Day 7: Crater Lake

Aug 5

The drive from our campsite in Bend down to Crater Lake National Park was over 130 miles. To break up the drive, we stopped at Sparks Lake in the Deschutes National Forest.

BEND

We left Tumalo State Park Campground around 7am and headed to MaKay Cottage, a homey breakfast spot in Bend, to fuel up for the long day ahead.

I had a custom veggie omelet and my Mom had the Farmers Omelet with a Marion berry scone. McKay Cottage has been voted best breakfast in Bend since 2010, and we vote the same! Everything was homemade, even the ketchup! The service was phenomenal. I thought the people in Portland were super friendly, but now I'm convinced it's an Oregon thing. Our waitress was so sweet; she gave us complementary coffee to-go. We felt spoiled.

Fun fact: The Marion berry, a type of blackberry, is native to Oregon (Marion County) and is the most produced variety of blackberry in Oregon. It was almost made the official Oregon fruit, but they feared it would affect sales of other varieties and wasn't approved.

McKay Cottage, 62910 O. B. Riley Rd #340, Bend, OR 97701

Sparks Lake

Before heading to Crater Lake we made a stop at Sparks Lake, which is about 40 minutes southwest of Bend, via Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway. We made it to the lake around 8:30 am; perfect time for morning photography.

Sparks Lake is known for its serenity and stillness. The water was calm, giving beautiful reflections of the Cascade Range, Mt. Bachelor, and the dense trees that surround it.

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK

During the two hour drive from Sparks Lake to Crater Lake, the sky grew dim and a dense smog laid over the road. 99 thousand acres were on fire nearby. It seemed to be getting worse the further south we got. Staying optimistic, we continued into the park.