Lassen National Park

Lassen was definitely the most unexpected stop on our trip. We had really low expectations & had never even heard of it, but it was a halfway point, so we figured we'd stay a couple of nights. It's a volcanic national park & as we drove to see the volcano we were shocked to find snow! It was the kids' first time seeing snow & they were thrilled. We all got out of the car in our flip flops & played in it till we were too cold & then jumped back in the car. 

There were sulfur works at different spots throughout the park which was really interesting. Bubbling hot mud that smelled like rotten eggs. 

Another gem of a sign. 

Snow! At the bottom of a volcano! It was pretty amazing. 

The weather was beautiful while we were there! We hiked to a cold bubbling lake in a valley. Apparently, there are 3 ecosystems in Lassen which made for really diverse scenery. We went from a volcano & snow to pine trees, valleys, & streams. 

We went on a family canoe ride & the kids hated every second of it. We paid for an hour & while we had the most incredible view of the volcanoes, you would've thought we were torturing the children. They spent the whole time complaining & telling us to quit wobbling the canoe because they were going to fall in, etc. After about 30 minutes we made our way back to shore & the kids couldn't have been happier. You win some, you lose some. 

The kids were so fascinated by the bear boxes everywhere. When they learned how to open & close them they loved climbing inside. 

This lake was right by our campsite & the water was freezing, but Tyler & the kids got in. When I think of Lassen I think of white butterflies flying everywhere - I have never seen so many butterflies in my life. It was kind of magical. What wasn't magical was when our shower stopped draining & we couldn't use it anymore. And then we were off to our next stop - Crater Lake!