Crater Lake, Oregon—

Crater Lake with its incredibly blue water is the deepest lake in the United States. At 1,943 feet, it is the second deepest in the Western Hemisphere and the ninth deepest in the world. Crater Lake is a recognized scenic wonder surrounded by rolling mountains, volcanic peaks and evergreen forests. The cinder cone in the lake, known as Wizard Island, rises 763 feet above the water.

I started the journey from San Fransisco and drove north on I-5. Once I was near Oregon, the scenery was incredible with snowy peaks and vast redwood forests. Mt. Shasta, the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range, was especially breathtaking. You can see it while on highway I-5.

When I first arrived at the Crater Lake National Park, it started snowing at the end of May! Just moved from Boston to San Fransisco, I reunited with winter snows after 9 months. Luckily, I still had my snow brush in my car and was able to clean 7 inches of snow. It was extremely foggy after a whole night of snowing; I couldn’t see the lake at all even standing just at the edge of the lake! Luckily, Oregon is incredibly beautiful. I especially recommend driving The Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. It is roughly 500 miles long and the section near Crater Lake National Park is dotted with cattle farms, beautiful lagoons, and national forests.

On my way back, I took a detour to visit the Redwood National and States Parks.