April 26 - United States: Eugene, OR
Run Through the Redwoods
We woke up and went for a nice run through the Redwoods. Jon wasn't scheduled to go for a run today, but I really wanted to so we could experience the park. So he decided to take it easy and run with me. (A sad comment on my running skills, for sure). It was a lovely, cool run. We ended up turning off the main road and running up an unpaved trail that turned into a steep hill. The trees were absolutely huge.
Coastal Road and Whale Watching
After showering, packing up the tent and stuff, we were running a bit late. But that didn't stop us from sitting on the picnic table to eat our bagels and to watch a hummingbird fly around us. Nor did the late start stop us from later veering off the main road and onto a coastal road. The ranger yesterday had mentioned that the gray whales are migrating right now and that we might see some. So we stopped for a while at a "scenic viewpoint" to whale watch.
Jon - Whale Watcher Extraordinaire
Unfortunately, no luck. Whales are the one thing that I've been dying to see without avail. We tried a few times in New Zealand but the weather just wouldn't cooperate. Standing there on the cliff, looking out over the broad expanse of water, it's hard to know where to look or what to look for. We can't tell the difference between white caps or whale spouts. And with our luck, the whales have already finished migration. So we didn't stay there for more than 20 minutes before we gave up. (Dad will probably say something here about "patience being a virtue" or something, but I'm a New Yorker and I want it NOW!)
Grant's Pass, Oregon
Not long after leaving the Redwood National Park, we entered Oregon and the topography changed dramatically from tall forests to smaller trees and shrubbery. We didn't expect such a quick change between one state to another, but maybe that's a testament more to the end of the National Park rather than a state line. At any rate, we continued away from the coast and into Grant's Pass, Oregon.
Jon's cousin Steve (brother of Rob of Dodger ticket fame) runs a restaurant here in Grant's Pass, and we'd arranged to meet then at their restaurant. Unfortunately, Jon got directions from Highway 5, and we were coming from Highway 199. So we drove aimlessly around Grant's Pass for a while before we wised up and asked directions at a gas station. Better late than never, we arrived at "The Train Depot" restaurant, where we met Steve, his wife Stephanie, and their kids Nick, Elena, and Sarah.
Elena, Steve, Nick, and Jon at the Train Depot
Steve treated us to lunch, which we teased him was hardly a way to run a business. But the food was delicious (clam chowder to die for) and we enjoyed hanging out with the Anderson family. Nick, who is 12, has recently become a skateboard aficionado and wants to visit New York so he can skate on the steps of city hall. He later wowed us with some very cool skateboarding tricks in the parking lot of the restaurant. Most of these tricks would have me flat on my face, so we were impressed.
Crater Lake
Then we headed northeast to go to Crater Lake, a gorgeous volcanic crater at 5000 feet. The grand plan was originally to see the crater and then find a campsite. But since we were so late getting there, we decided instead to find a campsite and see the crater tomorrow morning. This plan was put to rest as we passed the first of 10 campsites, which were all marked "Closed". There was snow on the ground and all the campsites were closed for the season. So we drove straight to Crater Lake instead.
As we climbed in elevation, the snow got deeper and deeper. The roads were perfectly clear and bone-dry, but we were flanked by ten-foot snow drifts on either side of us. When we arrived at the Ranger Fee Station, Laren the Ranger broke the news that the Rim Drive was closed. So while we could drive up and see the lake, we couldn't drive around the rim. And we also had to backtrack 45 minutes to get back to a major road. We were disappointed, but determined nonetheless.
Crater Lake
Most of the rim was snowed in, although the area near the Lodge was open. It was a bit eerie driving through a maze of parking lot carved out of 10 feet of snow. Not to mention that the empty lodge looked like something out of The Shining.
In Front of Crater Lake
It started snowing lightly while we were up there, and the snow got a little harder as we drove down the mountain. Since we couldn't go around the rim to leave the park, we had to exit the way we came in. This took us an extra 45 minutes. Then we hit the road and continued on to Eugene because EVERY campsite was closed. And even if one were open, I doubt if we'd want to stay there. The car kept beeping at us each time the thermometer read 32°F. Brrrr. We just aren't equipped for cold camping.
Drive to Eugene
So we drove for three hours to Eugene, Oregon. The drive was through some smaller side roads and past the Willamette Ski Area. The snow just got worse and worse and began to stick on the roads. When we drove through the Willamette Pass (5128 feet), the snow was incredibly heavy, it was really dark, and we were driving very slow to keep from sliding. So we were excited when we hit the downhill stretch and the snow eventually turned to rain.
We reached Eugene around 10:00 and drove straight to the Motel 6, where we checked into a room and crashed for the night.