2016 Motorcycle Adventure (DAY Twenty One)

My destination today was to ride to Eugene to visit Barbara, my ex wife, but with a slight detour to Crater Lake, Oregon. The weather on this trip has been generally warmer than I would ideally like but it's always better than rain. Today was another sunny one but didn't really get cranked up until I descended into Eugene.
Mount Shasta is such a magnificent geographical specimen. It's perfect cone shape topped off with a snow peak that never fully melts can be seen for over 100 miles away. As I left the City of Mount Shasta I could still see the mountain only now from a different perspective.

The neighbouring town of Weed, CA was one of those towns that was capitalizing on it's name now that marijuana has been legalized in a couple of states right next door. I had to get a photo and was all set to buy a t-shirt that said "I LOVE WEED, California" but a little voice inside me said, "where would you wear this t-shirt?" so I decided against the purchase.

I eventually made it up to Crater Lake, Oregon and here are a few pics to show you just how stunning a place this is.
"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."

Here is a shot of the Crater Lake Lodge, built in 1915 to serve the hundreds of visitors who came to view the incredible scenery that surrounds the lake's rim.

This was an odd experience for me. Below you can see the beginning of a potentially major forest fire. I spoke with one of the hundreds of firefighters that are monitoring this fire and developing containment strategies. They expect the fire will get bigger before they contain it but at the present they are bombarding it with flame retardant from the air.

This was all going on up at about 7700 ft. elevation so the ride down the backside of the Cascade Mountain Range was great fun with all kinds of fast sweepers.
I arrived at Barbara's place about 4:30 pm but nobody was home. I was getting ready to leave her a note when she appeared having returned from an errand.
She explained that she was leaving at 6:30 to go see a movie and I could join them or just chill. I chose the later so I'm spending the evening in with her dog, Moss, and getting caught up on my blog. I really appreciate being able to relax after a day of riding in a nice comfortable home. Before she left she prepared a delicious salad plate and we had a drink while just catching up on life.