Dinata Misovec

It was breakfast on the road again, since the RV park people told us we should go to Beckie’s. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and it’s also adorable. The resort is across the road. Beckie was a man named Beckelheimer (or something like that). Beckie was his nickname. The restaurant has been serving food since 1926.

Here is a peek inside. We ate in an adjoining white room, not as charming as this.

Then we were on (up, up, and uphill) to Crater Lake. This is the visitor center where we saw an excellent film about how the lake was formed about 5700 BC by volcanic eruptions in several spots around the mountain. Then the top of the mountain caved into the void created by those eruptions. They estimate that Mount Mazama was about 12,000 feet before the eruptions and collapse and 8,000 feet after. Over the millennia, the average 43 feet of snow annually filled the crater with water. It is the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet. It is also the cleanest water in the U.S.

Would you please look at the size of those rocks in the visitor center building?!

We took off for a 33-mile drive around the lake. The lake is 21 square miles. There are more than 50 turnouts along the drive and we probably hit most of them. This is our first look at the lake. It is more beautiful than any photos depict. It is beautiful enough to make a person cry. Crater Lake Blue is mesmerizing. And, the whole place smells like a Christmas tree.

That is Wizard Island in the lake. It is a volcano. Mount Mazama is not extinct; there is still hot water at the bottom. Another interesting fact: the lake seldom freezes. The last time it froze was 1949.

There are still a few patches of snow in the crater and on surrounding mountains.

The dark rock on the side of the caldera is called Devil’s Backbone. It is magma from underground that came up through a fracture.

These guys are everywhere. I had to look it up: the difference between a ground squirrel and a chipmunk is that the ground squirrel does not have the stripes on its head.

It may be past peak flower season, but we did see some. I don’t know what any of them are.

Crater Lake National Park is not just about the lake. the rim road around the lake has elevations between 7,000 and 8,000 feet. Many of the pullouts are overlooks from the mountain.

Our guidebook says that on a clear day you can see Mount Shasta, 100 miles away in California. It took us a few minutes studying the signboard and the horizon, but then we saw it. Once we spotted it, it was clear to see. I zoomed all the way with my camera for this shot.

I think this is Hillman Peak, but it could be the Watchman.

I don’t see how the lake can stay pristine with boat traffic on it.

The lake seemed to get a deeper blue as we moved around and had the sun behind us.

The rock formation jutting out of the lake is called Phantom Ship. What is most interesting about it (to me) is the picture of what it is like underwater from the signboard.

After our drive, we went to the Lodge for a meal. This is the lobby.

The next room is a large lounge.

There are large fireplaces in each of these big rooms.

The lodge sits right on the caldera rim, so there are great views of the lake while you eat. That is if you sit on that side of the room.

Dozens of (occupied) rocking chairs line the balcony/porch overlooking the lake.

I kept snapping one more last picture of the lake as we walked back to Scamp.

A man asked me if I would take a picture of his family and then he took some pictures of us in the same spot.

It was a wonderful day with perfect weather. And, I FINALLY got to see Crater Lake.