Crater Lake Resort

TRAVEL THERE: CRATER LAKE RESORT ISN’T IN THE PARK, BUT IT’S A GOOD CHOICE

Welcome to Oregon! Well, sort of. This past summer my husband and I spent twelve days traveling the state and now I’m sharing the experience with you. I’ll tell you about the attractions we visited, the meals we ate and where we stayed. Maybe you’ll decide you want to visit Oregon, too. Today I’ll tell you about another great option to consider when you’re staying in the Crater Lake area, Crater Lake Resort.

So Distracting I Forgot Photos

Have you ever been somewhere so good that you forgot to take pictures?  Welcome to Crater Lake Resort!  I got lots of pictures at the National Park, but when we arrived at our cozy accommodations, I forgot to take any pictures.

It had been a long day, driving all the way from Mount Hood to Crater Lake, and then enjoying sensory overload as we played in the snow.  Though I wasn’t quite ready to call it a day, Bill let me know he’d had as much fun as he could stand.  Unsure of exactly how far away our accommodations at Crater Lake Resort were, I figured I shouldn’t press my luck.  We climbed in the car and headed south.

Close to the Park

Crater Lake Resort is really not all that far from the entrance of the park, but Mapquest hadn’t been sure.  I’m an over planner and I’ve been on a few GPS-inspired wild goose chases, so I always print out Mapquest maps directing me between major destinations on vacation and include them in that large planning binder I create for every vacation.  When she’s right, Navi (our nickname for the GPS), runs circles around Mapquest, but I don’t like to take chances with my vacation.

A Different Kind of Resort

In my mind, the word “resort” conjures up visions of Sandals or Atlantis, but Crater Lake Resort’s website let me know that wasn’t exactly the kind of place I was headed to.  It’s a resort in the RV/log cabin vein.  After spending $175 for a glorified closet at Timberline, I deserved a break – and I got one.  For all of $75 I got a darling little cabin slap dab in the middle of heaven.

The office/convenience store for the resort was nothing fancy, but it was clean and efficient.  The lady at the desk seemed glad to see me and directed us towards our cabin, which we were able to park right out in front of.  Several small cabins in a row shared a concrete pad with white rod iron tables set out in front of each cabin.  Near to our cabin another visitor was playing with a large black dog he’d brought along with him.  Comfortable, easy-going, unpretentious.  These are the words that came to mind.

Our cabin was no palace, but it seemed palatial when compared to the previous nights accommodations.  The cabin held nothing extraneous.  There was a a queen size bed in the center of the room with a bedside table on one side.  The front wall had a shelf built onto it.  The back wall was a kitchenette.  No stove, just a microwave, but everything else you needed to whip up a mean frozen dinner or bowl of cereal.  Next to the kitchenette was the bathroom. Nothing fancy, but more than adequate.

On Site Investigation

We brought in the luggage and Bill was ready for his nap, but curiosity had the better of me and the cabin didn’t have any chairs.  I wandered back over to the convenience store to check out the stock.  Then I began to wander the property.  Ponds, bridges, bbq pits, swing sets, jungle gyms, horse shoe pits, a swimming hole, row boats...are you getting the idea that this place could be a lot of fun.  Over on the other side of the convenience store were the creek-side cabins and hookups for RV’s. I could imagine all kinds of ways to enjoy myself here.  There was even a sort of community center with a stove and long tables.  Along the walls were paperback books and board games.  Maybe I’d just move in!

After Bill’s nap, he wandered the property with me and was just as amazed by all the family-friendly, kid-entertaining paraphernalia as I was.  However, he wasn’t into buying fixin’s at the convenience store and cooking up our own meal.  Instead we found our way to Chiloquin and had dinner at the casino there.  (Don’t think Bellagio, think Denny’s with slot machines.)

So do stay at the Crater Lake Resort when you go to Crater Lake.  It’s a great departure from the usual hotel/motel scene and a great bargain, too.

Come along next week as we pull into Grant’s Pass and Rogue River Country.