We could feel ourselves being pulled, like so many settlers before us, out west. After our national park adventure, we visited TD’s college friends who lived in Ketchum, Idaho. It’s an incredible landscape out there with mountains, rivers and even the craters of the moon. It’s no wonder that Hemingway spent so much time out here…before he committed suicide in 1961. We spent our days hiking, canoeing and marveling at the incredible numbers of fly fisherman.
Shortly after, we hit the road again, passing through eastern Oregon on route to Crater Lake. Did you know that the eastern part of the state is quite dry with some parts classified as deserts? Because of the rain shadow effect from the Cascade Range, this area is nothing like the lush rainy west coast. When we arrived at Crater Lake, I was struck by the intense blue color within the caldera. The lake was formed by the collapse of a volcano thousands of years ago and is the deepest lake in the United States. Unfortunately, our camera chose this exact moment to fail, so our last photographic evidence of the trip ends in Idaho.
The Golden State! We shouted in excitement as soon as we crossed the border into California and were immediately filled with giddiness. The north coast feels like a world away from the heavily populated Bay Area – a bunch of old mining towns, hippies, pot plantations and of course, the mighty redwoods. Redwood National Park protects most of the remaining old growth coastal redwood trees in the world. These are the largest living species on earth, and man, are they spectacular. Nothing else can make you feel so tiny and make you contemplate your place on earth. We camped on the foggy, fern covered grounds as the familiar damp chill seeped into our bones. Soon…home.
Best Coast indeed! We’re so happy you finally came home!!