In stark contrast to Spring Creek and Crater Lake in nearly every way, our traveling quartet ventured south for a visit to the Lava Beds National Monument.
First though, we stopped off at the Tule Lake National Monument which consists of the Tule Lake Segregation Center and the WWII prisoner of war camp for German and Italian soldiers.
The former was the largest site where Japanese Americans were incarcerated for no reason other than their appearance. There’s not much left at the site, just the prison and the fence line, but just stopping to read the plaque and see where the barracks used to stand is a sobering experience.
We pressed on, the next stop: Petroglyph Point...sharing the place only with a thousand swooping swallows and perhaps the essence of the Modoc people upon whose traditional territory we were visiting.
The sheer rock face that rises from the flats of the old lakebed showcases incredible carved petroglyphs that are estimated to be more than 6,000 years old.
Memories of the fourth grade with Mrs. Hodencamp and Mr. Young came flooding back as we used to take field trips to these sites in grade school. The park brochure aided in my recollection of history, but I definitely impressed these guys with my extensive knowledge of owl pellets...
Back in the car, we didn’t drive past another soul until we reached Captain Jack’s Stronghold.
We did the short loop hike, following the faded trailhead posts and trying to imagine what it must have been like to survive in that kind of terrain...I shuddered at the mere thought of anyone having to walk across the sharp rock with no shoes on, let alone surviving a winter out there with an army trying to kill you...
Up next was some extreme cave spelunking...if by “extreme” you consider, walking hunched over for a few yards and not having a handrail. We began, of course, with the obligatory stroll through the paved and lit Mushpot Cave near the Visitor’s Center and moved on to the Golden Dome and the Skull Cave.
The temperature change though, that was extreme. We went from 98 degrees on the surface of the earth to about 50 degrees at the bottom of the Skull Cave
The variety of caverns and grottos to explore is a wide one, but we didn’t need to get lost in the miles and miles of catacombs that are the lava tubes...plus, I needed to have these deprived yahoos experience a milkshake from the Polar Bear in Merrill.
Pure joy...and again, fantastic signage!
The Polar Bear sits on the 39 which goes straight through town. We pulled over and ordered strawberry milkshakes and a coffee shake for Nancy.
While anxiously awaiting our order, who other than my old neighbor, Patrick Rose, should happen to be drive by, recognize us, and stop to say hello.
Best treat of the day!
Dinner was had at Margaret and Mike Rooney’s lovely home where we baked our own cheesy pizza in their backyard oasis and talked into the night. Just wonderful.
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