All we could say was "Wow!" over and over.

We made it to Klamath Falls, OR after sleeping overnight on the Amtrak train coach seats from Emeryville, CA.  One of the highlights was our trip to Crater Lake which is about 60 miles from Klamath Falls.  You might wonder how we got there without a car...... no car rentals were available.  Well, we took an amazing tour with Jeri from Southern Oregon Tours.  She was very personable and knowledgeable of the area.  If you ever get this way, look her up.  She does other tours including ones with kayaks.

Crater Lake was formed by the collapsed volcano Mount Mazama.  When the volcano erupted about 7700 years ago, it lost nearly 5000 feet of elevation.  The lake was subsequently formed over many years by rain and melted snow.  It continues to be fed this way as there are no bodies of water that feed it.  Its depth remains a near constant level of 1943 feet by evaporating and seeping water each year.  It is the deepest lake in the US and one of the most pristine on Earth.  There are approximately 5 trillion gallons of water in Crater Lake.  The lake is extraordinarily cobalt blue because the colors of red, yellow, orange and green are absorbed by the water while blues and violets are redirected back to the surface.  Note the snow that remains even in the latter part of July.  Enough tidbits of information..... here are some photos.  

Here is a quick video of the expansiveness of the lake.  At its widest, it is 5 miles.  At its longest, it is 6 miles.

Here are other points of interest around Crater Lake.

Here is the view from our hotel patio.

Here is the view atop a hill in downtown Klamath Falls.

Of course, we have eaten at some good restaurants (Klamath Falls Grill, Thai Orchid, and Rodeos Pizza) and drank beer at a good brewery.

We're leaving for Newport, OR via Amtrak through Albany, OR and then bus to the coast.  Here's hoping it is on time because we will miss the last bus to Newport if it is late.