Days 5 & 6: Crater Lake, OR

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We started out our trip to Crater Lake in the best way possible: with a scrumptious peaches-and-cream cinnamon bun from Curly Top Bake Shop in Applegate, OR. Though we arrived on a beautiful, clear afternoon, a misguided hike with Tegan helped us realize the stark preference that this national park had toward cars. Roads cut through the park, but hiking trails to the lake itself are remarkably absent. Still, our afternoon hiking through the piney forests—wet bark draped with fluorescent green lichen—gave us space to talk and reconnect. There’s a free EV charger outside the park’s restaurant, where we treated our sore feet with a mozzarella-heaped caprese pizza and Pacific Coast Trail hiker-watching.

Rain woke us up and became the main character of our second day. Our tent’s wet rain fly reminded us of a central challenge for this adventure: the unpredictability of the weather. We struggled to decide whether to risk another wet night or leave the park for the certainty of indoor warmth, and chose to drive the park’s Rim Road. It was misty as we ascended the old volcano’s caldera, but the sun miraculously broke through—illuminating the impossible blue of the lake below. That gave us hope, and the beautiful park turned from a wet nightmare to a sunny dreamworld.

With a moist tent in tow, we’re driving north to Eugene, OR for a few days of (warm, dry) rest and relaxation. September 9 is our anniversary—and we’re celebrating in the same way as our first date: hot dogs and a movie.

Follow our trip