Cows, cows, live in the box! (Gemma made up this chant, long story, but if you remember one of my earlier garden posts where Gem thought we were getting cows, it makes more sense.). The mountains in the background are the rim of Crater Lake from the south:
Pay per car...our 12 passenger van came in handy:
Almost there...
We made it!!!! It really is as beautiful as everyone says.
We took a trolley tour which was great because we could all be together and learn about Crater Lake while we were touring:
Park Ranger Mike was very knowledgeable:
James was fascinated by the floating rocks and wanted to take some home. A big no-no!
Here he is testing them. He did end up leaving the rocks at the park where they belong.
Picnic lunch after our tour:
The kids loved the snow in July!!!
This is for you, Auntie Erica:
Yes, the water really IS that blue....
Marcus and I went into the trip with the goal of making this enjoyable for the kids. We wanted them to have great memories. Yes we made slip-ups (mostly me, mostly related to the stresses of having a 3-week old) but overall I think they had a really rich experience both with seeing new places, and being able to do it with their best friends. As adults we missed out on relaxing at the lodge and hiking around Crater Lake, but the payoff was worth it. Marcus and I will go back sometime without babies; Crater Lake will still be there. :o). But the kids are only young once, so this was for them.
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What a sweet post, it looks like the kids had a great time! I'm glad you have such a good attitude about not being able to do things, I would have been frustrated at not being able to hike and relax like I would want to! (Good thing I'm not a Mom...!)
ReplyDeleteI still cant' get over how beautiful and blue the lake is, and what a great clear day! Were there a lot of people? How far was it from the lodge...were you able to go back a couple times or was it just that one time?
Good job hugging the tree, James, I'm glad you love trees as much as I do!
Nice pics - I especially like the one of Fr. Juan in the back of the van - funny!
ReplyDeleteAnd the picture of Bunny in front of the lake is a beautiful picture - she will cherish it when she is older and say, "Remember when we went to Crater Lake?"
AMAZING!! Sooo cool!! Now I really really want to go there!
ReplyDeleteI went to a crater lake here in Colorado and it was nothing compared to this. Looks like an awesome adventure :)
I absolutely LOVED Crater Lake when we visited. I had never heard of it before researching our trip West. It really is that blue. I hope we have an opportunity to go back. I don't know if they had a trolley when we were there but that looks like fun!
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