Those are absolutely gorgeous photos!

I wouldn't have to go all the way into Portland, so the road from Hood River to Mt Hood looks like a very tempting alternative.

I'm really starting to warm up to the inland tour before heading out to the coast, thank you both for your input!

Thank you both!

If you want some more great photos from Crater Lake National Park, here are some: http://bit.ly/fvprSh
Or watch this video: http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGIO...cbyway_NEW.wmv
Also if Crater Lake Lodge is all booked up you may want to try: Lake of the Woods www.LakeOfTheWoodsResort.com
Great rustic charm, adorned with knotty pine floors and
wainscoating, vintage furnishings, braided rugs, Pendleton blankets. There's swimming, fishing, boating (rentals
available), hiking, biking or BBQ. Friday nights, there are movies under the stars. There are 15 cabins to choose from, open year round, plus a lodge dining room.

The other place we stayed was Rocky Point Resort
www.RockyPointOregon.com It sits on Upper Klamath Lake.
This place is great. Comfortable accommodations in beautiful, quiet surroundings. It sits in a little cove. Guest facilities include four cabins with completely outfitted kitchens, five deluxe guest rooms with private baths, 29 RV hookups, and four lakeside tent sites. We tried almost all at this local. A newly refurbished lodge houses an excellent restaurant and lounge with spectacular
views of the lake. Canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, and motorboats can be rented at the resort, and marine gas is available dockside. Overnight and seasonal berths are also
available for privately owned motorboats or sailboats. Hunting and fishing licenses and tackle are sold at the resort store. This place is a camera buff’s delight.

And since you are in this area, you can also drive through the Klamath Basin of six wildlife refuges-tons of birds to see and more. And there is also the Lava Tubes. We were just planning on driving through and we fell in love and stayed longer.

Just an fyi, also we stayed at another spot in Ashland. A vacation home called Maxfield's. Great Victorian home at reasonable rates. Have fun on your road trip!

when people come to visit me in washington i take them to see mt.st. helens rather than rainier.mt. ranier is a fixture on the horizon any time it is clear in seattle and the tourist facility at mt st helens is great. you will have a great view of the olympic mountains whenever it is clear in seattle area.
15 miles north of cresent city is the smith river.very beautiful area and giant redwoods.anothe interesting thing would be if you go to yosemite n.p. which has an entirly different species of redwood than the coast. imho yosemite is in the top 3 national parks in the u.s.