The next stop on our National Park list was Crater Lake National Park!
Since the Crater is located in Southern Oregon, we took Memorial Day weekend to make this trip. From Seattle, the drive is about 10 hours. We stopped at the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR on the way to the Park for some local goodness then we were back on our way.
If you ever find yourself in Oregon, make the trek to Crater Lake National Park. No pictures could ever do this lake justice. As a designer, who was traveling with other designers, we coined the term “Crater Lake Blue” and used it in excess. This is the deepest and most magnificent blue you could ever imagine! (insert infinite heart eye emojis)
There are so many hikes around the lake ranging from easy (for people who just want to take photos, stay composed, and not have a heart attack while trying to scale a mountain and look like a fool) to difficult for you ambitious, mountainous folk.
To reward yourself after your strenuous hike, or super difficult stroll, head to the lodge for a snack and a beer while sitting on the edge of the lake, wondering how something this magnificent ever came into existence. (Cheesy, I know, but you’ll understand when you see it:)
The immensity of this lake makes you feel so insignificant in a way. It is a spectacular reminder that there is so much more to the world than that which we are aware of. Places like this exist through natural occurrences, unprovoked by man. As designers, we try to evoke this feeling of wonder and awe through the spaces that we create, but there is something so satisfying about standing in front of something, knowing it can never be recreated.
Fun Fact: Crater Lake is a result of a sunken volcano **the more you know**
If you end up camping in the Park, make sure you drive back up to the lake for the sunset and stay until the stars appear. With no light in sight, the stars will be the brightest you’ve ever seen. For those who love astrophotography, this is the place to shoot.
