Day 4: To Las Vegas

We managed to get up at the crack of dawn, prepare a good breakfast and get on the road for the 7 hour trek to Las Vegas. First we hit Reno which was pretty much the only other city in Nevada until Vegas. We traveled along the border on US 95 all day. It was an extremely long and boring drive. The car registered 105 degrees at the hottest point. The entire drive was full of rocks and desert and ridiculous little mining towns.

We finally hit Vegas at about 4pm. Immediately we checked into the hotel and took the first showers we had had in more than 2 days. Then we got dressed in clothes that hadn't smelled a campfire and met up with Tim's aunt and uncle who took us down to Fremont Street. We had a great time checking out the sights including the light show, the bands, and the various performers. Overall not a bad first evening in Vegas.

Once we got back to the Luxor we were beat and hit the pillow. Today is going to be filled with walking the strip, seeing the fountains, the volcano, etc. And maybe we'll get lucky at the tables.

Day 3: Leaving Oregon

After we lost the battle with the mosquitoes and hit the hay early last night, we woke bright and early this morning to start the long drive out of Oregon. I managed to start a decent fire and get some coffee going before Tim got up. Then he took over the fire tending and we had toast, cream of wheat, and hard boiled eggs for breakfast. We broke down the campsite and we on the road by 8am.

We crossed the border in California and stopped in Susanville to grab a late lunch and gas up the car. Within an hour we had made it to Frenchman Lake and were setting up camp. The weather was a bright and sunny 91 degrees so we put on our swimsuits, slathered on the sunscreen and walked roughly a mile to the water. The water is a pristine blue and the sage brush and red rocks surrounding the shoreline make for a beautiful picture. We followed a small, winding trail and found a rocky inlet to the water. After a quick pep-talk we took the plunge into the icy water. It was well received by both of us since we were hot and sweaty from the walk. A bit later we headed back up the trail and towards camp. On the way we spotted a few lizards and what Tim identified as a ground squirrel (I named him Jacob). Back at the campsite we gathered wood and made a nice fire to cook dinner: hotdogs and toasted cheese sandwiches. It was delicious! Complete that with a few drinks, some chips, and puppy chow and s'mores for dessert. It's been one heck of a day.

We're off to bed early again to hit the road to Las Vegas in the morning!

Day 2: Crater Lake

We woke up this morning after a restful night sleep in a glorious bed. We had a nice hot meal at our hotel and ran to target for a few odds and ends including hot dogs, buns, and marshmallows. We got on the road a little after noon and made it to the campground at Diamond Lake right around 3pm. As we turned onto the road into the campground we were greeted by gorgeous views. A mountain rose up on the other side of the lake and was covered with snow. We settled into our campsite took a quick tour (had a celebratory drink) and got back on the trail to Crater Lake. If you've never been, you have to go! It's gorgeous and peaceful. The lake is a mirror of the sky and the colors of the water and the rocks are so intense. There's also a ton of snow this time of year that had Tim and I giggling like children. I'll leave you with the pictures to tell the rest of the story.

Back at the campsite we got a rip-roarin' fire going and roasted some hot dogs. Gourmet smores are on the menu for dessert. If we don't we get eaten by mosquitos first.