After a surprisingly comfortable and warm night in the tent we headed to the sand dunes trail, not really knowing what to expect. The dunes are HUGE! Stretching for 50 miles of coast line and in some places a few miles deep, however the weather was not kind, overcast and foggy, we still scaled some of the dunes and took in the sites before packing up our camping gear.

Florence which is situated on the coast with a river running through the middle is a very nice little town. Plenty of places to eat and after sampling some Clam Chowder we can vouch for the quality of the seafood. We stopped off at a coffee shop for some Chai and free internet. At around midday we ventured back into the National Dunes area and parked our car in one of the state car-parks. We walked out to the sea which was around a 1 mile walk across the thick dunes area and when we got to the ocean we were surrounded by misty fog. It was really surreal, the sun was out and so the fog was very bright and we could only just make out the waves, in either direction the visibility was very low. We felt like we were on another planet in some sort of dream, really worth the effort.

When we left the 40 mile stretch of sand-dunes we made our way further down the Oregon coast to Gold beach which was our next destination to camp. We checked into The Indian Creek Resort costing us $18 for a camping spot. We were at the back of the RV park but had access to the facilities and had the laundrette on our list of things to do! We stopped in a foggy town and picked up a few bits for dinner. The fog cleared at one point and we could see the shipwreck on the shore. Back at the campsite we enjoyed the delights of yet another laundrette to do some clothes washing whilst also finding time to work on the blog.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

We left Sisters early and passed through Bend via another Safeway to get some fresh fruit and veg. We didn’t stop in Bend but have heard many a good thing. Our aim was to get to Crater Lake and take the Cascade Lakes Highway en-route. We passed the 3 Sister mountains and took a right off Highway 97 to get onto the route. This is a scenic drive indeed, we drove passed Mt Bachelor and stopped at Sparks Lake to photograph the lush meadow and reflections. We stopped for lunch at another named Crescent Lake, before getting the highway onto Crater Lake.

We came into Crater Lake Park from the south end and drove around the west rim road…Wow!! This place is amazing, the lake is huge and reflects everything around, we couldn’t stop enough to photograph it. It is now a caldera and was Mazama volcano which lies beneath the lake, each time we stopped we read a little more information. The weather was great for us too which also meant even more tourists were out to join us.

After some touring around the rim and more photographing we made our way to Mazama village campsite, it’s not really a village more of a resort for camping and or looking for lodges. It is a nice place though and we paid $19 for a tent spot, it’s also popular passing through point for the Pacific Crest Trail. When we settled into our camp spot we chatted to our friendly neighbours who gave us plenty of firewood, we enjoyed dinner, took showers ($0.75 for 4 minutes and they close at 8pm) and all wrapped up we drove back up to the rim to shoot some long exposures. We were chuffed to see the Milky Way out there too.

The following morning after a pretty good night’s sleep we got up early at 5.50am, packed and we were on our way by 6.25am so we could watch the sunrise over the Lake and do a morning hike. This time we took the eastern road towards the lake and stopped off at some beautiful spots along the way both towards and away from the lake. Again the weather was perfect so we just took advantage of good light and conditions. We found a lovely spot for some breakfast, and then took the 5 mile round trip hike up to the Mount Scott peak which is the highest point in the park at 8929ft. This is the highest we have been together on a hike and as the first people to be up there for the day it felt pretty good. We took in yet again the fantastic views before making our way back down and to the car. On our way out of Crater Lake we stopped at a few more vantage points before eventually making our way to the exit of the park. This was most definitely a very rewarding part of our journey so far.

