Crater Lake OR

We drove on to Crater Lake. As we approached, Lar was getting more and more excited. He had this destination in mind almost from the moment he had begun to plan the trip. We were driving through some very dense forest, and occasionally there was snow on the ground.
Even as we pulled up to park the car, we couldn’t see the lake, but the surroundings were very different from anything we’ve seen before. It was evident that this was land shaped by volcanoes, along with some pretty drastic weather.
We walked up the incline and suddenly there it was – an expanse of the deepest, darkest blue you can imagine. We were enthralled.
Crater Lake National Park protects the deepest lake in the United States. It is fed only by rain and snow – nor rivers nor streams. It is considered to be the cleanest large body of water in the world. The caldera in which it lies was formed about 7,700 years ago when a 12,000 foot tall volcano collapsed after a major eruption. Old growth forests and open meadows blanket the outer slopes, harboring a variety of plants and animals, including several rare species. The area is central to the cultural traditions of local American Indian tribes. The depth of the lake is 1,943 feet and it is from 4.5 to 6 miles wide.
The park is open year-round, 24 hours a day, but some roads, trails and facilities are closed seasonally due to snow. They have an annual snowfall of 44 feet!
We met two really nice couples during our walk around a short distance of the rim (the total rim drive is 33 miles)– one couple about our age from Chicago – have you ever met people you just wanted to pack up and take with you? – and a second, younger couple from OH. A bit later Lar struck up a conversation with a gentleman from Switzerland. He has made this trip a number of times and absolutely loves it. He says he comes here for “nature” as Europe is so “crowded”. And we have always thought we needed to go to Switzerland to see mountains!
We couldn’t stop taking pictures…..wanting to capture every inch….(read that as a warning, anyone coming to the house to see them!) but finally we realized we were quite starving. We had stopped at a 7-11 kind of store along the way, and had sandwiches, chips and drinks in the car.

Lar had this wondrous place in his mind throughout his planning of this trip. Crater Lake! What beauty in every direction.

Blues, blues and more blues.

Happy man, being sure I don't miss a thing.

History.

We picnicked in the car and then did a bit of souvenir shopping.
Lar called ahead for reservations, and we regretfully drove away from the beautiful Crater Lake. As we drove, the mountains were so beautiful we don’t even need the pictures to remember them….the many shades of blues….layered upon the blue sky.
In Roseburg OR we found our very comfortable room, and were recommended to the small pub/brewery in town. At first we intended to sit out on the patio, but flies were horrendous, and Lar decided we’d fare better inside. Lar selected the Portland Dip for diner and a wheat beer; I chose fish and chips with a porter. We found the food and the beers to be very satisfactory.
Back in the room, we watched just a bit of TV and were soon fast asleep. The room was fabulous and the setting very nice.

Leaving, but still .... beauty!

Back yard of our hotel....that's a hot tub in the gazebo - wish we'd had time to use it.

It felt so much like home....the smell of the river - the sounds.
On Wednesday we felt like we had been driving for weeks. We finally decided nothing would do but a good cup of tea and a bite to eat. At first we pulled off the highway into a college town, but could find nothing. Continuing on, we saw a sign for Brownville and Lar declared he had a good feeling about that name. Brownville is a delightful little town and we happened upon the perfect place to eat.
Randy’s Café is such a step back in time. As you enter you are met with indescribable scents – home baked breads, rolls, scones (the best I think we’ve ever eaten!), cakes, cinnamon buns and cookies. The aroma of homemade beef barley soup, hot tea was welcoming. We sat at a long table, shared with two young moms with their kids. A frosty pitcher of iced water sat in the middle. Next to us was a smaller table of 5 local people, men and women chatting about work, their farms, and the weather. You can find Randy’s on face book and it is my understanding they do mail order.
Once we were more than sated by the delicious offerings we went back outside to take a look around town.
As we were walking, we noticed a yellow lab strolling up the road leisurely and behind him a car and a truck. Everyone was patiently moving at the lab’s pace for quite some time until finally the driver of the car gave a gentle tap on her horn. The dog looked back over his shoulder, then, having taken a few more slow steps, he turned and meandered up onto the sidewalk and “traffic” all two of them were permitted to proceed. I told Lar, “everyone needs to live in this town!” Goodbye blood pressure!
On to the quilt shop in town. The owner came forward not long after we had entered to inquire as to our needs, but when she found out I simply wanted to buy one spool of thread and look and see and touch the fabrics she invited us to enjoy and went back to the back room where a class was apparently being held. No suspicions, no worry about what we were up to. The owner’s grandmother’s furniture – over stuffed chairs, organ, tables, etc., are the furnishings. Lar immediately found a comfy seat and was content as I rummaged around. He also noted a really interesting crazy quilt hanging from the ceiling and suggested I have a look. The owner had applied an edge of fabric upon which there were hand painted daisies – very interesting and unusual.
I purchased my thread and a couple of fat quarters and we were off again, on our journey to Portland.

Randy's - home baked breads, rolls, scones (fabulous scones!), homemade soup....yum.

The yellow lab's strolling street!

Once there, we rested up in our excellent room, showered, changed and went down for the hospitality evening – wine, beer and snacks accompanied by a jazz guitarist. We sat alone for a while, but my attention kept being drawn to two other tables. At one a man was sitting alone and I felt he was surreptitiously looking at us, and at the other table was a couple – the man featuring an amazing waxed and curled mustache. Something about the woman intrigued me.
Lar was commenting on his beer and had me taste it. It was quite good and as we were discussing it, the lone man approached us and asked if he could join us. He introduced himself as Jerry (Gerald) and began to speak about the beer, but he was a travelling salesman and simply wanted the company. He was very funny, and we were enjoying his company. He decided to go get a business card to give us and when he arose from our table, the lady I’d been eyeing called out “Kellogg?” Jerry stopped dead in his tracks and looked at their table. It turned out they had been school chums in Kellogg Idaho when they were children. The couple’s names were Jack and Georgia. We were invited to their table and the five of us talked from 6:30 until after 10:00! Jack and Georgia had been travelling to a Corvette show and Jack took Lar out to see his beautiful car. Georgia and I were two peas in a pod with so much in common that we could still be sitting there talking, I suspect! When Jerry had had more than enough beer, he went on to bed, but the four of us lingered. The stories they had told about the lead mining in their little town were rather horrific. But their company was so delightful. We will remember them fondly.