50 Best Road Trips

Above, Mount Shasta as seen from the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This summer looks to be a very busy one (probably the busiest on record) as more people are vaccinated and are clamoring to hit the road.

Parade has a list of the best 50 road trips to take in the United States. 

They begin with:

COVID-19 travel restrictions are loosening up as more and more people get vaccinated, but if you don’t feel comfortable boarding a plane quite yet, there’s good news: there are still ways (and cool destinations!) to travel to without taking a flight. Just hop in your own car and plan a road trip across the United States.

With travel restrictions still ever-changing depending on where you go, road trips are more relevant than ever. Luckily, the U.S. is full of beautiful, scenic routes and destinations that will make it worth every mile. Keep reading for 50 of the best road trips throughout the U.S.!

To see what they are, go here. 

Remote Villages With RV Parks

Above, one of the eight villages is near Mt. Shasta in Northern California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Want to camp away from people, be it to enjoy peace and quiet or just to social distance?

Well, you're in luck!

Do It Yourself RV has an article on 8 villages and small towns that have RV parks and campgrounds.

They begin with:

Leery from being around too many people, RVers are heading out farther than they ever have before. What are they searching for? 

Uncrowded RV parks, public lands, friendly people, and peace and quiet. Many of these things can be found in the thousands of tiny villages sprinkled throughout the states. 

Tiny villages do exist in the U.S. 

Most of them have populations of around 500 to 2,500 people. Some even hover in the 250 to 300 population range but still have a nice selection of amenities. 

These 8 tiny villages have at least one RV park or campground nearby, access to public lands, one or more small grocery or convenience stores, and plenty of fresh air to go around.

To see where they are, go here. 

Earthquake Reported At Crater Lake National Park

Above, Wizard Island at Crater Lake National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Did you know that Crater Lake in Oregon is still considered to be an active volcano? 

Well, it is. It is also part of the Cascade Range of volcanic peaks which include Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Shasta and Lassen Peak, among others.

Researchers have reported earthquakes this past week, the first since 2015.

According to KTVL:

CRATER LAKE, Ore. — Scientists are excited about the ground rumblings at Crater Lake National Park but it's more academic than any threat to the public. 

On June 9, at approximately 1800 UTC (11 a.m. Pacific) an M 1.3 earthquake occurred under Crater Lake at a depth approximately 2 km below sea level. 

"You're looking at three or four miles down from the surface," Seismologist Wes Thelen said. 

The event was followed by around two dozen aftershocks over the next 12 hours. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascade Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington poured over the spectrogram and the readings from the four seismometers in the caldera including one on Wizard Island.

To read more, go here. 

One Year Ago: Lassen Volcanic National Park

Above, The Beast with Lassen Peak in the background from Devastated Area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One year ago today, I left Oregon and headed south into Northern California to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Above, Mount Shasta in the morning haze. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This would be my first visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park since 1968. It was the first national park I've ever visited.

Along the way, I passed Mount Shasta, like Lassen Peak, it is another volcano of the Cascade Range.

Above, at Manzanita Lake Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Also along the way, I noticed an "Adopt-A-Highway" sign noting that the area's Clampers sponsored road cleaning on that stretch of road. After all, this was Clamper Country.

Above, the ECV Adopt-A-Highway sign. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was able to get a campsite at Manzanita Lake Campground, which is at the northern part of the national park. It was pretty much as I remembered it, except this time the campground wasn't overrun by deer.

Above, the Manzanita Lake Campground store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After resting a while, I took a drive around the park. It was very enjoyable as there weren't too many people in the park.

Following a two-night stay, I headed home.

Lassen Peak Will Erupt, Maybe Not In Our Lifetime

Above, Lassen Peak. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Lassen Peak in Northern California erupted last 100 years ago. But it could erupt again, but probably not in our lifetime.

I visited Lassen Volcanic National Park last year during my Great American Eclipse trip.

An article on Lassen Peak has been posted by the Plumas County News.

They wrote:

It’s not a matter of if the area around Lassen Volcanic Center will erupt in the future, but when. 

That’s according to Dr. Michael Clynne, research geologist, and the most knowledgeable scientist on the Lassen Volcanic National Park area. “I’m the point person,” he said in a recent interview. 

That doesn’t mean Clynne is encouraging residents to pack their bags or plan evacuation routes immediately. Although volcanic activity is somewhat unpredictable, scientists who watch volcanoes distinguish between earth time and human time. What could mean soon in earth time might be 1,000 years, a long time in terms of the human race. 

New interest in potential activity at some of the Pacific coastal states’ volcanoes arose with the continuing activity at Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano and more recent eruptions at the Fuego Volcano in Guatemala. 

