Ashland, Oregon

Hey, from Ashland, Oregon! Sorry, but Crater Lake Lodge doesn't have any Internet access. So, I'll recap the 2 days you miss, as well as today. Well, on July 30th (the days on the blog title, for the most part, are a day forward because of the time change), we drove to Crater National Park. My cousin came in the conversion van, and she, my sister, and I all played a game of Connections, which is where you say one word and the next person says something connected to it. When we pulled over at the scenic overlook, we saw the first view of Crater Lake. It is beautiful; the water is this azure blue that looks like a painting. When we got to the lodge, all we did was hang out and ate dinner at the lodge restaurant. My Uncle Joe had to stay in a tent for the night with their dog, because there is a No Dog Policy at Crater Lake Lodge.

On July 31st, we actually did something. My mom and Uncle "Frank" got up early to get sunrise pictures , and then decided to get tickets to a 2 hour boat tour in Crater Lake for 11:00 AM. To get down to the boat dock, you had to walk down this 700 ft hill on a 1.1 mile trail. The walk down was okay. When we got to the bottom, they said all kids 12 and under have to wear a life jacket. My cousin, who was 13 in 4 days, didn't want to wear one, but her brother made such a big fuss that she had to wear one and everyone was annoyed. The main thing I remember of the boat tour was this vertical floating log, called the 'Old Man', which has been floating around for 100 years or so. It was really hot and sunny, so after the tour, I went swimming in Crater Lake, in all my clothing. It felt really good, especially during the grueling hike up the cliff. My dad, cousin, and I all had to share a half a water bottle, and we were exhausted by the time we finished. My dad wanted me to mention this Raoul who was diving off a 20 ft cliff into Crater Lake. That is pretty much the extent of that days events.

Today, we drove to Ashland. All 4 girls (my sister, 2 cousins, and I) were in the conversion van, and we played a bunch of word/acting games, which were fun for the short drive. The house we are renting, which is huge (4 bedrooms and bathrooms, and more!), wasn't ready for us when we arrived, so we walked downtown and ate lunch. Man is it hot and relatively humid outside, 95 F!! Luckily, this house has air conditioning, unlike the Bend rental. Tonight, we are going to see Don Quixote in an outdoor theater, which should be fun. Until tomorrow!