And The Winner Is....

It should be no surprise to anyone that follows this blog that my favorite place to vacation is Trillium Lake up on Mt Hood. In this photo you can catch a beginning glimpse of the infamous cloud cap that often forms over its summit.

I have many memories of this place, as I have been coming here since I was a child. My husband and I were married on its banks. I was there on its opening weekend this year and have been there at least a dozen times this summer. I can think of nowhere else I would rather be!

Crater Lake

Day 3 of posting some of my favorite vacation getaways in Oregon. Today's photo is of Crater Lake. I have only been to Crater Lake twice in my life. The last was just a short stop on the way back home from California. There are many camping locations nearby, and I would love to someday stay in the area for a few days again.

A few interesting facts about Crater Lake:

-- Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.
-- Crater Lake National Park is the only national park in Oregon.
-- The lake partly fills a nearly 2,148 ft deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama.
-- There are no rivers flowing into or out of the lake; the evaporation is compensated for by rain and snowfall at a rate such that the total amount of water is replaced every 250 years.
-- Crater Lake is known for the "Old Man of the Lake", a full-sized tree which is now a stump that has been bobbing vertically in the lake for more than a century. Due to the cold water, the tree has been rather well preserved.
-- Since 2002, one of the state's regular-issue license plate designs has featured Crater Lake.
-- The commemorative Oregon State Quarter, which was released by the United States Mint in 2005, features an image of Crater Lake on its reverse.

"Island" of Neskowin

This week, I am posting photos from some of my favorite vacation spots that I visit in Oregon.

Proposal Rock is sort of an island as Slab Creek (pictured above) empties into the ocean right at the base of the large basalt sea stack, and when the tide is up, water completely surrounds it.

You can hike to the top of the rock when tides are low (and you are brave enough to wade through the freezing waters of the creek) to see the awesome view of the Pacific Ocean around you.

Below is a view looking north towards Proposal Rock in Neskowin. We have a friend with a beach house in the tiny, quiet village, and it is where we go most often when we visit the coast.

Outside the Prineville Reservoir

My vacation countdown is on! In 4 work days, I will be off work for over a week! This week I am going to post photos from some of my favorite vacationing areas in Oregon.

This photo was taken outside Prineville in Central Oregon, where my Dad lives. We often take a drive to the Prineville Reservoir, which is about 45 minutes outside of town. The reservoir is actually behind me in this picture. I am looking east, and a small bit of the little bay can be seen below that wraps around the hill I am standing on.