3 Days Oregon, Crater Lake National Park Bus Tour
There are few places on earth that can command overwhelming awe from observers, but Crater Lake, in south central Oregon, certainly does. As mysterious as it is beautiful, stories of the deep blue lake can never prepare visitors for their first breathtaking look from the brink of this 6 mile wide caldera which was created by the eruption and collapse of Mt. Mazama almost 7,000 years ago. Even seasoned travelers gasp at the grand twenty-mile circle of cliffs, tinted in subtle shades and fringed with hemlock, fir, and pine: all this in a lake of indescribable blue.
1. Bay Area - Redwood National Forest - Eureka
Head north and drive through California's wine country - Napa Valley on the way to the Redwood National Forest. The forest is home to world's tallest trees: old-growth coast redwoods. The trees can live to be 2000 years old and grow to over 300 feet tall. Spruce, hemlock, douglas-fir, berry bushes, and sword ferns create a multiple canopied understory that towers over all visitors. In the afternoon, enter the Redwood National Forest as highlights include: Chandelier Tree, Tree Shop, Founder's Tree Grove, and the Avenue of Giants. Overnight stay in Eureka. Hotel: Red Lion Hotel
2. Eureka - Crater Lake - Klamath Falls
Visit Crater Lake National Park. The lake was formed after the collapse of Mount Mazama -an ancient volcano that erupted approximately 7,700 years ago. The lake is 6 miles long, 4 miles wide and 1932 feet deep. Overnight stay in Klamath Falls. Hotel: Days Inn
3. Klamath Falls - Lava Beds National Monument - Bay Area
Volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created an incredibly rugged landscape punctuated by cinder cones, lava flows, spatter cones, lava tube caves and pit craters. During the Modoc War of 1872-1873, the Modoc Indians used these lava flows to their advantage. Under the leadership of Captain Jack, the Modocs took refuge in Captain Jack's Stronghold, a natural lava fortress. This morning, visit Lava Beds National Monument. Return to the Bay Area in the afternoon.