CRATER LAKE, OREGON

TUESDAY, 21st JUNE.

We thought we had finished with mountains and snow so were surprised when we reached Crater Lake National Park this morning to find snow in abundance on the mountains surrounding the lake.  Unfortunately, the East Rim Drive was closed to traffic due to roadworks but the views of the lake from the West Rim Drive viewpoints were stunningly awesome, or should that be awesomely stunning?  Either way, it is just the most wonderful sight and the gazillion photos we took simply cannot do it justice. 
A massive volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago left a deep basin in the place where a mountain peak once stood.  Centuries of rain and snow filled the basin, forming a deep blue lake whose waters are of unmatched colour and clarity.  It's the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh deepest in the world....ample winter snows ensure the lake remains at consistent levels.  It is simply magnificent!

It was 'Down Under' day today for at our first viewpont this morning we got chatting to two Californian ladies on a road trip to Alaska, one of whom has Australian parents who met in Nassau after WWII, married and had their three children in Canada before moving to USA....at our next stop there were a father and son from Timaru in NZ, the son has lived in Portland, Oregon for eight years and is looking forward to going home in a couple of months and Dad is over here visiting at present, and then....on leaving Crater Lake later in the day and driving along the picturesque Rogue Umpqua Oregon Scenic Byway towards our overnighter in Roseburg, when we stopped along the way at the very pretty Steamboat Inn for coffee and apple pie, the young waitress there informed us that her mum's from Perth!!!  Up until today we'd hardly come across any Australians (or part Australians) and no Kiwis, so to meet them all on the same day was an amazing coincidence.

A fabulous day and well worth the long and slightly boring drive to get here.