Three California volcanoes, including Mt. Shasta and Lassen Peak (also known as Mt. Lassen), and Long Valley Caldera near Mammoth, are listed at very high threat potential, according to scientists at the California Volcano Observatory (CalVO) in San Jose. CalVO is part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program, where Clynne is based. 

These three volcanoes are part of an 800-mile stretch of the West Coast, including California, which contains 13 volcanoes.

Above, Mount Shasta in Northern California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Kilauea Stokes Fears of West Coast Eruptions

Above, California's Mount Shasta in the morning haze. The article says Mount Shasta
"is the most dangerous, in part because it is surrounded by towns." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The current eruptions of Kilauea in Hawaii has people on the West Coast jittery about the volcanoes along the Cascade Range.

Fox News reported:

Multiple fissures emitting minor lava spatter opened Saturday on Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, heightening fears of an impending major eruption and prompting a warning by the US Geological Survey of more disaster to come. 

The eruption of a Hawaii volcano in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" also has experts warily eyeing volcanic peaks on America's West Coast that are also part of the geologically active region. 

The West Coast is home to an 800-mile chain of 13 volcanoes, from Washington state's Mount Baker to California's Lassen Peak. They include Mount St. Helens, whose spectacular 1980 eruption in the Pacific Northwest killed dozens of people and sent volcanic ash across the country, and massive Mount Rainier, which towers above the Seattle metro area. 

America's most dangerous volcanoes are all part of the Ring of Fire, and most are on the West Coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Besides Kilauea, they include: Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington; Mount Hood and South Sister in Oregon; and Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic Center in California.

Above, Lassen Peak peeks over a ridge. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Mount St. Helens Is Rumbling

Above, Mount Shasta as seen through an early morning haze. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People around the area of Mount St. Helens in Washington are getting jittery as earthquake activity has increased.

Forbes.com reported:

Since New Years Day Mount St. Helens has experienced 40 earthquakes within its vicinity as tremors continue every few hours. The most powerful earthquake was a magnitude 3.9 that occurred around midnight west coast time about 5 miles from Mount St. Helens and 23 miles from the town of Morton. 

The 3.9 magnitude earthquake was felt in Portland but there were no reported injuries or damage. Since that earthquake there have been 16 more earthquakes, averaging about every half hour with magnitudes from 0.6 to 2.6. 

It is common to experience swarms of earthquakes at Mount St. Helens. While it is certainly not a sign of an impending eruption, the earthquakes are a result of an active volcanic system.

Above, Lassen Peak was the last volcano to erupt in the lower 48 states
 before the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Mount St. Helens is part of the Cascade Range of volcanic peaks that also includes Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Lassen Peak and Mount Shasta.

To read more, go here.

Volcanic Road Trip

Above, Wizard Island at Crater Lake National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two months ago, during my trip to view the total eclipse in Idaho, I headed into Oregon to visit Crater Lake National Park.

From Crater Lake, I headed south past Mount Shasta to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Along the way, I noticed signs that said, "Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway" in southern Oregon and in Northern California. It was a nice drive and well worth it.

Today, I spotted an article about the scenic byway and what volcanic attractions tourists can see.

According to an article in The Oregonian (OregonLive):

Volcanoes are a natural part of our Pacific Northwest existence – if you lived here during the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, you know that all too well. But even if you weren’t here during the last big volcanic eruption, the presence of our northwest volcanoes is impossible to ignore. 

From Portland, south to Klamath Falls, and east out to Burns and beyond, you can see active volcanoes, remnants of massive lava flows, huge craters and evidence of other volcanic action.  

If you want to get a taste, you can drive the existing Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, which runs from Crater Lake down to Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. It’s a nice drive, but far from comprehensive when it comes to exploring Oregon’s actual volcanic legacy. 

To give a broader experience, I’ve crafted a bigger volcano road trip that, while it does dip into northern California, shows off far more of Oregon’s volcanic sights. It starts in Portland and ends way out in southeast Oregon. Locals can head up to I-84 and make a loop of it, while tourists might consider flying into Portland and out of Boise. 

It’s a long trip, but aside from the hands-on education you’ll receive in volcanology, it’s a wonderful way to tour the Cascade Mountains and the more remote regions of Oregon.

Above, Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Mount Shasta

Above, a view of Mount Shasta along U.S. 97 north of Weed, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On the way south from Oregon while en route to Lassen Volcanic National Park, I passed by another volcano in Cascade Range of volcanoes, Mount Shasta. 

From Wikipedia:

Mount Shasta (Karuk: Úytaahkoo or "White Mountain") is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, in the U.S. state of California. At an elevation of 14,179 feet (4321.8 m), it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth-highest in California. Mount Shasta has an estimated volume of 85 cubic miles (350 km3), which makes it the most voluminous stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. 

