Meghan and I slept in to ensure we wouldn't be tired on another long drive.  Today's trek was from Portland to Crater Lake, Oregon (with a pit stop in Eugene). Our main goal is to see the deepest lake in the country and enjoy the beauty that is Oregon. As an added bonus, we wanted to see the Milky Way at this majestic park.

Route Overview

Pit Stop - Eugene, OR

We stopped in Eugene as the halfway point to get gas and grab lunch. But really... our excuse to stop was the traditional Voodoo Doughnuts. The line, however, was too long, so we decided to come back to that... Nothing else really happened here; we just observed the hipstrocity of the area, ate lunch, and continued on our way.

Crater Lake National Park - Klamath County, Oregon

The drive from Eugene to the park was indescribable; the roads through the rolling hills through the evergreens following a river made the trip worth it. Following these roads led us to the park. Once we entered the NPS territory, we could see and smell smoke. Turned out to be natural activity, thank goodness!

Crater Lake was formed from a collapsed volcano. As a result, the lake is 2,150 feet deep, making it the deepest lake in the country. An island formed from a cinder cone sits inside the lake, called Wizard Island. To the north of the lake is Pumice Desert. The land received desert-characteristics from the ash and pumice that formed following the earthquake eruption thousands of years ago. The soil cannot retain water efficiently, which is why there are hardly any plants.

The best part about Crater Lake National Park is that anyone can drive around the entire lake. The park's main road (E/W Rim Drive) encapsulates the body of water and offers many vantage points. No hiking is necessary to get a spectacular view of the water.

A View Out Of This World

Since we arrived at the park late in the afternoon, we drove around the lake during sunset to see the most during daylight. Eventually, the sun set and the stars rose from the horizon. There was one thing that we weren't prepared for... the temperature. With Meghan just moving from Florida, temperatures in the 60s felt slightly chilly, and with me living in Washington for the past few months, I am comfortable with those temperatures. However, due to the elevation and the lake effect, we experienced temperatures in the 40's (with 20mph gusts). I haven't felt cold since living through an Indiana winter. Despite that slight discomfort, Meghan and I braved through the cold to get priceless photos of the Milky Way while in the park!