I've heard a lot about Crater Lake, famous for its deep blue colour and water clarity. With dimensions of 5 - 6 miles (8 by 9.6 km) across and an average depth of 1,100 feet (350 m), scientists have calculated that the lake was formed around 7,500 years ago by the collapse of the volcano known as Mount Mazama.
So being this close .. well, ya just gotta go take a look, haven’t you?
Saturday, Sept-15
So we set-off around mid-morning at a leisurely pace and head inland on a broad easterly course towards this famous Oregon lake; a distance of no more than 160 miles [257 km] - approx 3½ hours travelling time. Following the curves of the Uumpqua River, which looks like a mirror in this cool, late summer/early autumn atmosphere
These roads will be covered in falling leaves within the next few weeks
Lunchtime stop at Karen's Coffee Cup, Roseburg ...
.. highly recommended for the rhubarb pie alone!
And onwards, further along the Uumpqua, until we find the cheapest dump of a motel yet - 20 miles [32km] on the other [wrong] side of our destination. All the nicer 'quality' accommodation around Crater Lake has been, regrettably, already taken up .. :o((TIP: if visiting Crater Lake, especially at the weekend, then book in advance .. ;o)
Sunday, Sep-16
The intention was to get back to the Park early this morning .. [8:00am] But it's dang cold! .. so a cooked brekky is required, to leave sufficient time for the sun to rise high enough into the cloudless sky to tempt the mesh-jacket wearers of this world to throw a right leg over the saddle. Y'all should understand that the rim of Crater Lake ranges in elevation from 7,000 to 8,000 feet (2,130 to 2,440 m).
Dj'all get m'drift .. huh? 'tis cold up here at these elevations and latitudes ...
.. in mid September!
So arrival time after the gentle curving up-hill climb to the crater's rim is around 10:45am. A crowd of people appear to be gaping over the edge ...
into this.
I make a shivery clockwise loop around the rim [now wishing that I had retained my Rev'it jacket] and start taking loads of pictures, as and when the oppotunity(ies) arise. These two wide-angle shots summarise around 50 others ...
.. what I find kinda 'spooky' is the lack of apparent wildlife around here.I think this place has an atmosphere all of its own. I just can't put my finger on it?
This is a 'special place'.
Ho-hum! Dunno what it is ..... but by around midday it's time to make the descent, westward, down through the surrounding forests into - hopefully - warmer altitudes.
To summarise: IMHO, Oregon is one of the USA's best kept secrets. It seems to have everything going for it; (a) great scenery, (b) fabulous coastline (c) spendid lakes and fishing rivers, (d) gentle mountains & green canyons, (e) wonderful, uncrowded surfing beaches - it's laid-back - unpretentious and unassuming attitude .. I really luv'it here.
Indeed, if ever I found myself in circumstances where I needed to live in America, then given a choice of location .. the state of Oregon would be near to the top of my preference list. I can pay no greater compliment to Oregon than this .. can I? surely not?
(Warm Rhubarb Pie & vanilla ice-cream .. Mmmmmm - yummy .. an' evrythang .. :o)
140 miles [225 km] later (3½ hours), towards the southwest and the Pacific coastline, it's time to enter California - the 'Golden State' of America
Then it's - literally - nearly downhill all the way to the coast for another 41 miles [66 km] ... 
.. but the sun doesn't want to come out and play. So we push on for a further 85 miles [137 km] to the seaside city of Eureka, for yet another night's stopover in a deficient Super-8 motel after an 'all you can eat' Chinese buffet meal. Monday, Sep-17
Just one more week remaining .. :o(It's still cloudy and overcast here on the coast. But just around 15 miles [24 km] inland, there's not a cloud in sight .. :o)
40 miles [64 km] down the road ...
.. we arrive at the entrance to the 'Avenue of the Giants' ... 
.. The Redwood tree forest, that is
Feeling quite tiny (and young-er .. :o) today.
Some of these beasts defy living logic ... 
.. Take this monster, for instance. 5,000 years old; in its heyday it stood 275 feet [84 m] high; a diameter of 21 ft [6½ m]; circumference of 64 ft [19½ m]. I seem to remember seeing a picture of this old gent in one of my geography textbooks, when I was around 11 years old. That's a long time ago too, of course!
The view from inside, looking up.
But we must press on, inland, for at least further 200 miles [322 km], through the originally[?] named lakeside township of Nice, where during the morning the local area, according to the FM radio news, experienced an earthquake measuring 3.?(summin') on the Richter scale .. jeez [gulp!] 
The time of day is 7:10pm, and what a glorious one it's been, as the sun sinks towards the eastern horizon - time to call it a day too, for sure, as we stopover in the town of Woodland, just 20 miles [32 km] west of ... Tuesday, Sep-18
.. Sacramento, where the following morning we dodge off the interstate to take a look around. I'm half expecting to see Arnie the Austrian-Oak pop out from around a corner, as Sacto is, of course, the capital city of California.
I read somewhere once that this city has been voted one of the top five best places to live in the whole of America.
At first view it has a lot going for it; a combination of the new ...
.. with the old
Step back nearly 140 years ...
.. to where on April 4, 1869, Sam Hamilton galloped into a blinding rainstorm, right from this very spot, on the first lap, of the first ever near 2000-mile [3,219-km] long Pony Express delivery to the state of Missouri.But move on again we must to ...
.. San Andreas for a spot of lunch. I cannot find a fault with this place, anywhere (dja get it? .. :o) - too subtle for ya .. huh?)
Ever inland we continue, around some fantastic motorcycling roads .. up ...
.. and around ...
.. and down ...
.. for what seems like hours. Elated, and somewhat exhausted - with a cheesey grin - the day finishes, conveniently, just outside Yosemite National Park.It's been a hot one, with temperatures creeping into the low 30sºC [nearly 90ºF] .. Glad I retained my cooler JoeRocket mesh jacket and posted my warmer Rev'it one back home .. :o)
