Crater Lake National Park

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Crater Lake Resort

December 5, 2012August 21, 2015 Jane Sadek

Crater Lake National Park, OR — I love Crater Lake National Park!

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.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Crater Lake Lodge

November 28, 2012August 21, 2015 Jane Sadek

Crate Lake Lodge, Oregon — Here’s that crackling fire I was looking for!

TRAVEL THERE: WISH I’D STAYED AT CRATER LAKE LODGE

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 discuss where to stay when you visit Crater Lake National Park.

I Chose the Wrong Lodge

Just a couple of weeks ago I complained about Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood. It was built by the WPA during FDR’s time, but nowadays it is run by a private company in conjunction with the US Forest Rangers. My decision to splurge on a room there was not one of my best. I should have splurged at the Crater Lake Lodge instead.

The price tag goes up at Crater Lake, but I think it would be well worth it. From

outside the architecture seems much more inviting than the Dracula’s Castle at Mount Hood appeared to be and the atmosphere was completely different. Instead of trudging up the steps and finding our own way, at Crater Lake a friendly doorman tipped his hat and asked how he could assist us as he opened the door for us.

Inside a bonny fire filled the grate and the smell of fresh cookies provided a subtle undertone to the aroma of the crackling logs. The sun washed in through huge windows and the ceiling, though it might have been even lower than the Timberline’s, didn’t threaten to bang my head. I’m not pretending to guess the actual proportions, I’m just telling you how it felt. I slipped around a corner to find the ladies room and though it was not grandiose, it also wasn’t claustrophobic.

And food? Well, there was tea and cookies for the taking and though it wasn’t quite the dinner hour yet, the dining room was ready to serve us. I can’t speak to the rooms, because we’d already paid cash for accommodations down the road, but I bet they’re nice.

But I haven’t gotten to the best part: the deck. All along the backside of the lodge is this wonderful deck full of rocking chairs. None were empty on the beautiful day I visited, but I think I could spend a lot of time out there enjoying the lake. Sure the view was great from the Ram’s Head Lounge, but it wasn’t exactly Crater Lake either!

So do go to Crater Lake and stay at the Lodge.

Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

Crater Lake National Park

November 21, 2012August 21, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

Gorgeous, Beyond Words

Crater Lake National Park is the reason I was in Oregon in June, rather than May (when the 18th wedding anniversary we were celebrating actually occurred). Who can blame me? Crater Lake is Oregon’s number one tourist destination even though snow closes most of the park for the greater part of the year. That ought to tell you something. The snowplows can’t keep the roads open during winter, but by June the plows begin to clear the roads and one of the first goals is to get the North Entrance open.

As I planned our visit, hopes were high we’d get to enter on the north side and drive through the park, rather than be limited to the area adjacent to the Crater Lake Inn, which is open all year. I was disappointed enough we’d arrive too early to drive all the way around the lake, but I hoped for more than just a peek from the deck of the Lodge.

When the vacation was still months away I merely made notes to check the internet before driving to Crater Lake. The main entrance, which is open all year, was further south and east than the north gate, taking longer to get to and without the opportunity to see as much. But as the time to leave got closer, the visits to the Crater Lake website got more frequent. The website had a map which showed the progress of the snow plows. It was if the calendar and the map were having a race. The day before we left Texas the calendar was still ahead and it stayed that way every time I checked it during the early days of the trip.

At Timberline Bill did some business on his laptop, but I’d been so distracted by the catalog shoot that I let him shut everything down before checking the status of the gate. Bill wasn’t too worried. Our route took us right by the gate and if it wasn’t open we’d find out without going out of our way. “We’ll get there when we get there,” he admonished. I knew that, but it had become a sort of game with me, like avoiding cracks on the the sidewalk. However, we loaded the car and headed out unaware of how things would play out.

The drive from Mount Hood to Crater Lake is remarkable. Every inch of it is just one panoramic wonder after another. To my great joy, as we drove down US 97 the state of Oregon has signs informing you of the status of the facilities at Crater Lake. When we made the right hand turn onto highway 138, I knew I’d get to enter the North Gate. I couldn’t help asking the ranger when the gate had opened. Three PM on the previous day! My luck had returned and just in time.

OK, I don’t have words for Crater Lake. Gorgeous? Magnificent? Awe inspiring? Well, of, course! But the only other time I’ve felt so bereft of appropriate verbiage was standing next to Niagara Falls. So here’s a video Bill put together from our visit. By the way, the music is performed by my dear friend Allan Cox and he was thrilled to be a part of the project. Enjoy!

And should you go to Crater Lake? Yes, do go, but be sure the north gate is open!

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this: