Disney is for Kids....Or Is It?

Let's be honest.....when you think of Disney....Disney movies...DisneyLand....Disney World.....your first thought is kids.  Kids love Disney.....Kids love Mickey and Minnie and Pluto and Donald and Goofy.  Well here is a bulletin......Adults LOVE Disney also!  And here is an even bigger kept secret....sometimes it's more fun going to Disney as an Adult or for a "Couples Trip"!

There is nothing....absolutely nothing... more wonderful than seeing the excitement and awe in your child's eyes as they enter the Magic Kingdom.  If you have ever taken your child to Disney World you know exactly what I mean.  It is worth the cost of admission just to see that look!  A visit to Disney is sure to be one of the highlights of your child's life.  It will also be one of the highlight's of your life as it was with ours.  I have absolutely no regrets in taking my son to Disney at an alarming rate during his childhood and adolescent years!

As he got older and older, I was worried that he would "outgrow" Disney.  I also was worried because I loved my trips to Disney and I wasn't ready to give them up!  What would we do??  Well.....as I soon found out.....there is no "outgrowing" Disney.  Even better than that......Disney could very well be even more fun as an adult without kids or with your Adult Children!  "Why is this so?" you ask......well let me tell you what I've learned.......

The Happiest Place on Earth?

Disney is dubbed as "the happiest place on earth" and it is.....most of the time.  Who among you hasn't seen the overtired child crying as he/she has hit their limit of entertainment for the day.  It happens to all of them.....they are little and it's a huge park!  Everything is going along just fine and then BOOM.....they snap!!!  It's like a chain reaction at that point.....kid snaps....starts screaming...mom and dad (who are tired of pushing a stroller, carrying diaper bags and/or running around with the kids) snap also and all of a sudden the "fun" is gone.  Now one of the ways to effectively deal with this is take the children back to the resort for a nap......now you've missed half a day at a park by going back to the resort...but it does help with the general mood!  

Now if you have older children...that gets a little better but you have the issue of who wants to do what......are the rides too scary for younger children....getting everyone to agree on a place to eat.  Do you want to watch the parade?  Can you see the parade?  Do you need to sit on the side of the street for an hour before the parade so you can see it?  Keeping track of all the details can be exhausting for parents and annoying to children.  Often times the parks are crowded...the waits are long and the weather is HOT!  All of these things can sap the happiness right out of the experience.  

The cost of a day at the parks is not cheap no matter how you do it.  Multiply that cost by the amount of people in your family and add in airfare and the cost of a hotel or Disney Resort and the cost adds up fast!  Often times young families don't have the means to stay at the Deluxe Disney resorts or even the Moderate Resorts....this leaves the Value Resorts....great theming....itty bitty living space (as the Genie would say)!  So now your refuge from the parks is crowded and stressful also.  

Again......totally worth it for the wonderful Magical Memories that you get....but realistically the vacation with all it's planning and cost and logistics....can be tiring and stressful!

The Benefits of being a "childless" Adult at Disney

Here are my favorite parts of traveling to Disney as a "childless" adult or with my adult son who is now 22:

1.  You get to decide when you want to go!

You are no longer bound to school schedules!   You realize you can plan a trip to Disney World ANY TIME YOU WANT!  This means that you now have the ability to plan your visit to take advantage of LESS crowds......DISCOUNTED rooms.....and COOLER Weather!  This in and of itself is one of the best perks of all!

2.  You get to decide what you want to do!

All of sudden you have this wonderful freedom......you get to decide where you want to go and when you want to go there!  I remember one Disney Vacation (which still provides many, many magical memories) when my son was 4 years old.  He loved the characters...he loved Dumbo but many of the other rides he found to be scary....they were loud and dark and usually had a villain in there somewhere and his response to this was to scream the entire time that we were on the ride!  Stressful!!  As he got older this was no longer an issue but guess what?  As an adult couple or even if my son travels with us......there is no problem with scary rides....everything becomes a possibility and everyone knows which rides are their favorites so it makes planning much easier!  

While we love our characters and thoroughly enjoyed seeing as many as we could find....for the time being we no longer have to take chunks of days hunting down the characters and standing in long lines for autographs and pictures.  This opens up endless possibilities of scheduling your day since you are not time-bound!

It is also easier with adults to decide on where you want to eat and be able to find things on the menus that everyone can agree with.  You are not time bound to children's eating routines.  

3.  You save money!

You really notice this if you go as just a couple as the savings for Adult children are not nearly as much.  If there are just two of you....now you are only paying admission cost for 2 people.  The rooms are adequate for two people and even if you want to upgrade to a Deluxe...you are usually making better wages at this time in your life than you were starting out 20 years ago with a family!  There is just more expendable income for some luxuries that you can't afford as a young couple with children.  You also are only paying for airfare for 2.....meals for 2 and probably a whole less snacks and souvenirs (although the souvenir part is debatable because I think I buy more now than when I was younger....it's the disposable income thing again as well as the fact that you become a Disney collector over the years!).  

4.  There are more options open to you.

As parents with small children, you focus on the vacation for the children as it should be.  You rarely if ever take the time out for yourselves to participate in activities that you may like.  For instance, Disney has 5 beautiful Golf Courses.  How many of you would take time out to shoot a round of golf if you had children with you.  Add to that that the cost of a round of golf at these golf courses can run as much as $139.00 a round per person!  (There are lesser costs depending on the time of year and time of day that you book).  Are you really going to go alone and can you afford a $300.00 time out when you are budgeting a Disney Vacation with children??

Spas are another adult pleasure.....Disney has spas available but who knows that when you are traveling with children?  Better yet....who has the time or money to go to one if you are there with your children??  Now as an adult vacation....this is now an option!  You aren't tied to a ragged schedule at the parks to get everything in and you have the extra money to indulge in the spa services if you so desire!

Cirque du Soleil.....another attraction that we never made it to when we were traveling as a family.  Not everyone wanted to go and the cost is quite high per ticket.  When you have a large family this can be prohibitive...especially when it's a cost that is in addition to park admission fees.  A day at the water parks was a much better choice for us as a family...cheaper, you could spend all day and everyone had a good time!

5.  You can still do all the things that you loved!

Just because you are there without children doesn't mean that you can't still do all the things that you loved when you were there with children.  It was always a family tradition to have dinner at Chef Mickey's on our first night at the Walt Disney Resort.  Just because we don't have our son with us at times, this doesn't stop us....we make the reservation and go and enjoy the characters!  Now is it a little different....yes. The characters don't spend as much time as they do when you have children with you but they still interact and the atmosphere is just as fun.  We took my parents (74 and 83 at the time) and they had a wonderful time at Chef Mickey's!  Don't think that you can't participate in some of the "kids" activities just because you are there without children or with adult children.  If you want to get your picture taken with a character....do it!! If you want to eat Dole Whip before your dinner....do it!  The possibilities are endless!

Simply Enjoy

My best advise to you if you are going without children is to simply enjoy it!  Enjoy the extra freedom and the extra savings and remember that Disney is for kids of ALL ages!  Where else can you go....leave your troubles behind and be a kid again???  Go.....Run....Do Not Walk.....to Disney World! 

Alaska, Washington and Oregon.....What I Learned!

Whenever I return from a trip I always take a few days to evaluate how it went, what I liked and didn't like about the areas, schedules, etc. and most importantly....would I return.  If I like a location well enough there are good odds that I will return again.  Since we tend to do a quick overview the first time around, there are always things to return to that we would like to see more in-depth or there are things that we simply didn't have time to see the first time around.  Here are my final thoughts on our trek through the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Alaska

Alaska is a tough place to evaluate.  When we returned everyone's first question was "Would you go back?"  It took me a while to figure out how exactly I felt about that.  After reflection here are my answers to that seemingly simple question!

Time Frame

We were only in Alaska for 4 days.  Of that time 1 1/2 days was spent traveling there and then traveling to our next stop in Seattle.  It was enough time for an overview of a couple areas of Alaska but not nearly enough time to really see things.  It is a very large state and there are so many things to see that you really need more time than just 4 days to see things.  Now...If you were doing a land/sea trip with one of the cruise lines, they only dedicate about 3-4 days for the land portion so it can be done if you choose a highlight and head there.  I wish we had had at least a day or two more to spend to really see the southern part of the state...south of Anchorage.  I would suggest that if you are going to take the time to get to Alaska...make the time to stay there for about a week.  The cost of the flight is high and the time involved to get there is long....make the most of it.  It may be the only time you get there.

Location

If you have read my previous blogs you know this so bear with me.  If you haven't....we targeted two areas of Alaska on our trip.  We spent the majority of our time focused on Denali National Park.  The second location was the Turnagain Arm, south of Anchorage.

Denali National Park

Let me begin by saying that if you have a chance to visit the park you should definitely do so.  It's a beautiful park.  However, If the question is "Would you go back?"  My answer would be "No."   Here are my reasons:

1. Distance/Location

It is about a 6 hour or so drive to Denali National Park from Anchorage.  It took the better part of a day for us to drive there with minimal stops.  The scenery along the way is pretty but many areas are very "forest-like" with just trees on either side and a two lane highway going between them.  There are not a lot of places to stop and sight-see.  Not much food or civilization on the roadway.  So you are looking at the better part of a day driving there and a better part of the day driving back.  If you have the time and wish to go there, there is plenty to see and do but just be sure to budget your time because it's not really a day trip.

2. Seeing Denali

I was really under the assumption that I would see the mountain even though everything that I read ahead of time prepared me for the real possibility that I would not be able to see it.  I figured that I would at the very least catch a glimpse of the mountain.  Ummmm......NO.  It's like it didn't even exist when we were there.  There really wasn't any opportunity to "catch a glimpse" of it.  Guidebooks will tell you it's about a 30 percent chance of seeing it.  Our tour guide said it was actually closer to 20 percent.  If seeing the mountain is why you are going to the park....you really want to think that through before you decide to make the trip.  Couple the fact that it is a rare sight and you will drive a long way to get there to probably not see the mountain, then decide if it's a trip you want to make.

3.  Tour bus

If you are going to make the trip to Denali the Tundra Wilderness Tour is definitely the way to go as far as viewing the park.  Book well in advance and pray for good weather because they travel rain or shine unless the roadway gets damaged.  If it rains, visibility is low and the wildlife is harder to see.  We were there on a good day and the wildlife was still few and far between and hard to see.  The clouds are very low and obscure the mountains at times.  It is a long trip....long day.  You start out early if you take the morning tour (which is the best to see the animals) and get back around 4:00 PM.  Much of the trip you will not see anything.  You eat a boxed lunch (either from the tour company or one you purchase yourself) as you ride.  There are restroom breaks but no organized lunch stop.  You certainly see things you wouldn't see if you didn't take the tour but quite honestly the highlight of our tour was seeing two bears mating far in the distance!  Glad I did it....would highly recommend it if you are going to Denali....but wouldn't do it again.

4.  Lodging

Lodging was nice at the Princess Wilderness Lodge.  Probably the nicest of the hotels that we saw in our immediate area.  The main areas of the lodge were very nice and provided much to do when you were not in the park itself.  The rooms were nothing to write home about (basic amenities) and were pricey for what they were although no more pricey than other hotels in the area.  Just be prepared to pay top dollar for lodging as there isn't a lot of supply for the demand.  

5.  Sled Dogs

This was my favorite part of the whole park even though it poured while we were there.  If you make the trip to Denali plan to see the Dog Sled Demonstration!

Turnagain Arm

We decided at the last minute to check out the Turnagain Arm area south of Anchorage.  We had half a day to see a few sights before catching our plane.  The three of us agreed that we enjoyed this part of Alaska much more than Denali.  We actually felt like we were finally in "Alaska".  The mountains were beautiful...the lakes pristine....the glaciers amazing.  I wish that we had had more time to spend in this area to see more of the wonderful sights it had to offer.  This is a definite "must do" area if you are going to Alaska.  Allow time to travel the entire Seward Highway and to be able to make stops along the way to just take in the beautiful sights.

"Would you do a cruise instead of traveling on your own?"

This is the other question we heard a lot.  I am still sticking to my original statement that we are NOT "cruise people".  I will say that if you choose to do a cruise they have it down to science and if you do a land portion (which is the only part that we witnessed) you will certainly see the highlights of the state.  Personally small cabins and being herded around in large groups doesn't suit me but it is definitely a good way to see Alaska.  So that is a personal answer and I will leave that up to you, my reader, to make that decision.

Final Decision

Yes I would go back to Alaska but I would skip Denali and focus on the southern part of the State more.  I would love to see more glaciers and the areas with the snow covered mountains and lakes.  The seafood was amazing, the air crisp and fresh, the wildlife fun to see.  If you have a chance to get to Alaska....do it!

Washington

We split our time in Washington with our time in Oregon but really hit two major areas while there, Seattle and Olympic National Park.  

Olympic National Park

Would I do this again?  Part of it maybe...most of it No.  Olympic National Park is actually quite a drive  from Seattle so you need to plan this as a full day trip or plan on staying somewhere nearby (good luck finding lodging nearby).  Hurricane Ridge was beautiful and well worth the trip there.  Beautiful drive...beautiful views.  The remainder of the park was very wet, rainy, cloudy and in some spots downright boring to drive through.  Lots of trees, a few very small towns, not many places to stop and eat or enjoy a view.  The coastline was not very pretty (at least the day we were there).  We planned this a "Part of the Day" trip and then continued to drive to Eugene, Oregon that evening.  That was way too long of a trip for one day.  Better planning on our part, may have made this more enjoyable but  all in all I was a little underwhelmed with this National Park.  Having been to Mount Rainier National Park and Cascade National Park on a previous trip to the area I would recommend both of those over Olympic.  If I were to go again, I would head up Hurricane Ridge and head back down and out the way I came!

Seattle

Seattle is a terrific city.  I have to admit it is probably not in my top 10 but it's a great place to visit and I would highly recommend it if you have a chance to visit Washington.  The weather is iffy...our summer visit was quite damp and cold and drizzly....our trip in October last year was sunny and beautiful so who knows!  It's an interesting city....much older looking than I imagined but has some character.  Pike's Place Market is always a fun adventure and truly offers an insight into the area.  This is a definite "must do" if you are in Washington and definitely a place that I would return to in a heartbeat.

Oregon

Finally Oregon....we spent time at Crater Lake National Park as well as in the Portland Area at Columbia River Gorge and Mt. St. Helens.  I really enjoyed our time in Oregon and would definitely make a return trip.

Crater Lake National Park

This is definite MUST SEE.  Put this on your bucket list if isn't already there!  It is near NOTHING.  It is an adventure getting there and it is more of an adventure being there!  This may be the single most beautiful place I have ever had the fortune to see.  We planned about half a day to spend there and for us this was the perfect amount of time.  We don't do long hikes but do like to see the highlights and take time to take some pictures and enjoy the beauty of the area,  I don't know if my travels will ever take me back to Crater Lake simply because of it's location but I am happy that I was able to see it!

Portland/Columbia River Gorge/Mt. St. Helens

All of these areas are great areas to visit.  The city of Portland is a nice area.  Modern but you know you are in the Pacific West Coast.  I really enjoyed the area a lot.  Columbia River Gorge is beautiful and a "must see".  This was our second time visiting the Gorge and it was just as amazing the second time around.  Mount St. Helens seems to have horrible weather conditions which makes it very difficult to see.  The visitor's center is very interesting but I have to say that the trip there is a bit long and around nothing else and if you don't get to see the mountain itself it can be a bit disappointing.  

Final Thoughts

Our Summer Adventure 2012 was an amazing trip.  It was a whirlwind.  Those of you who know me or have read some of my blogs, know this is not unusual for our family!  We try to cram as much into our days as we possibly can.  Our theory....you never know when or if you will get back so try to see as much as possible!  

I would say I wish for this particular trip that we had allotted a few more days or tried to "cram in" a few less things.  So the answer is....yes I would return to most of the places that we visited but I would maybe do them in a different time frame or would plan a slightly different itinerary.  These are all places that should be visited and enjoyed but make your plans wisely.  The travel time to get there may be long depending on where you live...you're there....make the most of it!

Day 8: Some Things are Worth Seeing More than Once

Day 8 brought another drive but not nearly as long and there were plenty of things to see on our way.  We headed out around 8 AM this morning after our breakfast at the Embassy Suites in Portland.  Again, very, very, very crowded on the weekend for breakfast and had we known how stressful it was going to be, we probably would have skipped the free breakfast and found somewhere else to stop.  As it was, we did manage to find some food and a table so it was all good and we were on our way without too much damage other than our nerves!

Columbia River Gorge

This is a repeat stop.  It is only about half an hour (tops) outside of the Portland area and is really a must see if you are in the area.  Hubby and I made a stop here back in October of 2011 (there is a previous blog entry on this if you go back through my entries...and I highly recommend you do that!).  It is a place that is so beautiful and lush that we just had to take our son there to experience it.  

Columbia River Gorge is in the Cascade mountains and there are "cascades" everywhere.  The great part about this area is that the waterfalls are very close to the roadway so they are easily accessible.  If you are more adventurous, you can take short hikes to additional areas to see them from different angles.  However, if you never take a hike while you are there, you will still see some beautiful views!

When we went in October, we started our day very early...not thinking that a.  it is dark in the morning in October and you can't see anything! and b. it is very foggy in this area in the mornings with all the precipitation!  We ended up having to pull over and wait for it to get light and for the fog to lift so this time we started out a bit later in the morning.  There was still a bit of fog when we arrived, but it quickly burned off and we were on our way.  Tip:  Do not go to the Gorge bright and early in the morning!  You will see much more if you wait till at least mid-morning.

The Vista House

Our First Stop on the Historic Byway was the Vista House.  This is one of the most photographed sites along the byway.  It is a tribute to Oregon Pioneers as well as an observatory and restroom area.  

The Vista House - Columbia River Gorge

This area is located on a 733 foot cliff and overlooks a beautiful view of the Columbia River.  It is definitely worth a stop.

View from the Vista House

View from the Vista House

This area reminds me of what I think Scotland would like....however having never been to Scotland I have absolutely nothing to base that on!!  You can see it was still a bit foggy and overcast even though we arrived mid-morning.

Latourell Falls

This is a beautiful waterfall that we were able to see in October.  However, they were doing some construction of buildings around the falls this summer and the view was pretty much blocked.  There was also no parking available with the construction vehicles around so we weren't able to stop at this waterfall.  It was a little disappointing but I'm sure the facilities will be nice once they are built.  Latourell Falls is very close to the roadway and there is a very short hike that will take you near the base of the falls.  Please look back at my blog from October to see photos and more information on this location.

Bridal Veil Falls

This is a beautiful waterfall along the byway.  It takes a bit more effort to get to this one than some of the others but the effort is worth making.  The trail is fairly easy on the way down.  It's wide and cleared and and easy to follow.  It is, however, a bit steep so while it is easy getting down to view the falls, it is tougher to climb on the way up.  It is not impossible though and there are benches along the way where you can stop and catch your breath.  The trip down and back took us approximately 30-45 minutes with picture taking and enjoying the scenery.  

River (runoff) by Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Wahkeena Falls

This is another of the falls that is quite close to the roadway.  We made about a 15 minute stop here.  You could take longer if you choose to hike to some of the areas.  There is a pathway which is well marked that will take you over to Multnomah Falls if you want to travel between the two.

Runoff from Wahkeena Falls

Wahkeena Falls

The view may be a bit more impressive if you climb higher to view it.  It is a little hard to see from the roadway stop but is worth a stop.

Multnomah Falls

The centerpiece of the byway.  This is a beautiful waterfall and a definite must see!  There is a parking area near the falls as well as a Visitor's Center, a Gift Shop, a cafe and a place to purchase coffee and fudge. 

The walk to the viewing area is an easy one and there are plenty of places to take pictures.

Multnomah Falls - the Centerpiece of the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Byway

If you are a bit more ambitious, you can make the climb to the bridge area .  My husband and I did this trail in October but decided against it this time due to time constraints.  It is a moderate walk I would say and takes a bit of time.  This stop can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or so depending on what you decide to do here.  Just make sure that you DO stop!

Horsetail Falls

This is probably one of the smaller of the waterfalls but also one of the most accessible and interesting.  You simply park and walk to the falls.  It is easy to see if from the side of the roadway.  There is a small walk down some stairs that will lead you right to the base of the falls.  This is a great way to view the falls.  My son had a wonderful time at this one simply because you could get so close to the waterfall itself.

Horsetail Falls from the side

Horsetail Falls from the base

I believe we spent at least 20 minutes at this stop and then turned around and headed back out of the park as we wanted to make a couple more stops and had dinner reservations in Seattle that evening. If you continue on the byway, you will eventually make it to Mt. Hood and then back around to the Portland area.

A Change in Weather....A Change in Plans

After we left the Gorge area we headed back to the highway to start our trek back north to Seattle.  Along the way our plans changed a bit as it went from a beautiful sunny morning to a very overcast and potentially wet afternoon.  We were debating on whether to make a stop at Mount St. Helen's or at Mount Rainier National Park in the afternoon.  Again, Hubby and I had visited both in a day on our previous trip.  Although they are very close on a map, driving distances between the two places make it difficult to hit both in a day.  We were leaning toward Mount Rainier but with the change in the weather and the overcast conditions we were pretty sure that seeing the mountain would not be in the cards.  So....in a last minute decision we chose to go to Mount St. Helen's.

Mount St. Helen's 

When the two of us had gone in October we found the area to be very interesting as you can see the scars of the eruption decades after it happened.  We were a bit disappointed in this location though because, again thinking we were getting a head start, we headed there early in the morning.  It is another place that is overcast and foggy in the mornings.  In fact it was so bad that we weren't able to even see Mt. St. Helen's at all and to top it off, we were there before the Visitor's Center opened so we weren't even able to see anything there.  So going back to this spot was almost like going for the first time.

We were hopeful that since we would be hitting this area during the early afternoon, it would be much clearer than our last trip.  Well.....yes and no.  As we started up the highway, it kept getting cloudier and cloudier.  The clouds hung so low that the valleys were pretty much obscured in some parts.  We did make it to the Visitor's Center and had a very enjoyable experience there.  My son loved the hands on things at the Visitor's Center as well as the movies about the eruption and the area's subsequent recovery.  

Mount St. Helen's partially obscured by clouds

We went into the first movie, watched it and they opened a curtain at the end to reveal the mountain.  This is what we saw.

Mount St. Helen's with cloud cover

We were so excited that we were even able to see this much of it!!  We decided that the first movie was so interesting that we would head back in for the second one.  There are two different movies and they alternate showings.  We sat through the second movie, they lifted the curtain and THE WHOLE THING WAS GONE!

Seriously......there wasn't even a glimpse of the mountain.....it was completely behind the clouds.  It also decided to start to pour at that moment and the entire trip back to the main highway was made through low clouds and heavy rains.  

You just can't predict what the weather is going to do in this area and what kind of views you might actually get to see.  If you want to take a chance on getting to see the mountain, it is definitely worth it.  It's an interesting drive.  The Visitor's Center is very interesting.  The Mountain is an awesome sight if you can catch a glimpse of it but it is equally possible that you will drive down the roadway and never see a thing!

Back to Tukwila and the Homewood Suites

Well here we were....heading back to the sight of our previous meltdown....The Homewood Suites Tukwila.   We were still wondering how this was going to be after our last stay but were hopeful that things would be different.  We hadn't heard a thing from the customer service rep from Homewood Suites regarding our previous sty so we really weren't sure what to expect. This time we did not travel on any unmarked bike paths.  We did not have a smoking room when we had booked a non-smoking room and the room was SO much larger.  Same thing....one bedroom king suite....as the previous one but this one was definitely much larger.  It was also NOT next to the train tracks.  This was a good start.  I once again tweeted that we were back and relieved that it was much better, despite not having received a response from Homewood Suites.  Well.....almost immediately I received a response and they reassigned our case to another representative who immediately responded and gave us 30,000 hilton points as well as an apology for our prior stay.  They still missed the point...which was why did they give away our original room when we are at the highest level of their loyalty program....but it did help to know that we could enjoy a free night somewhere else for the inconvenience.  By the way, we never did see or hear from the General Manager of the property itself.  Just a bit troubling.  

We checked into our hotel room and had enough time to change for our 8 PM dinner reservation at the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Downtown Seattle.

Ruth's Chris Seattle - Downtown Location

So if you know my family at all, you know we LOVE Ruth's Chris Steakhouses.  It has become an obsession of ours since they closed the one in Cleveland near us, to make reservations at at least one Ruth's Chris on our vacation if they have a location nearby!  We had saved this stop as our last on this trip and were really looking forward to a great steak and some wonderful cheesecake!  This location did not disappoint.  It was a little different because it was located inside of the Hyatt in downtown Seattle.  You had to valet park and head into the hotel for the restaurant.  Once you made it inside it was a wonderful location with wonderful service and wonderful food!  They Hyatt looked beautiful too and really upscale restrooms!  If the rest of the hotel was a nice as the restrooms in the lobby, this would be a great place to stay!

After a terrific meal, we headed out to take a look around town at Seattle at night, of course lost our way a bit with some street closures but managed to find the Space Needle!  We headed back to our hotel for a good night's sleep and another exciting day touring Seattle when we awoke!

Coming Next:  Seattle in a Day!

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Day 7: Crater Lake.....An Absolute Gem

After all the driving that we did the day before it wasn't hard to fall asleep and be ready to go again early the next morning.  This was another ambitious day of driving but what lay ahead of us today was something that we were very excited about seeing....Crater Lake.  

The Drive to Crater Lake National Park

View on the way to Crater Lake National Park

Ok....here was another drive that looked like it should be shorter when viewed on a map than what it really was.  We decided to make the long drive the day before to put ourselves as close to Crater Lake as we could get to make it a little easier drive to get there the next day.  Springfield, OR was about as close as we could get and still have a "real" hotel.  If you check the driving distance it is approximately 132 miles from Springfield to Crater Lake....however.....it takes about 3 hours to actually drive that 132 miles!!  I will say that it was worth every mile of the trip!  The Park is really in the middle of nowhere so make sure that you plan your travel accordingly.  We fueled up before starting out and packed up some snacks to take on our way.  

View on the Way to Crater Lake National Park

The drive itself is not a difficult one but is mostly 2 lane roadways.  The scenery varies but there is a section where you travel near a river.  That part is absolutely gorgeous and we just had to stop and take some pictures along the way.

Not all of the drive was this beautiful but it was more interesting than most of the drive around Olympic National Park so the time actually passed pretty quickly.

Crater Lake National Park

With an annual snowfall of 44 feet, it is surprising to find that the park is actually open year round.  The problem is that you can't get very far into the park most of the year!  Much of the year the North Entrance Road and the Rim drive are closed to cars.  They usually close for the season around November 1 or earlier if there is a significant snowfall. Crews begin plowing the roads in April but opening dates vary.  The North Entrance Road and West Rim Drive tend to open in early June.  The East Rim Drive typically opens in early July.  Highway 62 is open year-round.  The road to Rim Village is also open year-round except for heavy snow storms.

We arrived at Crater Lake National Park on June 29th....and there was still a whole lot of snow around!

Our Son standing by the plowed snow next to the roadway!

Never in my life had I see that much snow....especially at the end of June!

Snow covered hills surrounded the area.

The roadways were clear but evidence of the heavy snows remained.

One of the strangest things that happened to us on our trip happened at this point on the roadway.  Remember those snacks that we picked up before we left Springfield?  Well it included a bag of Ruffles Potato Chips.  As we entered the park and started climbing in elevation we heard a really odd noise coming from the back seat.  My son soon announced that the bag had blown up and looked ready to explode!  Obviously the change in air pressure affected the chip bag!

Chip Bag expanding with the altitude!

And the Pretzel Bag too!

Yep...the pretzel bag blew up too!

As we drove around a little further onto Rim Drive we came closer and closer to the lake itself.

Some quick facts about Crater Lake

1.  This is the deepest lake in the United States.  The depth is 1,943 feet.  

2.  The lake is fed by rain and snow but no rivers or streams.  It is therefore considered to be the cleanest large body of water in the world.

3. The water is exceptional for it's clarity and intense blue color.  Believe me it was the bluest water I have ever seen.

4.  The lake is 4.5 to 6 miles wide.

5.  The lake rests inside a caldera formed approximately 7,700 years ago when a 12,000 foot tall volcano collapsed following a major eruption.  Later eruptions formed Wizard Island which is a cinder cone.

6.  There isn't a bad view of this lake and it is absolutely breathtaking!

Welcome to Crater Lake

This was the first view that we had of Crater Lake.  There are many pullouts along the way and no two are alike.  The water really is that BLUE!  The first thing that we noticed when we stepped out of the car was,.....nothing.  It was so quiet....so peaceful that you heard nothing!  The lake is calm and looks like glass!

Here are some pictures of the views around the lake.....they will speak for themselves....

The water is bluer than blue!

Panorama of the beautiful view!

Wizard Island

Just a beautiful, beautiful place

Even the birds match the water!

Rim Village

As we made our way around the drive to Rim Village, we made a stop at the village for a restroom break.  As well as restrooms, they have a gift shop and cafe where you can buy lunch (prices are pretty steep here but there really is NOTHING else around).  There is also a lodge here where you can stay.  The gift shop was large and had lots of items to look at and spend some time.  The snow here was pretty amazing also.  Again....it's the end of June!!!

The gift shop at Rim Village

The snow piled up as high as the roof!  Would have been a great place for a Christmas Card Picture!

After our stop at the Village we continued on our way and still there were more sights to see....

Wizard Island

Our last view of Crater Lake

Boat Tours

Just a quick note on the boat ride across the lake.  The boat ride had it's first day of operation the day that we were there. We chose not to do the tour as there is a huge walk to the boat area and back.  The Cleetwood Cove Trail is the only legal access to the shore of Crater Lake.  The hike is steep and strenuous.  It drops 700 feet in elevation in 1.1 miles.  Going down would be ok but going back up is the equivalent to climbing 65 flights of stairs!  If you are in good shape and feel that you can make the walk, tickets can be purchased over the phone, from automated kiosks at the gift shop and lodge.  Tickets go on sale exactly 24 hours in advance.  The boat tour takes approximately 2 hours.  They do sell 74 tickets per day to visit wizard island.  The 9:30 AM and the 12:30 PM boats are the only ones that stop at the Island.  The stay is 3 hours at the Island before your return.  Boat Tours run between the end of June - the first of September.  

Thoughts about Crater Lake

My final thoughts on Crater Lake is that is very well may be the most beautiful place I have ever had the privilege of seeing.  It is so quiet and peaceful and just awe-inspiring.  It is a bit of a drive to get there but the pay-off is huge.  I know the park is open year round but I think it would be a shame to miss being able to go around Rim Drive. As it was, the entire drive was still not open when we were there but the majority of it was.  If you can plan a trip here during the summer months, I think you would be able to see a whole lot more than during the winter months.

Back to Portland

After taking our tour of Crater Lake National Park, it was time to head back North to Portland.  This was another 5 hour drive.  So all in all it was another long driving day.  Our stop for this evening was at the Embassy Suites Portland Airport.  This was a very nice hotel.   Wonderful lobby and beautiful suite.  The only thing I will say is that, like all Embassy Suites, this one was extremely crowded and loud on a weekend.  We ate at the hotel restaurant for dinner.  It was so busy that the servers were noticeably frazzled.  Our food was good and service was good considering how busy it was.  This Embassy Suites was the traditional set up with the lobby in the center and the floors going around the lobby.  The noise carries terribly in these set ups.  It's not usually a problem during weekdays when it's business travelers but it is very, very loud on weekends when large families invade the hotels.  We had children running around till around midnight going from floor to floor and hiding outside the rooms from each other.  The room was comfortable and once the noise quieted down we had a great night's sleep.  The employees were friendly and very helpful.  

Our King Size master bedroom at the Embassy Suites Portland Airport

Dining area in our suite

The lobby of the hotel...after it had cleared out a bit!

The best feature.....lots of outlets!!! No fighting for outlets to charge our electronics!

One of the things that we enjoy at the Embassy Suites is the hot, made-to-order, breakfasts buffets that they offer.  Well this one was extremely stressful.....all those large families invaded the free breakfast area at one time.  It was packed.  The poor employees couldn't keep up with the food and drink required.  I have never seen a feeding frenzy quite like this one.  We were able to get some food but it was not a relaxing situation!  

I honestly believe that this hotel would be a much better experience on a weekday and would try it again if in the area.  

Coming Next:  Things to see on the Drive back to Seattle

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