology necessary... I LOVE geography and natural history, so I thought this post was fascinating. Great photos, too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Crater Lake looks so serene and beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice geography with a little scare thrown in for good measure ... or maybe for bad measure. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh man! I would've been scared too if the drive was like that. Great that everything went well, and OMG! Crater Lake looks awesome. Interesting to read how a caldera was formed.:)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Crater Lake looks amazing! I try to visit as many national parks as possible. This is on the list.

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. It looks like a lovely spot and day. Despite the fear.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What an absolutely beautiful spot -- well worth the drive! Those pinnacles are very cool. I've never seen anything like them here. Well, not surprisingly. No volcanoes in Canada that I know of.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You always share the most beautiful photos, along with the most interesting information!
    Thank you for sharing!
    Have a happy and healthy new school year. : )

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks a lot :D

    ohn I'm curious to visit my friend!
    super cool place

    NEW TIPS POST | PRÉ-FALL MAKEUP :o
    InstagramFacebook Official PageMiguel Gouveia / Blog Pieces Of Me :D

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love crater lake but we haven’t been in forever!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I bet my kids would love binoculars as well. Also, good ting you made it through the road safe, it really sounds scary.

    Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, what a great place to see. I would love to have the chance someday. I knew there was a lot of smoke up there this summer, I hope it wasn't too hard on your breathing. Your photos are great. I'm glad you made it safely down that road. I don't enjoy steep drop-offs like that either. My husband and kids went camping without me a couple of weeks ago (they were backpacking/hiking in to the site and I don't enjoy that at all). I guess they went on a road that was so bad he told them not to tell me about it because he knew I would freak out that they'd all been in danger! Ha, they can't keep their mouths shut and I heard all about it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sounds like a great time, amazing pictures too!
    Have a lovely day :)
    Rosanna x
    http://www.rosesrooftop.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
  18. I have been hearing how gorgeous Oregon is- my friend traveled there earlier this summer and her pictures were stunning! Love Crater Lake- what a special place!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

    ReplyDelete
  19. Such a beautiful lake and an amazing view!
    Kisses, Paola.

    Expressyourself

    ReplyDelete
  20. every time I visit you, I have to add another place to the bucket list. Those photos are stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great pics!

    http://www.iameleine.com/
    http://www.instagram.com/iameleineblog/

    ReplyDelete
  22. These pictures are just beautiful, looks like a great time. Have a wonderful week!

    Blessings,
    Jill

    ReplyDelete
  23. I never got a chance to visit crater lake but I'm happy that you are still posting your Portland travels! I need to create an itinerary for a future trip out there. Thank you so much for sharing!
    -PerlaGiselle | iamperlita.com
    instagram

    ReplyDelete
  24. Cutie place dear!! Nothing better than the nature!!
    Have a great day! xx

    La ilusión de Nina - http://lailusiondenina.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  25. Glad you had a good time and were safe despite the few worries.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wow, looks like such an incredible place! :D

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love love love all the comments, every single one brings a smile to my face. Make sure you're not a no-reply blogger so I can write back!

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen and Family Room: New Flooring

D's Amazing Race Party

Friday Photography