This morning, Dad, Tahoe, and I woke up at 3:30AM, and left the AirBnB in Daly City at 4AM to pick up Mom from Gabriela’s apartment. At 4:15, we said our goodbyes to Gabriela, and started on the 7 hour drive to Crater Lake National Park.
As we entered Southern Oregon, the air had a milt tinge on wood-burning smoke, which became stronger as we made our way north. Turns out there are currently many wildfires in Southwestern Oregon. The smoke was very thick in the area of Crater Lake and Highway 97, so our view of Crater Lake from the Rim wasn’t ideal, but we could still see the blue water and view most of the rim while we were driving around to each of the viewpoints.
As we approached the park, dad asked “Is the landscape naturally like this or were all these trees planted by man?” This question encapsulates the feeling of unnatural awe that many experience while visiting National Parks. We arrived at the national park at about 12PM, and stopped by the park headquarters/visitor center.
Because we were with Tahoe and dogs are only allowed on a few trails inside National Parks, we made certain to hike a few trails including Lady of the Woods, Sun Notch, and a few paved overlooks. Over the next few hours, we drove on East Rim Drive toward North Entrance Park Road.
After leaving through the Northern entrance, we took Highway 138 back to Highway 97. A few seconds after turning left onto Highway 97, the tire pressure of the back right tire of the car rapidly decreased until reaching zero. We had a flat tire at a very inconvenient place (1 hour from Bend and 1 hour from Klamath Falls), and at the worst possible time (Friday afternoon before Shabbat).
Dad called AAA and requested a tow to a nearby tire shop, but we waited an hour and a tow truck didn’t show. After another call, AAA called a tow company from a neighboring town to tow us. Fifteen minutes later, a old, crappy tow truck towed us toward the Les Schwab tire shop in La Vine, which was about 40 miles away. For that hour (and during the entire time driving on highway 97), it really felt that we were driving in a rural region of the Alabama or Louisiana, mostly due to the people we were dealing with. We ended up replacing the damaged tire, and driving to Eugene, Oregon.
We arrived at the AirBnB in Eugene, OR at 8:30PM, about 1 hour after Shabbat ended. After saying the Friday night blessings, dad and I drove to Whole Foods and picked up some snacks including chips, ingredients for fresh salsa, yogurt, bananas, hummus, and more. We then returned to the AirBnB and had a nice Shabbat dinner. Within a couple hours, we all slept after the long day.
The home we were staying at was perfect for our situation. Rather than spending Friday night, Shabbat, and Saturday night in a single hotel room, we were able to have plenty of room and amenities to ourselves including a kitchen, living room, den, restroom, two bedrooms, and more. Additionally, we were able to experience living as locals (in a local residential neighborhood, in a Eugene-style home, and in a home furnished and personalized with items consistent with the Eugene lifestyle and values.) For example, Eric and Hillary’s home was decorated with personal touches demonstrating the importance they place on their relationship/love, dogs, breweries, and marathons.
Aaa
Aaa
Aaa
