hey Mark, I was in Ashland last weekend. if you don't mind going a little further south, 66 from Keno to Ashland is an amazing road. also the Aufderheide ( forest service 19) is pretty cool too. 97 all the way is fairly boring. have fun.  Chuck

There are lots of great side trips along the way, but no great route changes, just detours off route. Once up at Crater Lake, there's a wonderful loop around the west side of the mountain - either directiion. Wonderful Oregon Cascades mountain highways. When I was up there for the MOA rally I stayed a night at a campground outside the south side of the park, and when I left I detoured around the west side of the mountain before continuing north on 97. The last stretch getting back to 97 on the north side was oddly long straight sections, but otherwise the entire loop was twisty stuff along rivers and some waterfalls.