View from Crater Lake

The Crater Lake article brought back fond memories [“It’s Elemental,” by Christopher Reynolds, July 26]. While traveling with my husband and two children (13 and 8) in 1984, we had reservations at Crater Lake Lodge.

We trekked up the stairs to our room only to find there was no TV and nothing much else. I said immediately that we were leaving; I need to be connected to the outside world.

Down the stairs we went with suitcases; the manager thought we were crazy. Have you ever been stuck in a hotel room with nothing to do with two kids? We all hate hiking, so that was that. The lake was beautiful for the 20 minutes we saw of it.

The lesson: Do your research before hauling two kids sightseeing around America. My son, now 38, laughed when he saw the article and remembered hauling the suitcase up and down the stairs. JACQUIE MAHONEY

Claremont

My first visit to Crater Lake in the mid-’70s was eventful. The view of the lake itself was mesmerizing. I loved the fresh air and the majesty of the caldera.

I remember one important comment from the ranger’s talk: According to Indian tribal legend, bad luck would come to anyone who looked on the face of the lake.

On the winding ride up to the ranger station, I was mildly carsick. Carsickness was nothing compared with what I felt 36 hours later. This was when the lodge’s sewage system was seeping into the drinking water, and most of the employees were sick with E. coli infections, as was I.

It took me several years to overcome the illness, and I’ve since learned to pay attention to tribal legends about sacred places. MARILYN FREEMAN

Laguna Woods