Aug 13th - Ashland, OR

Angie had never been to Crater Lake, so we took a two-hour drive back up to the Cascades. It was an awesome day, clear and still, which made for outstanding reflections of the crater cliffs on the still, indigo-colored lake. We did a 33-mile driving loop around the rim to enjoy the top-rated overlooks.

We returned to Ashland in time to watch the Seahawks pre-season game at a sports bar. Unfortunately, it was blacked out on Dish Network, so we ended up watching the game on Hank's phone. Yes, he is addicted to Seahawks football! He is excited to see our new, young talent in action. After the game, we enjoyed a game of pool and an ice cream cone before heading back to our camp.

When we returned to our campsite, our neighbors informed us that when they got up that morning, there was a large rattlesnake in their campsite, only about 20 feet from where our dogs had been playing! Fortunately the snake did not return during our stay but we cautiously scanned the area the rest of our stay.
​
Since it was a calm, cool night, Hank decided to build a campfire. Angie was reluctant, given the dry conditions. But Hank insisted that, since the camp host was selling firewood, it must be considered safe. Well, 45 minutes later, two firetrucks rolled up to our campsite. It turns out that a burn ban had gone into effect that day, while we were at Crater Lake. The firefighters were very nice. We extinguished our fire and they left without citing us.

Angie enjoyed pointing out yet another instance when Hank should give more credence to her opinions.