Crater Lake Oregon is the spot I would come back to in a minute. About 2 hours south of Bend Oregon, the day looked great but wildfires in the area gave it a dark haze when we arrived. Almost like a light fog with sunlight filling the area. The lake itself sits atop an inactive volcano. Yet the water was as blue and pristine as any I have seen. The lake is one of the deepest in the USA. Fed only by rainwater and snowfall it was an amazing site in this desert landscape. You can drive to the top and view it from the National Park visitors center and if you are inclined for a overnight stay they even have an inn there. I would love to stay overnight someday and get a view of it with the night sky, maybe even with the milky way in view. Getting there was a fun trip too. Leaving Bend with its vacation and ski town feel I felt like I was on the Oregon Trail as we passed the mountain range and a few towns on the way giving me a real sense for what eastern Oregon is compared to the west coast. Quirky little towns with deer horns, burgers and taxidermy services complimented the American west look. Nothing like New England.