ADG Explores Crater Lake National Park!
Molly Mann, ADG’s Director of Social Media, Communications Expert, Customer Service Guru, and Star Wars Aficionado, recently traveled west to see three National Parks! Today we learn about the last park she explored on her journey, Crater Lake National Park.
A Mission to See All 63 American National Parks
With well over 300 original illustrations and more to come, ADG’s 63 Illustrated National Parks Collection is one of our most popular art collections. Many years ago, the collection sprang from an idea to create vintage-style poster art and travel art for every National Park. Around that same time, Joel Anderson – ADG’s founder and Creative Director – decided his artists and staff should see the parks in person to garner real-life inspiration and capture reference photos for future art.
Since then, ADG staff and artists have taken some time each year to travel into National Parks across the country to take photos, record their experiences, and become inspired. Today, we interview Molly as she departs Redwood National and State Parks (visit our Blog Page to read about Molly’s adventure in the Redwoods). Now we’re picking up with Molly as she heads north from California and makes her way to Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park.
Northbound to Crater Lake
After spending two days exploring Redwood National and State Parks, Molly drove north from northern California into and through Oregon, heading towards Crater Lake National Park. Molly reported seeing an abundance of farmland in Oregon, the verdant, rolling fields and hillsides with mountains on the horizon a testament to some of the best agricultural production in the region. When she arrived near the park, Molly stayed at a cute little Airbnb on a cattle ranch!
After a welcome night’s rest and a good breakfast, Molly ventured into Crater Lake National Park, first stopping at the visitor center and the on-site lodge. Then Molly hiked Discovery Trail near Wizard Island and returned to the lodge for a leisurely rest on one of the porch’s many old-timey rocking chairs.
On the second day in Crater Lake, Molly toured the park’s north section, even though she couldn’t access many of the trails in the region because of late-season snowfall. A campground nearby had a restaurant right next to it, a camp store, and an ice cream shop. Nearing the end of her journey, Molly took this time to enjoy some of the local attractions around Crater Lake, like Beckie’s Cafe, a registered historical landmark. Last but not least, Molly visited the last Blockbuster TV Rental on Earth in nearby Bend, Oregon!
Visiting North America’s Deepest Lake
At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in America. But that is just one of the interesting characteristics of a lake that lives inside the huge caldera of an ancient volcano. We got to sit down with Molly and ask her a few questions about what made the final leg of her journey so special.
ADG: We got the overview of your trip to Crater Lake, and now we’re curious, what were your thoughts about accommodations, transportation, and food? Any advice for others planning a trip to Crater Lake National Park?
Molly: Staying at an Airbnb on a ranch near the park was the best idea because there weren’t many accommodations nearby. Also, check out the local market and see the groceries and the organic food at this little hole-in-the-wall called Jo’s Organic Grocery. It was so great! We got all the good food we needed there.
ADG: What was inspiring about this park? What was your favorite aspect of the park?
Molly: Just the fact that I could get there was incredible. It reminded me of a time when my grandmother told me how my generation could go on adventures that her generation had only dreamed of doing and that my generation should take advantage of that. It makes me humble and appreciative of my ability to go to these places. As for the park, some cool legends and myths connected to the lake were also really interesting and inspiring.
ADG: What sort of tips do you have for enjoying the park? Maybe for things that people who’ve never been there might not think of?
Molly: Yes. The weather that high up in elevation is unpredictable. That’s why you should be prepared for any weather, even in the summer. Besides being prepared, just being positive, you know? Be willing to have an unpredictable experience. In the world we’re in today, we want more and more and more, and traveling, you have to shift your expectations because things happen with weather and whatnot that you can’t always account for. I couldn’t see a huge section of Crater Lake because of snowfall, so I adjusted my plans and rolled with it. I still had a great time and saw some areas of the park I probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
ADG: Any underrated aspects of Crater Lake?
Molly: Absolutely. The lodge was super underrated! Most folks go to parks to get into nature, but I highly recommend checking out the lodge if you’re going to Crater Lake. It’s a cool history lesson and a great place to relax, rest, and learn about the region's past, present, and future.
Looking to the Future
As we closed our interview with Molly, we asked her what was next for her, travel-wise. She said her Adventure Guide is getting pretty full, but there's still many parks she needs to check off her list, like those in the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest, but she didn’t give us any hard dates on when she’ll hit the road next.
Stay tuned, though, because if there’s one thing every ADG employee has in common, it’s our love for travel!
See you on the trail,
-Ren Brabenec
Anderson Design Group Staff Writer
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