POSTCARD FROM CALIFORNIA
We drove through the "Avenue of the Giants" Redwoods National Park some thirty to forty miles south of Eureka,California.These trees often reach heights of 350 plus feet and in the middle of the day, casting long shadows on the roadway making it feel like you're driving through a dark tunnel.Thank God for the preservationists of the early 20th century, otherwise the lumber industry would have decimated this forest.
Next up: Driving up to Crater Lake from Grants Pass. We ran into rain that quickly turned into a mid winter type snowstorm. Temps dropped from the 50's to the mid 30's. In June no less! This national park is at an elevation of 8,000 plus feet, and they told us that summer doesn't arrive until late July and lasts till around Labor Day.
The lake was totally enshrouded in fog when we arrived but eventually it cleared (as we were having lunch at the lodge) and the views were awesome. Crater Lake was formed by volcanic activity and its depth is almost 2,000 feet. This just may be the purest water in the world and its blue color, almost indigo-makes it unique.The rim road runs 33 miles around the lake but half of it was closed due to heavy snow as well as rock slides.
— Jonathan Loftus