Onto The Great Sand Dunes National Park

As it turns out some of the route to get there were on small two lane roads like CO-24. It provided us with the opportunity of passing through more tiny towns. In between were scattered ranches and windmill farms.

 At times the distance between each seemed endless...it’s amazing how many of the homes are trailers or manufactured ones. Obviously, You have to love wide open spaces to live out here. Not to mention enjoy driving miles to get anything...WOW!

We saw signs for this attraction https://royalgorgebridge.com/. With mom’s fear of heights we passed on it. We did cross over the Arkansas River in Pueblo, CO though…

Dad decided to pass up on Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center , this historical fort built in southern Colorado in the 1850’s. One of the forts that housed the Buffalo Soldiers in the late 1870’s. 

Gradually, the plains give way to undulating rounded rises, then larger hills and before you know it, you’re looking at the distance mountains looming large through a lilac, dusty haze. Dad said, “He’s not impressed with this Colorado road!” as we bumped along poorly patched asphalt expanses. We were ever so grateful when we are on newly paved ones to give our spines a break.  (Our truck is normally really comfortable.)

As we got closer to Colorado Springs, more well spaced out housing appeared until finally they became tighter packed suburbs. Their backdrop was the Rocky Mountain range behind them. 

“Colorado Springs is near the base of Pikes Peak, which rises 14,115 feet (4,302 m) above sea level on the eastern edge of the southern Rocky Mountains.” 

We kept seeing Zebulon Montgomery Pike’s name show up. Here’s what mom found out: “Pike was an American brigadier general and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado was named, “ according to Wikipedia. 

We have been here many times before visiting and eventually staying at the Air Force Academy…There is so much to see and do around this town, it takes quite a few days. Today, we passed by Peterson AF base. If you have never visited any of our military academies, M & D can vouch for how beautiful they are.

“Sign, sign, everywhere a sign 

Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind 

Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?…” 1971 by The Five Man Electrical Band

As we were approaching the The Great Sand Dunes National Park on CO 150 we are looking at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains 

Not sure how much we will be able to cover in a day… 

Our campsite is at 8,000 feet so M & D found themselves tiring out a bit faster. The Great Sand Dunes Oasis Campsite is part way up one of the lesser steep Sangre de Cristo Mountain sides. 

We definitely have panoramic views right now unless we get neighbors. Otherwise, it’s pretty basic campground with little cell reception & NO WiFi except for our hotspots. 

Dad called me the new sheriff in town...this hut was part of the kid's playground, but I didn't care!

In honor of officially being in cowboy country, we will be having baked beans, hotdogs, cornbread with a mixed berry, pecans & blue cheese salad. I told mom that that’s way too fancy for cowboys, girls & dogs, but I will enjoy a taste anyway! 

We were hoping to find the directions for the Wellington Ditch Trail to traverse tonight after dinner, but no one had any idea…it’s not a place that we want to get lost either…

Our after dinner view and M & D's entertainment in front of our camper.

 While I got to play a bit of ball with a bunch of kids...paradise!

Dad took these shots because Mom was kept busy keeping me from licking the kids to death...or jumping on them in my enthusiasm...

Mom was all excited about opening up the camper and letting in this fabulous breeze and low 80 temps. Delightful! She informed me, after reading the campsite instructions (a former Girl Scout must follow the rules) that they do NOT recommend leaving the camper open when you leave it. Unless, you would like wildness guests: raccoons, bears and so forth trying to get to your food. 

After dark, Mom kept talking about trying to see some Comet that’s visible to the naked eye???

From NPR, ...”the comet, known officially as C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) — or just comet Neowise for short — is providing an unexpected bright spot in the lives of quarantined astronomers.” 

Here’s how to see it now, according to Sky & Telescope:

...”Start looking about 1 hour after sunset, when you’ll find it just over the northwestern horizon as the last of twilight fades into darkness. Look about three fists below the bottom of the Big Dipper, which is hanging down by its handle high above, and from there perhaps a little to right.

Every evening thereafter the comet will be getting dimmer, but it will also be getting higher up as twilight ends. 

On the evening of the 23rd, when Comet NEOWISE is its closest to Earth, locate it by first noting the two stars at the bottom of the Big Dipper’s bowl. Then draw an imaginary line through them and toward lower left to a point in the sky a little more than one fist away. But by that date you'll almost certainly need binoculars or a telescope.” 

We were all excited to see it after the sun went down…there are so many stars to see out here with no light pollution!!! 

“Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is in southern Colorado. It’s known for huge dunes like the towering Star Dune, and for the seasonal Medano Creek and beach created at the base of the dunes...”

I did enjoy exploring under some shaded pinions; stick hunting, followed by chewing. M & D were amazed at the sand boarding they witnessed through their cameras or binoculars. Ouch ! 

The darker areas of sand are where a bit more of the Medano Creek remains

The highest dune, the Star Dune is the equivalent of a seventy story building. The sand heats up quickly, so even arriving by ten AM, we didn’t last long trekking across it. My paws were getting too hot!!! 🔥 

Even though the Visitor’s Center is still closed; we walked the Sand Sheet Trail, behind it for some photo ops for M & D. It’s an easier trail especially at these higher elevations that we aren’t accustomed to. 

Thanks to all the excellent posted signage, we didn't suffer too much from the closed visitor's center. My head hurts from all this new knowledge! Hope there isn't a test!!!

As I said, this massive preserve and park is a paradise for hikers, birder's and sportmen's...

“The backcountry Medano Pass Primitive Road (4 wheel drive, horses or foot only) winds through a canyon toward the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Trails lead to forests, wetlands and alpine lakes like Medano Lake, which is home to trout and tundra wildlife.”

Mom asked the Ranger what the one gloriously, colored bird was that we had just spotted. He said it was a Western Tanager like the one above...

When we saw the horses and their riders, M & D thought of our horsey friends, Shirley Lakes, Patti Wagner and Denise Zeiher. They would love riding their horses out here in these plains and woods...where there always seem to be gentle to strong breezes...

Mom read that this area has seven life zones; depending on elevation: Alpine Tundra, Subalpine, Montane Forest, Dunefield, Sand Sheet & Grasslands, Salt-Encrusted Plain or Sabkha, Stream Sides & Wetlands, all teaming with various wildlife. M & D kept thinking about their nephews, Nate & Matt Gardiner. 

We returned to Sleeping Around for a late lunch and naps before heading out again...

Summer afternoons seem to bring in fierce storms with lightning, thunder and wind that show up in clusters. They are pretty to watch from a distance. 

After lunch we drove to the Alamosa Wildlife Refuge to take their Scenic Drive. Driving there we witnessed one unusual sign and the storm clusters in the San Luis Valley...

Since the center was closed, we picked up brochures outside. Dad had already guessed that the ditches we were seeing dated back to the early 1880’s farmers who settled here. The state or preserve bought this land...I pointed out a couple of red wing blackbirds, but we couldn't identify the ducks. 

We returned home for dinner and rain that lasted on and off for most of the evening...After my evening walk in the rain, we watched a couple of West Wing episodes, one in particular was timely even for today...

Since we have only about a four hour drive to Mesa Verde today, dad said we could leave later, giving me time to finish my blog...Can you believe this sign? It's isn't only mom who remembers old TV shows.