We left Lava Bed National Monument bright and early. We were headed to Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, but decided to make a quick stop at Crater Lake.
It was so cold at Crater Lake, but we are really glad we made the stop. We've never seen such a beautiful, blue lake. There are no rivers that feed into Crater Lake, so no sediment to muck it up. The water is snow-fed and crystal clear.
We stayed at Crater Lake for about an hour before moving on. Silver Falls State Park is supposed to be the crown jewel of Oregon's State Park system, so we were excited to see it.
Silver Falls did not disappoint. Justin says this is his favorite campsite so far. It was beautiful and SO green. We set up camp and decided to take a short hike.
The park is full of rivers and waterfalls. In fact, it is home to the Trail of Ten Falls, an 8-mile hike that has 10 major waterfalls along the way. We met up with Park Ranger Ian, who suggested a short 2-mile hike we could take to get acquainted with the park.
When we came around the bend to the first waterfall, we were blown away. Upper South Falls was gorgeous, and the trail winds around behind the fall.
It was an amazing hike. We wound around through gorgeous scenery down to Lower South Falls. These Arizona kids had never seen so much green, and they were snapping pictures on their phones the whole time.
On the way back up, we saw Ranger Ian again, and he told us that the next day was State Parks Day all over Oregon. Silver Falls had several activities going on, including a 5K race. Justin was all over that. He made plans to get up early the next morning for the race. Then we went back to camp, showered and made some dinner. Justin and I went for a walk to take the trash out, and when we came back, the kids were in the trailer ready for bed. What lightweights!
We'll check back in tomorrow and let you know how Justin's race went. Sadly, we only get to stay one night here, and then we are off to the Columbia River Gorge area. See you tomorrow!
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