24-Hour Drive

Wild dreams into a wild ride… we went from 12 lane highways in LA, bumper to bumper gridlock, to mildly groomed highways through untamed fields ending up at Crater Lake within 24 hours. Aside from a brief resting point in Sacramento, we were back up at 5:30 a.m. for a fast and furious drive. Our focus was rewarded with spectacular blue views,

but punished with halting notices. Scotty, our Escape Van, notified me to change oil soon in southern Cal to a “required” light on Crater Lake. We were sweating, wondering if our journey was going to come to an imminent delay. Would we be stranded along highway 138, without cell phone service?

I tapped under the hood and reached in for the dip stick. Talk about nostalgia, as I had not done that in years, the oil was running low. Crater Lake camp store carried some of the most common types, but of course, not Scotty’s preferred oil. So, we were off with a prayer, still trying to enjoy the pristine waters along the Waterfall Highway.

We got a brief lesson in waterfall structure thanks to a visitor brochure, and here is a glimpse into our mini-tour.