The Oregon Trail - Day 11

We all scurried around like crazy folks trying to get everything situated in Kit and Mike's new RV for the  road trip we are about to take up the Oregon Pacific coast.  They have made one trip in the new RV and we are the first guests to get to enjoy it.  It is Very Nice!!!  A bit smaller than the other one, because they wanted to travel so many places where it was almost impossible to maneuver the 40 footer.  This one is plenty big.  Who could ask for more?  Rocky and Bella, Rocky's new travel buddy, made a good foot rest for Kit and me while sitting in the living room/kitchen and cruising down the road.  Just kidding, they were in the best seats in the house. 

We headed to Newberry Caldera/Paulina Peak.  What a mountain goat friendly road up there.  We were not riding a mountain goat, so it was a bit scary looking over the edge into the great beyond!!!  Amazing to look at and think of volcanoes and lava and the next one!!!!   We walked Obsidian Flow (lava from the volcano which had so much silica in it that it turned to black glass and is sharp as a razor).  I was huffing and puffing - being out of shape and up thousands of feet in elevation.  More exciting than the thought of the volcano was riding down the scary, windy mountain road with Bop driving the RV, which he had never driven before.  I don't think he found it quite like driving a bob-cat or tractor.  After a few minutes he got the hang of it.  About half way down the mountain Mike told him to apply pressure on the top of the brake peddle so that it would respond quicker.  Good thing to know half way down!!  I must admit I was a bit nervous coming barreling down that little road ;{

Does this look desolate or what?  Obsidian Lava Flow as far as the eye could see in all directions.

Crater Lake National Park in Oregon was just beautiful.  The pumas fields were not pretty, but very interesting.  Then we saw Crater Lake - WOW!!  Just beautiful!!  This lake is about six miles wide in a caldera (that is like a bowl shaped indention in the earth from a vocano) formed by Mt. Mazama when it erupted some 6,700 years ago, or so.  In the second picture you can see a cone which is one of two active cones which are caused by pressure building up below the water.  Comforting!! 

We ate a late lunch at the Crater Lake Lodge and I do think they have the best hot chocolate in the world.  Of course we were about frozen stiff, starving and they had a huge dollop of real whipped cream on the top.  Yum.  Of course the Lodge was just beautiful with a fireplace about the size of our whole house. 

After the pretty drive along the Umpqua River we spent the night in Sutherlin, Oregon. 

Marmalade's Side of the Story

I think Nonnie likes me keeping up with her journaling while she and Aunt Kit just talk and talk and talk.  They oooh and ahhh about everything.  I even got to sit in the fancy swivel chair. 

The best part about today was getting to see a funny fuzzy thing they called a chipmunk.  Maybe his name is Alvin and he sings about Christmas.  Just kidding.  Ashley and Amber, have you ever heard of Alvin and The Chipmunks?  He could run so fast he looked like a streak.  Nonnie got really excited when she was able to get this picture of him. 

I thought climbing this tree was great after Rocky and Bella had to stay in the RV while we saw Crater Lake.
RV'ing is going to be OK, I think.