Road Trip to Crater Lake and Redwood National Parks
We just got back from a one-week road trip. The route follows I-5 south down to Oregon with a layover in Eugene, before heading southeast to Crater Lake National Park. Eugene is a lovely small city with a great waterfront park and a pedestrian bridge over the Willamette River, the main river flowing through the western part of Oregon. It is hard to believe the river, narrow and shallow in Eugene, would become a big river spanning a couple hundred yards wide in Portland.
Crater Lake is as blue and clear as it can be. We had lunch at Crater Lake Lodge. The food was pretty amazing compared to dining services at other national parks. The view from the lodge is breathtaking, and the lodge itself is an interesting place to explore. With fireplaces the height of a human being, they warm up the whole lobby, dining, and reception area. It was unfortunate that there was only one small public restroom for visitors, though. We also drove along the Rim Drive, but did not complete the loop as the southeast section was under renovation. E and I were hiking along the short trail to Plaikni Falls when she burst into tears about her miserable feelings of being abandoned. My attempt to comfort her was not successful, and I was at a loss for what to do about it. I don’t handle emotional reactions well.
We stayed the night in Chiloquin, named after the chief of the Klamath tribe, but is itself an incorporated city outside tribal land. The city is pretty dilapidated and seems to be dying, with few open businesses in the town center. The railroad goes through the city center, which might have brought businesses and visitors in the past. People are nice and chill and extremely polite. It’s been my observation that people from warmer climates are warmer and kinder. Seattleites are just so dull and cold.
The next morning we visited Train Mountain. They claim to have the largest miniature train network in the world. We took the train ride for 2-3 miles, which is only 1% of their total railroad. The museum is run exclusively by volunteers, is a non-profit, and charges no admission fee. It started as private property built by someone interested in trains and railroads. After his death, the property had to be converted to a non-profit to avoid hefty taxation.
Over the next few days we visited Redwood National Park. It’s actually a joint operation of three state parks and a national park. We took some of the easier trails, and Emma did a pretty good job being calm and napping well in the car. There were a few segments of US-199 under construction, and California has the most expensive gas prices, sometimes $6+ per gallon. Fern Canyon was nice, chill, and cool. Trillium Falls was a disappointment; it’s merely bigger than a broken sewage line. It’s the end of summer, so no wonder.
We stopped by the Woodburn Outlets before returning to Seattle. I did need to buy a lot of clothing, yet many stores did not carry my size.
Overall, the road trip was okay. Nothing too exciting. After all, it’s not my first time visiting either place. I do increasingly miss N.A. for some reason. That’s how I know my depression comes back.