The mountain and its surrounding area are managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Shasta–Trinity National Forest.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey:

Mt. Shasta is a majestic, steep-sided stratovolcano located about 97 km (60 mi) north of Redding along the I-5 corridor in Northern California. It is the most voluminous of all the Cascade Range volcanoes, and the towns of Weed, Mt Shasta City, and McCloud lie in the shadow of its 4,317 m (14,163 ft) high snow- and ice-clad edifice, which also holds the headwaters of the Upper Sacramento River. Mount Shasta began forming on the remnants of an older, similar volcano that collapsed 300,000 to 500,000 years ago. The collapse spawned one of the largest landslides known on Earth, covering more than 440 km2 (170 mi2) of Shasta Valley to the northeast. Activity over the last 300,000 years includes long intervals of quiet interrupted by shorter spans of frequent eruptions. Eruptions at about 11,000 years ago built Black Butte and Shastina on the western flanks of Mount Shasta. In the last few millennia, smaller eruptions have broken out at the volcano’s summit and from vents on its upper east flank. USGS scientists are working on constraining the age of the most recent eruption. Preliminary work indicates the volcano erupted in the past 200-300 years. Hot springs and volcanic gases seep from the summit indicating a relatively young and still-hot system. Non-volcanic shedding of young volcanic rock and ash from Mount Shasta’s steep slopes occurs during heavy rainfall or glacial floods. In the last 1,000 years, more than 70 mudflows have inundated stream channels. The record of eruptions over the last 10,000 years suggests that, on average, at least one eruption occurs every 800 to 600 years at Mt Shasta. USGS and UNAVCO seismic and geodetic networks provide real-time volcano monitoring data. Earthquake activity has been low for the last few decades and ground deformation is negligible.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Above, Lassen Peak is the correct name, but many call it Mount Lassen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Following my visit to Crater Lake National Park, I headed back into California for the first time in over a week to pay a visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Lassen was the first national park my parents took me to 49 years ago. On that trip, we camped in my grandfather's canvas umbrella tent at the Manzanita Lake Campground, which is located just inside of the north entrance into the park. While my mom an I had comfortable, and warm, sleeping bags on that trip, my dad had a rather thin sleeping bag and just about froze.

This time, being in The Beast, I was much more comfortable. It was in the 80s during the day, but the temperature would head down into the 40s at night. (I woke up and found Sierra under the covers between the bathroom wall and me. Apparently, the cold air was even too much for her natural fur coat.)

Above, Mt. Shasta in the morning haze. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The trip down was via U.S. 97 to Interstate 5, which is a picturesque drive that took me past Mount Shasta, another volcano in the Cascade Range (Lassen Peak is another volcano in this chain as is Mt. St. Helens and others). Lassen last erupted back in 1915 to around 1921 and has been dormant since. There are still some volcanic activity in the park.

Up until Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, Lassen Peak was the last volcano to erupt in the lower 48 states.

Above, the entrance to Manzanita Lake Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I pulled into the Manzanita Campground's entry, located near the store, and it was a self-registration process. All one has to do is to grab a pay envelope, go into one of the loops to find an open campsite, and complete the envelope (vehicle plate, site number, days staying) and put cash or a check in it and take it to the entrance to drop it into a pay slot. Easy!

Above, the campsite pay envelopes and pay slot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I mentioned, the campground has a store, as well as a gas station and showers. It also has an amphitheater where nightly informative programs are presented by the park rangers and experts.

Above, the Manzanita Lake Campground store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fortunate for me, there were plenty of campsites available to choose from. I found a nice site in Loop B. Loop D is strictly for tent camping.

Back in 1968, we saw no evidence of bears in the campground, just a lot of deer. There are now bear-proof containers at each campsite for campers to store their food. There were none in 1968. I only saw one deer at the campground, and that was while I was leaving the park.

After relaxing for about a couple of hours, I headed off to explore the park.

By the way, speaking of national parks, today is the last day that the Senior Pass is $10. It goes up to $80 starting tomorrow! Better get yours today!

Here are some more photos at Lassen Volcanic National Park:

Above, Sierra hanging around and enjoying the views. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a description of the 1915 eruption at Devastated Area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, The Beast with Lassen Peak at the Devastated Area viewpoint. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a description of the eruption's effects at Devastated Area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Lassen Peak peeks over a hill and meadow. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Lassen Peak from the Lassen Peak trailhead. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a different side of Lassen Peak. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, The Beast at Manzanita Lake Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a view of Manzanita Lake. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the bear-proof food container at my campsite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Devastated Area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Manzanita Lake Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.