Well, we have reached our final post of this vacation. We visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park for only a couple hours and headed east toward home!

 

The Great Sand Dunes National Park is a park unlike any other. For those who have been here, you know what I’m talking about. Let me elaborate for those of you who have not been.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park is situated in the San Juan Valley in the middle of southern Colorado. Half a million years ago. there was a lake that covered the valley floor after the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountains were formed (volcanic and plate uplifting, respectively). When the lake dried up, it left all it’s sediment behind. Winds flowing through mountain passes combined with wind storms caused the sand to grow into dunes vertically. This caused the sand dunes- the largest in North America (Star Dune is 750 feet tall!). The sand dunes are trapped in the valley, and over time became stable. The sand on top of the dunes may shift in winds, but the main structure of the dunes remain stable.

Driving up to the dunes, you drive through a lot of dust and desert. Not surprising if you are looking to find some sand dunes. However, once you actually see the dunes, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. Mountains of sand surrounded by mountains with snow at their peaks. Truly a sight to behold!

 

We arrived pretty early to the park (we had stayed at a BLM site right outside the park). We wanted to get an early hike in at the dunes before continuing East. We decided to hike the High Dune, which is ironically NOT the highest dune in the park. Still, at a whopping 700 feet- it was quite a hike! Much like our hike at the Cinder Cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park last summer, the hike was rough! Only about 2.5 miles total, but through all sand. Luckily, we had an early start and the sand was cool! I hiked in socks and bare feet! Easier than wearing my hiking boots, plus a free pedicure 😛

 

At some points of the hike, we were climbing straight up the side of the dunes, only making it about 30 feet before needing to stop. It was quite the workout! At the top of the dune, you have vast views of the dunefields and mountains. It was splendid.

 

Another cool thing about this park is that a lot of families come and bring their sleds. You are allowed to sled down the sand dunes! We meant to bring our sleds, but forgot. It is also possible to rent sleds in the neighboring town of Alamosa. If we ever come back here, we will definitely be bringing sleds!

 

After hiking to the High Dune, we decided to head out of the park. There are tons of trails, but we had an itch to get on the road. There were a ton of people in line to get into the park, so I think our early morning plan paid off!

 

We headed out of the Great Sand Dunes National Park, and headed East! The drive was through all of Southeastern Colorado (mostly desert, hot, boring). We got to 70 once we entered Kansas. Originally, we had intended on staying at the KOA in Wakeeney (where we had stayed on our way out). We had a night booked, but not for a few days. I called to change the reservation, and while on the phone, the last reservation was booked! I called around to a bunch of other campgrounds, but being a Saturday, everything was booked! We decided to drive until we couldn’t anymore, and find a parking lot or somewhere similar to stay. We ended up staying in a Cracker Barrel parking lot outside of Topeka, Kansas. Similar to last summer in our gas station camp in Oklahoma, it was a brutal night. Super hot, humid, and just not comfortable! Scott rigged a little fan for us which helped some, but it was still a hot night. Our plan was to get up early and grab breakfast, but upon waking up we both realized that HELLO, it’s coronavirus time and Cracker Barrel doesn’t have outdoor seating and I definitely don’t feel comfortable eating inside a closed in restaurant.

So, we were up around 5:30 and on the road! Today, we drove through the rest of Kansas (skipping the Wizard of Oz museum and Jones BBQ), through St. Louis, then through Indianapolis. At this point, we had to make the decision to either stop at the KOA in Richmond that we stopped on our last night last summer, or continue the drive. If we stopped, we would be only 4 hours from home and it was only around 5:00. If we kept going, it would be a 15 hour driving day for us. Our will to get home to the cats, Freddy, and our comfy bed drove us to complete our drive. From the middle of Colorado to home in 2 days! What a trip! Seems like the fur babies missed us 🤗

 

Our trip this summer was unforgettable! Last summer, we spent most of our time in the mountains. Long pants, hoodies, snow. This summer, we were mostly in the desert! It was so different. We actually got sun and a tan! Things did get a little crazy and messed up due to COVID-19, but for the most part we were able to enjoy the parks and see some incredible parts of our country. Our favorites were Rocky Mountain and Great Basin- both places we can’t wait to see again! Some disappointments- Zion and Mesa Verde- that we want to visit in non-COVID times. Some altitude sickness (Scott in the Rockies). Overall, our vacation was incredible. Thanks for following along with us-AGAIN!

Next, we will be visiting Michigan (hopefully) at the end of July! My aunt and uncle’s lakehouse, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Nichols Lake in the Huron-Manistee National Forest. Looking forward to another short vacation before what seems like it will be a stressful and crazy school year!