After breakfast, we headed south down Interstate 5. We passed through Portland, Salem, and Eugene before stopping for lunch in Sutherlin. The scenery in Washington, then Oregon was truly unremarkable. We know there are many interesting and worthwhile things to see in these two states, but they aren’t along the stretch of highway we traveled this morning.
As we’ve noted before, life is funny. Personal interactions are also funny, and many are not as they appear or are rumored to be. With the four of us traveling together for over three weeks now, we’ve learned a lot about each other and had opportunities to laugh with each other and at each other. Most of the things we’ve experienced have been good, but not all, as you might imagine. And, there are always lessons to be learned or to be reminded of. Sometimes, we – generally, and during this trip specifically – actively engage one another. Oftentimes, though, we merely “throw some bread to the ducks instead” (*).
After lunch, we decided to detour from our planned route and headed toward Crater Lake. It turned out to be the best detour we’ve taken yet. It took us longer than expected to get there, but, boy was it worth it. The water was a color blue we’d never seen before and the surroundings were just amazing. We stayed there for quite a while enjoying the natural beauty of this place. Carey ventured out on one of the rock formations to get some views and pictures from a different perspective, and Ed, Mark, and Tom took the opportunity to find a replacement traveler. The pictures tell a story that could never be derived from any words on this page.
Traveling up and down the mountains after leaving Crater Lake turned out to be somewhat stressful as there were locations where the road’s shoulders were nonexistent. There were also miles of road with gravel strewn across. We did, however, make it out of the national park unscathed. While traveling through the Rogue River National Forest along the Crater Lake Highway, others around us weren’t so lucky though, including a fawn (which was hit by an RV) and the two cars right behind Carey as we were all quickly braking due to the RV stopping after the accident. No one was seriously hurt in the collision behind Carey, but the small deer had to be put out of its misery.
Several miles down the highway, Mark narrowly escaped being hit by a deer crossing the road unexpectedly. So, depending on your perspective, it was either a very good day or a very bad day. For us, we will try to focus on and remember the beauty of the Crater Lake area and not on the negative aspects of the day. Who knows what tomorrow will bring though…
With the detour and other unexpected happenings, we fell behind on our schedule today. Instead of getting to our planned destination, we ended up staying in Grants Pass, Oregon. We traveled about 425 miles today and should make it to California and the Redwoods early in the morning.
(Writer’s note: Sorry about the military reference in yesterday’s log and the Genesis reference above, but they both really seemed to fit the circumstances perfectly.)
* Credit:
“Heathaze” by Genesis
No cloud, a sleepy calm,
Sunbaked earth that's cooled by gentle breeze,
And trees with rustling leaves,
Only endless days without a care,
Nothing must be done.
Silent as a day can be,
Far-off sounds of others on their chosen run
As they do all those things they feel give life some meaning,
Even if they're dull.
It's time to stop this dreaming, must rejoin the real world
As revealed by orange lights and a smoky atmosphere.
The trees and I are shaken by the same wind but whereas
The trees will lose their withered leaves,
I just can't seem to let them loose.
And they can't refresh me those hot winds of the south.
Oh I feel like an alien, a stranger in an alien place.
Now the light is fading fast,
Chances slip away, a time will come to pass
When there'll be none,
Then addicted to a perfumed poison,
Betrayed by its aftertaste,
Oh we shall lose the wonder and find nothing in return.
Many are the substitutes but they're powerless on their own.
Beware the fisherman who's casting out his line
Into a dried up river bed,
But don't try to tell him 'cos he won't believe you.
Throw some bread to the ducks instead, it's easier that way.
I feel like an alien, a stranger in an alien place.
The trees and I are shaken by the same wind but whereas
The trees will lose their withered leaves,
I just can't seem to let them loose.
And they can't refresh me those hot winds of the south.
I feel like an alien, a stranger in an alien place.