Counting it Down – 50 Travel Memories (Part 4)

This post is in continuation with the previous “Counting it Down” posts. Check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 for a list of my top 31-50 memories! I am more thrilled as we get closer to the top 10 🙂 But for now, let’s count down travel memories 20-11!

20. Rafting at American River, Lake Tahoe – Summer 2007
I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I am not too fond of water. I say that today, but a few years back, I was petrified of most water activities. So, when a bunch of friends signed me up for a rafting adventure, I was skeptical. While we got our paddling instructions, I prayed not to fall in the river. But half a day of instructions + class 3-4 rafting + not falling in the water = a super happy me and a long lasting memory.

Rafting at American River, Tahoe

19. Crater Lake, Oregon: Bluest of blues – Summer 2009
I had read a lot about Crater Lake being the bluest of all lakes, but my definition of a blue lake changed after our Crater Lake visit in Summer of 2009. As blue as it can get :). What made the trip more memorable was reading up stories of Llao and Skell at each vista to discover how the crater and the lake within were formed along with great hikes, camping and picturesque views.

Wizard island – Crater Lake National Park

18. Seattle, Washington : The emerald city – Spring 2011
We only spent 3 days in Seattle and absolutely loved every bit of our stay. I wish we could have stayed longer. I did not know whether to pick Pike Place Market or engineering marvel at Ballard Locks or views of Seattle downtown from Kerry Park or the underground tour of Seattle’s historic district or colorfully yukky Gum Wall. It was definitely a great vacation!

View of Seattle Downtown from Kerry Park in Queen Anne

17. New York Downtown – Summer 2006
The first time I went to New York was for a 2 day job interview for one of the Big 4’s. 2 days in Times Square and I knew what all the hype about it was. I visited New York again with my family after my graduation and fell in love with the place all over again! Though I do want to visit New York during winter when it is snowing!

Rockefeller Center, New York

Outside UN Building, New York

16. Camping at Lake Huntington, California – Summer 2011
Although I have written this earlier, I have to repeat it. Repetitive reading is good sometimes!

Pitching tents, sleeping in cozy sleeping bags, waking up to birds chirping, experiencing living in the woods surrounded by trees, moonlight strolls, star-gazing under open skies and finding the time to admire the beauty of nature from our busy and technology dominating lives: That’s what is CAMPING FOR ME in a nutshell!

Out of the numerous camping trips I have taken I pick Lake Huntington Camping. Why? A last minute reservation, amazing star gazing, late night hike to a freaky lake and spotting shooting stars (No, I did not have time to make any wishes). I was just in awe that I got to see them!

The joy after building the tent 🙂

Those campfire stories 🙂

15. Off-road Adventure at Canyonlands National Park, Utah – Spring 2008
M likes to off-road and so do a few of my friends! But little did I know that a person like me who absolutely was against the idea of off-roading would end up putting this so high up in the list of travel memories. This makes me believe that the more you explore, the more you discover – Things that you did not know about yourself 🙂

Off-roading at Canyonlands NP, Utah

Poison Spider Trail, Canyonlands NP, Utah

14. San Francisco Walking Tour, California – Sometime in 2010
I have been in the bay area for over 5 years. And every time we have a visitor, we take them to ~~cliched~~ (not for the visitor I assume) touristy places. For once, we signed up for a full day guided San Francisco tour. And that has been one of the best days I have had in the city in all these years :). From Pier 1 Farmer’s Market to Grace Cathedral to Victorian Houses to Sausalito to Muir Woods – trip had it all. I highly recommend this for all bay area locals!

Grace Cathedral, San Francisco

Victorian Houses – San Francisco

13. Zip Lining at base of Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii – Thanksgiving 2010
This was my first zip-line adventure. Five courses with each course gradually increasing in length and depth! Whoa what fun 🙂

Zipline adventure tour, Base of Haleakala, Hawaii

12. ATV Adventure (a.k.a Accident) at Pismo Beach, California – Spring 2009
I have visited Pismo Beach multiple times and unfortunately none of those trips have been accident free 😦 Our Spring 2009 trip was memorable because since this was my third time on an ATV, I was more confident (or rather over-confident!!). I tried a jump on one of the sand dunes and had a bad fall with the ATV on my leg! A permanent muscle scar is bound to make such trips memorable! What say?

