Originally, I had planned to take a boat tour around Crater Lake.  I had made reservations months in advance AND had pre-paid Xanterra, the park operator.  Because of our last minute change in plans due to the smoke, we decided to cancel.  The boat tour requires a steep hike down the caldera and back up, and I did not think that was a good idea given the poor air quality.  Luckily, we were able to use the phone in the Camp Store and Xanterra graciously refunded our money even though they usually require more advance notice! Instead,  we returned to Rim Village to see if we could have a less-smoky/hazy view of Crater Lake.

Unfortunately, it really was not any better than the day before.

We were able to do the short Lady of the Woods hike near the Steel Visitor Center.

Someone likes having his picture taken!

A k-sized tree.

We did not encounter any other hikers.  It was so peaceful.  But, D and I did receive some mosquito bites.

Next stop: Lassen Volcanic National Park.

We needed to leave Sacramento early in the morning because we had reservations for the Crater Lake Trolley tour at 3 p.m.  Then, at one of our rest stops I realized that I had a message from the trolley company that asked if we could make the 2 p.m. tour instead because the smoke from the wildfires had been rolling in around 3 p.m. the past few days.  As we drove through Northern California, the sky was an ominous gray from the other numerous wildfires.  We kept our windows rolled up and made minimal stops.  Thankfully, we were able to make the tour on time.

The tour is run in conjunction with the National Park Service.  A knowledgeable ranger narrated the tour which made for an educational experience.

I was grateful that the tour company provided cushions for us to sit on since the wooden seats were pretty uncomfortable.

The trolley circled the entire lake in about two hours, with numerous stops.  I find it amazing that this lake was created by a volcano that imploded on itself and filled with rain and melted snow.

If I had known that k was squinting like that in our only family picture, I would have asked the trolley drive to take another one!  Oh well.

Although Crater Lake was pretty, I must admit that I was disappointed.  I had seen so many jaw-dropping pictures beforehand, so my expectations were high.  The haze from the smoke obscured the view and blocked the sun so the stunning blue color just was not there.  I told D that we need to go there again to see its true beauty, but I doubt we would ever make the drive again. 🙁

We had reservations to camp for two nights at Mazama Campground near Crater Lake, but it did not seem like a good idea with the poor air quality.  I was especially concerned for n, since he is small and has had asthma issues.  I do not like having to do things on the fly, but I was able to cancel one night of our camping reservations, and nab a room in one of the cabins instead.  I was not happy paying for $180 for one night in a very basic room, but it was worth it in order to decrease any health risks.

We decided to add another night of camping in Lassen National Park, our next stop.  Since we no longer had access to a fire ring, we had to microwave our pre-bought hot dogs in the camp store microwave.  What a sad dinner!