I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in Oregon but I knew I wanted to see Ashland. Some of my New Mexico friends have been there and loved it. A friend of theirs had moved to Ashland and I thought it would be fun to meet her. So I did. She was a gentle soul and I really enjoyed meeting for a cold drink and a little visit. It always feels better to have a connection in a foreign place. You never know what can happen. I've been lucky but I don't take my health and the fact I've been absent any major issues, for granted.
Ashland is the home of the "Oregon Shakespeare Festival". There are 3 theaters right within the same block where plays of all kinds (mostly Shakespearean) rotate through. They have shows everyday at 2 and 8 pm. From what people had said,"A must see". I love theater so I planned to go. I ended up getting a standing room only seat for Don Quixote.
I was worried because you know Shakespeare, that could be 3 hours on my feet. Ironically, it rained that night and because half the theater was outside, everyone was standing in the "standing room only" section. Alot of people decided to leave because they announced a voucher for a show of their choice later. So when it stopped raining and the play was in full swing, I found a great seat!
I am so glad I paid for standing room only. Loved the play!
As I mentioned earlier, there was a heatwave in Oregon. When I arrived, 10pm it was 97 degrees and the next day it was 113. Yikes, it was hot. The problem in places like Oregon is the threat of wild fires. There were many threats of them and lots of talk on the news. I had no clue what to avoid, if anything, so I went about my days. I had looked on a map and saw a place called Crater Lake. It was surrounded by 4 different National forests and I knew the drive would be beautiful and thought, "great, here's a place I can go cool off". So I took a day and drove about an hour and a half through the woods up a mountain. I kept thinking I went the wrong way because AMOS was taking me to the top of a mountain and I was picturing a lake to sit at the foot of a mountain. Well, to my surprise, this is a very different lake.
I had never heard of it but it is the deepest lake in the US and the 7th deepest in the world. A gorgeous lake formed when a volcano erupted and the core of the volcano collapsed. "Tranquility born out of turbulance" was the quote on the wall. This is proof that out of the ashes can come a beautiful transformation. Whenever I'm in doubt about this being true, from now on, I can think of Crater Lake. This lake is sooo blue and is called the sapphire jewel. It is surrounded by gorgeous formations and was so large and clear it looked surreal.
When I first saw it I felt like I did when I first looked at the Grand Canyon.It can't be described and so amazing that I almost couldn't process its size and beauty. I was mesmerized! I stayed and journaled,and again,sat in awe of another natural wonder. I put up a few pictures because I'm hoping you can see and feel the experience. I couldn't believe my luck,to have just tripped on this while looking at a map. I also met Jerry at Crater Lake.
As we were both taking pictures, we got to talking. Jerry was from Portland.Well, not from Portland but that's where he lived. We had a nice chat. He and his adult daughter were camping there for a few days and she was kind of mad at him so he was on his own for a while. He invited me into the lodge (which is a large gorgeous log cabin overlooking the lake that people come from all over to stay in) for iced tea so we went in and talked for a couple of hours. We got to know a bit about each other and exchanged stories. I know I've said this a million times but these parallel experiences of having a nature adventure combined with the adventure of learning about a new person is really an experience that overwhelms me. I just love hearing a person's unique story; who they are, where they came from and what they've experienced! These adventures are their own kind of jewel; equally satisfying. I have this beautiful mosaic in my mind of the people I've met and the things I've seen.
After a full day at the lake, it was time to head back. It was getting late and the sun was starting to set. I had to travel through alot of forest to get back to the hotel. It looked hazy and was hot and I wondered (because I could smell it) if the haze was due to the wild fires.I didn't know where they were but I also didn't want to find out. As I drove home to the hotel, I saw a beautiful water fall and wanted to stop and take a couple of pictures, so I did.
It was amazing for lots of reasons. The force of the water was palpable and the water must have been really cold because it felt like a cold front as I got closer and believe me it felt great! The drive continued. I had the sun roof open and the AC on. I love to experience the smells of my surroundings so even if it's hot I keep the sunroof open everywhere I go.When I got to the hotel I touched my head and when I did I felt a lump. I got nervous because I thought it might be a tic but when I pulled it out of my scalp it was an embedded chunk of ash. Yikes, I guess it had blown through the forest.When I asked someone they said the ash can travel miles from the fire. I guess it was from the open sunroof. I didn't realize I was so close. I found out the next day that there were a few fires north of my hotel which meant right around the forests of Crater Lake. Hmmm. I spent some time walking around Ashland the last day. It's a quaint little town with shops and galleries. I'm not a big shopper when there are so many other things to see but I really like the part of being in shops where I get to talk with people!
Well, Here marks the day, leaving Oregon means I'm heading East! Next stop, Idaho.
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