Crater Lake and Wizard Island

The road from our home to Crater Lake begins on Interstate 5 and heads along US 58 through Oakridge, Oregon


Oakridge is a nice place to stop if you are so inclined and has an A&W Root Beer Stand - of course A&W was the beginning of the Marriott Empire.


I guess the guys in the family all like to take tunnel pictures. I meant to tell you these pictures were taken by Andrew and some by Megan on their outing to Crater Lake.


There is a small entrance fee to see the crater and from a value perspective it is a real bargain.


Approaching the crater the drive goes along acre after acre of lava fields.


As you approach the crater you get into some pretty high elevations and, at this time of year, some snow.


A passing ghost took this picture of Andrew and Megan with a nice winter background (actually Summer).


Crater Lake is one of many volcanoes along the spine of the Cascade Range.


Finally at the rim and taking in a spectacular view.


Ok, so I have to make a guess at this bird. I looked it up in the Birds of Oregon Field Guide and from the description in the book it's a Clark's Nutcracker of something very close.
All gray bird with black wings and narrow black band down the center of the tail. A high-country bird seen in conifer forests in central and eastern parts of the state.


I think this is where Alvin the Chipmunk took up residence.


Brave Andrew leaned over a steep cliff to take this picture.


And the artist in him took this picture with a twisted tree as a reference.


I really liked this picture of the rim of the crater around the lake with Wizard Island in the middle of the lake. The interesting thing is that Wizard Island is a cinder cone within the larger crater with it's own small crater at it's peak.

Finally Andrew took this picture of Megan on the rim and ......


Megan took this picture of Andrew on the rim. They had a wonderful time and I'd like to thank Andrew for permitting me to use his pictures on my blog.


Scrabble Score ~ June 21 Scrabble Queen 375 - the contender 350
June 22 Scrabble Queen 353 - the contender 365

Quote of the Day ~

When a volcano announces its presence, after some tremors, some shaking of the earth, it creates an opening for itself. ~ George Cuvier Comparative anatomist; catastrophist. Rejected evolution; believed in successive special creations. (Note this is pre-Darwin).