21st Day (Eugene - Klamath Falls)

My phone wakes me up at 8 am. I don't want to leave too late, it's going to be very hot. Over 30 degrees. The daily packing has become routine by now, and when you do it as often as I do, the processes become more and more streamlined. Eugene, with its 156,000 inhabitants, is bigger than I expected, so it takes almost 15 minutes for me to leave the city limits and head southeast on Route 58. At first, there is quite a bit of traffic and the beautiful Lookout Point Lake, an artificially created reservoir, which glows emerald green. After I leave it behind, the traffic also decreases, and it goes uphill - up to 1500 meters. From some viewpoints, you can see Diamond Peak, a snow-covered volcano that is 2600 meters high. There is also a ski resort called Diamond Peak, and some ski lifts indicate that it's busy in the winter. But right now, everything is rather peaceful.

Passing Odell Lake, which is quiet and calm, only a few boats are being used, it turns onto Highway 97 at Crescent, and from here it goes through airy pine forests for a long time, almost straight ahead. A good stretch to use the cruise control and enjoy some nice music. When it turns right to Crater Lake, 80 percent of the cars go there - and I can understand them well. The lake is one of the most beautiful things I have seen, but when I was there 15 months ago, it was not crowded. Judging by the traffic jam now, this is not the case today. In any case, I stay on Highway 97, even though I think nostalgically about this beautiful place.

When I reach Upper Klamath Lake, that feeling quickly fades away. The huge lake now has an even greater effect than last April, and the bright blue sky makes the calm water shine particularly brightly. I stop for half an hour to enjoy this wonderful piece of nature. Before I drive to my motel, I take a walk along the Klamath River, which connects the huge lake with the smaller Lake Ewauna. It is a bird sanctuary, and dozens of cormorants sit on and in the water, scanning for prey.

I already liked Klamath Falls a lot a year ago, so I'm staying in the same Maverick Motel in the middle of the city. I think the historic buildings here are beautiful, and since it's hot and Sunday, the streets are almost empty. It's something unusual to be in a place that I already knew before. But it also has something peaceful. Almost like coming home. Almost.