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Excited for the day ahead! I got up nice and early and rendezvoused with a fellow traveler and local I'll call "Mary" for security purposes (lol?). We started by heading straight up to Crate Lake National Park. This is about an hour drive north of Klamath Falls, making this little town a great jumping off point. It's full of nice little restaurants, and the usual amenities that a traveler looking to stock up and refresh needs.
As we approached Crater Lake, the bad news began- in the form of rain. I remained positive, knowing that sometimes some clouds make for some dramatic pictures (remember Glacier?). Well, Crater Lake is a couple of thousand feet in elevation from the surrounding valley, so that rain started turning into its winter counterpart pretty quickly. Still, we pressed on, and although it was lightly snowing at the park entrance, I wasn't coming all this way not to try at least.
And it was least. We climbed up the park road in dense fog and the trees were powdered with fresh snow. At the top (based on signs telling me I was at various overlooks), I could see...nothing. The drive was quiet (no crowds that day), I could hear the snow hitting the trees, and there was something still so beautiful about it. And yes, that's me being as positive about the experience as possible.
So down we went, and left Crater for another day. We headed instead into California (just barely- but it counts!) and to Lava Beds National Monument.
This park surprised me! There is subtle difference between the national parks and monuments, mostly being that monuments are smaller and more drive throughs (though, that's not always the case- so i guess a mixed bag, or some nomenclature rule I'm not aware of with, assumably, a politician and naturalist duking it out over a table). Anyways, this is set along a small hilly ridge, overlooking a large valley (a former giant volcano caldera from ages ago). The highlight of the monument are the multiple caves that were formed as lava flows dissipated. They are fully open to explore, and it was a lot of fun! Some nice views of the region as well.
Well I stayed another night in Klamath Falls, and next morning headed out. I'll admit, yes, I passed by Crater for another chance, but it was the same story as the day before, so onward I went. Before passing through Bend, OR, I jumped into the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, where, admittedly, the only interesting thing was a large obsidian flow. I cannot confirm or deny if i snagged a piece of obsidian lying helplessly on the ground.
Eastern Oregon was now in front of me. I connected with Route 20 in Bend, OR (another shoutout to Rt 20!), and it was now due East until Boise, ID. I'm going to lay it on the table... there is VERY LITTLE to see between Bend and Boise. This is rural America at its best- tiny towns that were mostly homes to ranchers or farmers, a gas station and maybe a place to eat. It was some beautiful country- an element of high desert that I hadn't quite had the chance to experience. The sky was big, sun was out, and it made for a beautiful drive.
Although the drive was a long one, it gave me time to A). finish an audiobook (Stephen King- Wolves of the Calla), and B). Have a nice day of reflecting and observing some nice geography. I've already mentioned the high desert- an arid scrubland that covers most of Eastern Oregon. However, as I got further East, the land gave way to incredibly large valleys with surrounding mountains. We've all seen mountains and valleys, but I felt like this landscape took it, and stretched it to cover miles and miles. It felt imposing, and I felt very small in the world, being in the middle of seemingly nowhere. It was beautiful. Another reminder to find that beauty in all things, and how travel allows us to do so. To explore new places, and see something your eye has ever quite seen before. That's why I travel. Until next time!