We spent the entire day exploring the Lava Beds National Monument, a land of turmoil, both geological and historical. Over the last half-million years, volcanic eruptions on the Medicine Lake shield volcano have created a rugged landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. What surprised us the most was the beauty found within the harshness.

The beauty we found delighted and surprised. Who would have thought the Land of Burnt-out Fires could be so spectacular.

Crater Lake inspires awe. Native Americans witnessed it form 7,700 years ago, when a violent eruption triggered the collapse of a towering volcano. Scientists marvel at its purity: fed by rain and snow, it’s the deepest lake in the USA and perhaps the most pristine on earth. Artists, photographers, and sightseers stand in wonder at its blue water and stunning setting. Come visit, and be amazed!

The colors are breathtaking, even on a cloudy day. We were in awe.

And the weather was quite refreshing.

This was the view from our dinette as we had lunch- pretty spectacular.

Gravel in our travel seems to be our current theme. After just getting back from our road trip home from Charleston, we headed to Portland, Oregon (600 miles) to get our new, awesome Artic Fox Camper at Apache Camping Center. Steve did his homework and these guys were the right choice. We were treated so well.  And whoa, it's a beaut! (something about a camper makes me say things like that).

I grew up traveling across America in a camper but it was nothing quite like this. Did I say it's a beaut? This is Steve's dream RV for the next chapter of roadtripping.
Once on the road, we stopped briefly at an amazing spot called Niagra Park, the site of a long ago town. The area acquired its name in 1890 when a townsite and post office were established. We sat on the remains of a rubble masonry dam whose purpose was to power a mill intended to make paper from straw. Long story short, the project had to be abandoned in 1912 after approximately $100,000 had been invested. Now it's just this cool space for swimming and visiting in one's new camper.
And it houses gorgeous flowers.



This was the bridge we traversed to get to our campsite. I thought is was architecturally interesting.
The interior photos of the Artic Fox do not do it justice. We absolutely love it.

And this is where we are spending the first night in our new camper- River Mountain RV Park in the little town of Idanha. We don't know where we'll be tomorrow but the motto in the camping world is, "Home is where you park it."

Wow, what a busy, eclectic day.

We began the day with a drive to Placerville for me to attend our AAUW writing group. Joan, the gal on Steve's left, was the leader of our Talking on Paper gatherings and had moved to Yuba City where she started her own group. This was a day of getting writers from both groups together. Placerville was the middle point.
There were twelve of us and it was delightful. It was a highly successful melding. I hope we do it again soon.
This was the view from the car today. The Highway 50 Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to horse and wagon enthusiasts, and the historical reenactment of the "Great Western Migration".



This was their 67th year of going back through the portals of time to relive the adventures and rigors of the early pioneers as they forged their way west- all on a 90° day. It was very cool to see.
Our day ended on Casey and Linda's deck for Casey's birthday. What a great day!

As we drove down "The Loneliest Road" yesterday, we weren't feeling lonely because Jenny and I were communicating, while she worked out plans for our very delightful "Welcome Home" day on the Lake.

The Pontoon gang (l to r) consists of Bob, Chris, Jan, me, Jenny, Steve, Len and Cyndy. What a wonderful, welcoming bunch of friends.
This just screams "Summer".



Everyone contributed to the feast. Life doesn't get much better than this.



Sun, friends and fun... It's good to be home.

We made it home today after 676 miles of driving (that's over 2,200 miles in three days- our personal record).

The final leg of our travels west found us on U.S. Route 50 for 408.82 miles. This Nevada portion of the Lincoln Highway crosses the center of state and was named The Loneliest Road in America due to large desolate areas with few or no signs of civilization. At one point it was over 100 miles before seeing another city. The highway crosses several large desert valleys separated by numerous mountain ranges towering over the valley floors. This was also the path of the Pony Express so there was much history to discover. We found it all very intriguing with much to see. If we had only had time to stop. Next time!
Nothing quite shows the proof of road travel like a front license plate. Ours shows that explored for 54 days, visited 15 different states, and put over 6,000 miles on our odometer. We experienced all we could and made so many unforgettable memories. That said, we're beat. It makes the end of the journey sweet when you get to come home to Lake Tahoe. We are truly LT ♥ERS! It's good to be home.