ATV at Pismo Beach – One of them is probably me 🙂

11. Snorkeling, Multiple places (can’t pick one particular place)
The first time I snorkeled it wasn’t fun. It takes time to get used to the gear and learn the tricks, but once you get the hang of it, it is a lot of fun. We snorkeled in lagoon waters of Tahiti and Moorea almost every day we were there and for a couple of days in ocean waters of Maui, Hawaii. Snorkeling in lagoon waters is quite different from snorkeling in the ocean, but nevertheless, I can’t pick since each trip was memorable for different reasons! I enjoyed all my snorkeling excursions except for the first couple of times!

Snorkeling @ Black Rock – Maui, Hawaii

More Snorkeling

I hope you enjoyed travel memories 20-11 and are looking forward to the top 10. I am surely looking forward 🙂 My half century in the blogging world is coming up soon. Stay tuned!!!

Crater Lake National Park

Summer is almost here and no better time than to put up an entry for a national park that is one of Oregon’s most precious gems. Crater Lake National Park’s grandeur, beauty and serenity is what makes this wonder one of the most visited places in Oregon. A blog entry for Crater Lake has been long due and since most people prefer to visit Crater Lake during summer, I thought this would be great time to put this out. Crater Lake is the deepest in the US and is “considered” to be the “bluest” too. Unrealistically blue…but sublime! Once you look at it, you will know 🙂

Crater Lake National Park is one of those places where you have plenty to time to sink in the natural beauty since the park is quite small and if you are not visiting nearby places, two days should be more than enough to cover the park. The lake was created by volcanic eruption of Mount Mazama. By the way, there is an ancient legend associated with the creation of the Wizard island in the middle of this caldera, as well as a few other creations within the lake, but, I’ll leave it up to you to figure out the legend when you visit Crater Lake.

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THINGS TO DO: Definitely start with the Rim drive. It is a 30-40 mile loop and even if you take the whole day, you can comfortably stop at all the vista points and pack in a few hikes. Take a hike down the Cleetwood Trail which is the only trail going down to the lake. This is the only place where the volcano boat tours depart. By the way, only some boat tours depart for the Wizard island. The rest just go around the lake for a couple of hours. So make sure you check the timings if you plan on going to Wizard island. If you don’t want to go to the island, then Watchman lookout on the rim drive has some great views of the Wizard island. Another great stop is the Pinnacles Overlook. A lot of people miss this, but I highly suggest taking the stroll to the end of the road at the overlook. Along the rim drive is a wonderful rock formation called Pumice castle. Some great photograph opportunities at the Pinnacles as well as Pumice castle. Along the rim drive, there will be plenty of vista points to take a look at Phantom ship, however; we took the short walk at the Sun Notch Phantom Ship View Point. Vidae Falls is a pretty famous stop too! There are a lot of hiking options, so choose depending on how much time you have. Even if you don’t hike, the rim drive has plenty of amazing panoramas capturing the beauty of the place.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS: Staying inside the park always helps. There are a few options – The lodge at the lake has spectacular views of the lake. If you don’t want to stay in a lodge, then there are a couple of campsites in the park too. We camped at the Mazama campground. They have a few first-come, first-serve campsite reservations, so no prior planning is required if you reach there before a reasonable time. A bug (big) warning if you are camping: July is the time when all the insects and bugs in the whole world gather at Crater Lake NP. Seriously…no kidding!!! If you go without an insect repellent, you will literally be at bug mercy!

Wizard island - Crater Lake National Park

BEST TIME TO VISIT: July to September (if you want less snow and open roads). But I have seen some gorgeous photographs of Crater Lake National Park in winter so if you are okay with cooler temperatures, check the weather and road conditions before making plans. I believe the campsites will be closed, but other lodging options should be open.

AROUND CRATER LAKE NP: If you are into caving, go check out Lava Beds National Monument. We stopped by at this monument for half a day on our way to Crater Lake National Park. The place has plenty of volcanic caves to explore. If you are not a pro, only attempt the beginner and intermediate caves. The advanced ones require some caving skills so be cautious and well prepared if you want to venture into those! The volcanic legacy scenic byway from Lava Beds (Klamath falls) to Crater Lake is a gorgeous drive.

Crater Lake for me is a leisurely vacation stop with not much to do but relax and enjoy one of nature’s great creations :). If you are looking for a vacation outside California, but not too far, Crater Lake would be an awesome option!