Saying good-bye to Crater Lake

June 26 – Today was a lot more relaxing as we took our time getting out this morning with

They really are boulders!

plans to see the sites near the campground.  We stopped at the post office then just down the road we parked and walked downhill to the Avenue of Giant Boulders and the river.  There were falls also but by the time we did the boulders we were pretty ready to just walk back up.

Loving it!

The boulders are the results of volcanic eruption.  As we walked we thought we were among them but those were babies compared to the ones in and along the river.  I’m a “rock rat” and I love to climb them.  Bill gets a bit anxious when I do but I went anyway.  I am a bit more cautious than I used to be due to my foot/ankle issue but it was awesome to work my way around and over the rocks to be right on the water’s edge.  We met a single woman at the parking lot who was

I was right on the edge

headed down so the 3 of us had a great visit and she was from nearby.  She was not a risk taker, like Bill, so they kinda watched and took pictures. 

On the way back up we began passing 10-12 people going down and decided not to go to the falls since now there

Falls from the bridge

would be a “crowd”.  Once we got back to the truck we drove to the bridge overlook of one of the falls.  It was at full flow and I’d have liked to get closer but due to private property restrictions I didn’t see a way down.

Our map showed a road going 2 miles, then left at a Y for 4 miles and then we’d pretty much be at the top of the mountain where cell towers are and a lookout area for several places.  First we had trouble finding the road off the main road.  Then it quickly became gravel and single lane on and off.  It’s hairpin turns and you have

Bad road, nice scenery

no way to know if there’s anyone oncoming.  After the 2 miles we made the left turnoff and kept trudging upward for 4 miles.  Once we came to another Y, one side was red clay and one was gravel and according to the map we were to take the clay road.  There were no signs telling you about the overlook and Bill was not real anxious to drive on the clay as the gravel was bad enough.  So we turned around and headed back down! 

Since it was lunch time and we needed to gas up the truck we continued south to the nearest town that could cure both issues.  We got gas and in Oregon you cannot pump you own fuel so Bill asked the attendant where he could get a car wash and a couple of recommendations for lunch.  He sent us one way down the road for the car wash and while I was in truck while Bill was washing, there was a deer across the main road eating lunch without a care in the world about the cars rushing by.

Goebel's

The restaurant was at the other end which was good as that was the direction we were heading.  It’s little bbq place called Goebels.  You order it and pick it up at the tiny building and they have a few outside tables you can use.  We both had brisket and it was excellent.  I should have ordered a pound to go for later! 

On the way back to the campground we made our last stop at the Cole M Rivers Fish Hatchery.  It is HUGE!  However, not many of the tanks had fish in them.  What we saw were trout, several tanks had itty bitty ones and then some tanks

Lots of little fishies!

had bigger but we didn’t see any really big ones.  Literally right beside it is a river and there were a number of people fishing.  The bank has the river on one side and hatchery on the other.  Something didn’t seem right about that, like the new residents of the river didn’t much stand a chance!!

Once we got home Bill did some additional cleaning of the truck and I put my morning load of clothes in to dry and sat down to put on paper what our day was like so far. 

We had dinner at the Prospect Hotel (it was that or pizza), which was built in 1888

as Stage Coach Inn.  Now it’s a 10 room B & B.  There’s also a 14 unit modern motel behind it.  The hotel was nicely brought back to its original state after a series of owners and it sitting closed for a number of years.  The menu is small but good quality food.  They serve wine and liquor but I had a Radler this afternoon so I was

The larger dining room

good on the alcohol.  Bill had chicken and I had prime rib.  The portions were large.  I was a bit disappointed that my sides were not hot but it wasn’t worth raising a stink over.  The service was awesome and you never felt rushed. 

The forecast this morning was late afternoon showers and we managed to escape them until 8:45 pm we heard some pitter patter of rain but it didn’t last very long.  I know Bill is sad that we

will be leaving Crater Lake in the morning on our final few days on the road until September.  I’m ready to stay in one place for a while.  Bill is trying to wear me down on coming back here to volunteer but I’m not so sure about it.  It’s a long way from Florida!