Next on our list was to get to Florence, backtracking a little bit in terms of heading north again but we wanted to reach the Oregon coast at a certain point. This is where the Dunes are and we didn’t want to miss those. After a long drive we stopped in Eugene at the Fifth Street Public Market for a drink and a place to charge our laptop and batteries. After 2 hours we continued onto Florence and found the campsite Jesse M Honeyman 3 miles after leaving Florence. Again paying our honesty fee, we found a camping spot, bought some wood and set up camp. After long a friendly camper came along to borrow our axe, and after realising the wood was damp and a fire would be unrealistic he invited us to join him and partner Shelby for drinks and a warm fire. Thanks to them we were nice and toasty that evening.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

We left rainy Cascade Locks as the weather was clearing and made tracks for Mount Hood, not too much distance to cover today but we wanted to take advantage of the sunshine. The only stop we made was at the Mount Hood Ranger station on highway 35 we picked up maps and information on campsites having read a little into where we were wanting to camp.

It was a further hour to get to the campsite at Trillium Lake, one of the only campsites in the area with a view of the Mountain, although when we arrived it was a little cloudy, this soon cleared up and after setting up our tent and drying out our gear the mountain was showing again. We did a 2 mile walk around the like to stretch our legs and when we got back to camp we paid the camp host the $19 fee along with $6 for wood. She was a little old lady whose RV is at the front of the campsite as we pulled in. No showers at this campground only pit toilets and very good views and we camped close to the Amphitheatre.

At around the golden hour we drove up to Timberline Lodge, a beautiful hotel located at around the 7000ft point on Mount Hood, it’s a popular ski resort and has lifts going up from there. This place is famous for featuring in Kubrick’s The Shining, although it played a minimal part! The lodge doesn’t cash in on this too much though and has a lot of history in its own right. We had a good nose around and found out that the rooms start at $165 we would like to come back here sometime to stay! We sat in the Rams Head bar and enjoyed a hot chocolate next to a large window looking straight up at Mt Hood, on the other side diners were enjoying the views of Mt Jefferson in the distance. When we left the cosiness of Timberline we asked about popular trails in the area that would take us onto the mountain and with the famous Pacific Crest Trail going straight across the mountain we decided to take a hike in that area the next day.

On our way back to the campsite we stopped off for views of the sun setting on the horizon, really stunning cloud seeping through the valleys below. Back at camp we had a fire, and dried out our boots! It was a really cold night.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)

Leaving Oxbow State Park we ventured back onto the highway and headed for Cascade Locks which are situated along the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Route. The weather was closing in and it was all pretty foggy, no ideal for views over the river and the scenery. Along the way we spotted the Bonneville Dam which had a visitors centre, so we popped inside. It has a lot of history and information although it all appears a little dated. To allow the fish to swim upstream to spawn they have a “fish ladder” and a viewing area where they count the fish. The ladder was full of fish so it was quite interesting.

We opted to stay at a KOA campground which has amenities such as showers, wi-fi, laundry and a pool. It wasn’t long until the rain started so we ventured into the laundrette to do some much needed washing and some editing on the laptop. The rain did not halt and it was all quite depressing, so for only the second time whilst camping we ate out rather than cook in the downpour. We made our way into Cascade Locks, which is very sleepy, to look for some food options. We opted for a pub which looked to be the best option however we were both disappointed with the offering of a burger and a packet of crisps, all for $12 each! Not what we expected. Back to our digs and to bed in a slightly soggy tent.

After a restless night with cars, trains and rain hammering the tent we decided to have another night at the KOA to let the rain pass over. A hike was in order for the day to get ourselves out of the campground, especially the laundrette, and stretch the legs. We found the 400 trail and hiked through the forest up to a peak overlooking lots of fog. A river walk to a waterfall with lots of salmon trying to make it up stream was cool to see.

After chatting to a couple who we met along the way they informed us of a fish hatchery (the things you have to do when its raining!) not far away from our location so we headed over to have a look. We did not stay long and headed back to the camp for some lunch. After an evening of more editing in the laundrette we were ready for some sunshine and warmth, hopefully tomorrow will bring both.

(Leica M9, Summicron-M 50mm f/2.0, Leica 90mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4 ZM processed in Lightroom 3)