Welcome dinner together in downtown Ashland.

After breakfast we depart the Rogue Valley and follow the Rogue River corridor northward into the Cascades. Along the way we pause at dramatic river overlooks, where short and easy boardwalks bring us close to the water as it rushes through a narrow gorge and beneath a natural bridge of stone.

We continue climbing toward the rim of Crater Lake, arriving at the historic Crater Lake Lodge in the early afternoon. The rest of the day is ours to savor this extraordinary place — the deepest lake in the United States, cradled in a volcanic caldera and famous for its impossibly blue water. We take in the view from the classic overlooks along the west rim, wander the lodge's Great Hall, and settle onto the terrace to watch the lake change color through the afternoon. A Trolley Tour of the crater rim allows for easy access to scenic overlooks.

We continue west toward the Willamette Valley, with lunch along the way, before returning to our pickup points and the close of a memorable journey.