Thursday, July 24
Start: Roseburg, OR
Finish: Fowler campground (USFS) on CA 89, SE of McCloud, CA

Didn't leave Roseburg until noon, a variety of housekeeping items kept us in town. Back on I-5 S, but today was dry and clear! Our only diversion was to plant a letterbox I had carved before we left home. It was a Western Bluebird, in honor of friend's business in Oregon. I had intended to plant it earlier in our travels through Oregon, but some of the cool and wet weather earlier in June prevented that. I had researched the BLM National Monument on the California-Oregon border, Cascade-Siskiyou NM as a possibility.

Near the stateline, at Ashland, an old section of US 99 runs along I-5 and there are 3 exits; exit 1, 6 & 14 that allow you access off I-5. For real roadies I highly recommend this stretch of 'Blue Highway' we drove from exit 14 to exit 6, and a bit beyond, until we entered the monument. The road is paved, a bit narrow and windy, but we were fine in our Chevy Express van.

Exit 6, OR I-5 to US 99


Once the task at hand was done it was back on I-5 into California. At Mount Shasta City we exited onto CA 89, heading south. This section of road is part of the Volcanic Legacy Byway.

CA 89 - Volcanic Legacy


We drove through McCloud, too late for the post office, but enjoyed the quaint, logging town that is a center for recreational activities in the area.


Further up the road we luckily found a campsite at Fowlers Campground. At 3400 feet it was comfortably warm, with a promise of good sleeping weather. The forecast was for the days to get hotter. The only site we found open, #10 was very large. Too bad we won't have this over the weekend when our son and his family will be joining us at Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Fowlers Campground - site #10


Friday, July 25
Start: Fowlers Campground
Finish: Manzanita Lake Campground, Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA

Mt. Shasta - looking north from CA 89


Continued on CA 89 S, with a short side trip into Burney for groceries. Back on 89 to Old Station Visitor Center, managed by the USFS. This center is a favorite stop. The outside has a well-maintained Discovery Garden, interpretative signs and a Discovery Log for kids. The small area inside has interesting displays and a bookstore. We ate our picnic lunch while there then continued a short distance on 89 to a Vista Point with a good view of Mount Lassen. While there we found a couple of letterboxes.

Old Station Visitor Center


In a short distance we entered Lassen Volcanic National Park at the north entrance. We had reservations at the Manzanita Lake campground for 3 nights. Our son, daughter-in-law and. 2 grandchildren were meeting us there. Our reserved site, only 3 were available when I reserved in April, was too small to park both of our vehicles. When entering the park I saw that the campground was not full. After checking our site and talking with the host I was told to check for empty, and bigger sites in Loop B, as it is non-reservable. In a short time I was able to find a site better suited for us, almost as large as the one the one the night before, and made the transfer with the hosts.

Manzanita Campsite


Mid-afternoon the kids arrived and we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at camp. The kids are old enough, 7 and 9, to ride their bikes around on their own. We had a traditional first-night spaghetti dinner. As the sun was setting our grandson pointed out a Great-horned Owl as it perched at the top of a tree across from our campsite. We all saw him fly off into the evening.

Saturday, July 26
Start & Finish: Manzanita Lake Campground

Lazy morning in camp. Late morning we drove across the park to the south entrance, Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. We stopped at Sulphur Works to view a large mud pot. While at the visitor center the kids worked on their Junior Ranger booklets. I picked up the adult-level, Lassen Volcano Club activity sheet. Upon completion you receive a certificate and you can purchase a patch at their bookstore. Purchasing the patch I think is what all parks should do for the adult activities. We can afford the expense.

Son and grandson on Mt. Lassen trail


Admiring mud pot at Sulphur Works


Back at camp some took a nap, some went to the lake and I got caught up on this posting and started working on the Volcano Club activities. The weather was perfect, probably upper 70s and our site was fully-shaded throughout the day with a gentle breeze.

Sunday, July 27
Start & Finish: Manzanita Campground

First stop of the day was outside the park, near Old Station, was Subway Cave. The is a cave formed by lava oozing through a fissure in the ground. You walk down some stairs to enter, then walk through it to an opening at the other end, about 1/4 mile. It is managed by the USFS, there is no entrance fee.

Subway Cave


As we went back through Old Station we stopped at the visitor center I mentioned on Friday. The kids enjoyed the displays and each received a goodie bag from the ranger on duty. On our way back into camp we stopped at one of the letterboxes we had found on Friday for the kids to find. The grandkids love to letterbox, it is like a treasure hunt for them. We also stopped at a box planted in 2010 by my husband for them to find and for us to check on.

Letterboxing with grandkids


After lunch we rented kayaks at Manzanita Lake. It was a perfect afternoon to explore the small lake, upper 70s and a very light breeze. The views from the lake were spectacular, we saw a bald eagle fly from the shoreline, around the end of the lake. We also saw a muskrat swimming across the lake into a group of bushes in the water.

Kayaking on Manzanita Lake


Even though it was late July and the campgrounds were almost full you never have the feeling the park is crowded. This a park is a sleeper; lots of trails (short & long), lakes shallow enough to swim in temperate water and gorgeous views.


Weekly Stats - 7/20 to 7/26
Miles: 1200
Expenses: $767.14
Expense total to date



Passport Stamps
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Kohm Yah-mah-nee
Loomis Museum
California
Bonus
Volcano

Collectible Tokens

Letterboxes
Thursday - 1 planted
Friday - 2


Wildlife Sightings
Ground squirrel
Pine squirrel
White-tailed Deer
Common Muskrat

Turkey Vultures
American Crow
Steller's Jay
Canada Goose
Dark-eyed Junco
Great horned Owl
American Bald Eagle
American Coot
Scrub Jay