Klamath Falls, Or. to Crater Lake to Lassen National Park to Sacramento, Calif.
Distance: 460 miles / 740 km
Time: 9h30m
Google Maps refuses to plot a route through Lassen Park, so this is split into two approximate parts but does not show the drive through Lassen.
We got to Klamath Falls late the night before and had skipped Crater Lake, so we backtracked a couple hours this morning to go see it. What’s weird about this picture?
It’s a reflection of the sky. You’re looking down into the lake from the crater rim!
The reflections in the lake were wild.
Wizard Island in Crater Lake.
A caboose in the middle of the scrub between Crater Lake and Klamath Falls.
Mt. Shasta on the way to Weed, Calif.
Apparently, the smaller cone on the right is only about 1,000 years old…
About 20 years ago I was in McCloud, Calif. to ride the McCloud Railway with my friends the Forbis Family who ran the railroad. The railroad has since ceased operations, but some of it remains.
The McCloud Railway tracks along the main street.
North of town by the old mill some of the passenger equipment is still visible.
From McCloud we went south to Lassen Volcanic National Park. I really didn’t appreciate how many volcanoes are on the west coast before this trip. This volcano, Lassen Peak, erupted about 100 years ago throwing car-sized boulders out to where I took this picture.
Trees in Lassen.
I’ll admit, the drive around Lassen from the north was underwhelming. However, this boiling and bubbling mud and sulfur cauldron made the visit worth it.
Zeke and I agreed it did not smell good, however.
Across the road, sulfur fumes and deposits are built into large, stinky mounds. I think the draw of the park must be the off road hikes to more geothermal vents and geysers. There were a lot of people visiting and hiking. We just didn’t have the time to get out of the car and we had a long way to go that evening.
We reached Sacramento, and Zeke was able to give me a tour because he had been here for a 4th grade school trip last year. This is Sutter’s Fort in the middle of town.
The main gate to Sutter’s Fort.
That night we ate at my final Guy Fieri associated food location, The Golden Bear. Good food, but probably not appropriate late night for a 10-year-old.
A Viking’s Walkabout: | Prologue | Day 01 Calif. to Az. | Day 02 Az. to N.M. | Day 03 N.M. to Colo. | Day 04 Colo. | Day 05 Colo., Kan., Neb. | Day 06 Part 1 Neb. | Day 6 Part 2 Neb. to S.D. | Day 07 S.D., Wy., Mont. | Day 08 Mont. to Alta. | Day 09 Alta. (Banff) | Day 10 Alta. (Grande Cache) | Day 11 Alta. to B.C. | Day 12 B.C. to Yukon | Day 13 Yukon | Day 14 Yukon to Alaska | Day 15 Alaska (Coldfoot) | Day 16 Part 1 Alaska (Atigun Pass) | Day 16 Part 2 Alaska (Deadhorse) | Day 17 Alaska (Prudhoe Bay) | Day 18 Alaska (Fairbanks) | Day 19 Alaska (Anchorage) | Day 20 Alaska (Anchorage) | Day 21 Alaska (Tok) | Day 22 Alaska to Yukon | Day 23 Yukon | Day 24 Yukon to B.C. | Day 25 B.C. (Prince Rupert) | Day 26 B.C. (Prince George) | Day 27 B.C. (Vancouver) | Day 28 B.C. to Wash. | Day 29 Wash. to Or. | Day 30 Or. | Day 31 Or. to Calif. | Day 32 Calif. |