This past weekend we decided we would take the kids to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Each time we would tell someone where we were going we got the same response "I've heard that place is great, although, I've never been". We determined that it was the greatest place that no one has ever been to. Well, after having been there it is the greatest place ever!
We made hotel reservations at the only place in "town". You see it really wasn't a town. They just had the lodge, campsites, a gas station, and a restaurant. The nearest town to the park was a good 30 miles away. Saturday morning we packed up the car for our adventure and made the 3 or so hour drive south.
We stopped in the last town before the park and grabbed some picnic grub. We arrived at the park around 1:00. We paid our entrance fee, stopped at the visitor's center, and then found a picnic table. They had dozens of picnic sites set up with tables, grills, and bear proof trash cans. We quickly ate our sandwiches and chips and headed to the dunes. Campbell made sure to read us the warning about bears and leaving your food out.
At the bottom of the dunes there is a creek. Apparently, this creek is not always running and you are not guaranteed to see any water on your visit. On saturday we did have just a bit of water. Enough to play around in and get wet. We waited to get wet until after we had climbed some dunes. You see, these dunes are the largest dunes in the US. We were very excited to do some dune climbing.
Aaron and I both wore flip flops (see the warning above) and the kids both had on sandals. We all learned very quickly that the sand was HOT! We would later learn that the sand can easily reach 140 degrees. We climbed a small dune and threw down our blanket and pulled out the sand toys. Caleb decided that this was the best sand box he had ever been to. What kids wouldn't love 65 square miles of sand box. Campbell and Aaron rolled down the dunes a couple of times and just generally had a blast.
Then the warning above came into play. I sent Campbell across to another dune so that I could take a picture of her. After taking the picture, I decided that I would go meat her across the dune. Well...we knew to throw our shoes down the dune and then roll down to meet them. We would then put our shoes back on to go up the dune. While I was going up a dune, one of my flip flops came off. I searched and searched. Aaron searched and searched. We never did find that shoe. The sand was hot though, and I was trying to figure out how I could get one of Caleb's diapers on my foot to make it back to the car. That's when Aaron saw it. A lone shoe was sitting at the bottom of another dune. Apparently someone else had lost their shoe as well. Aaron retrieved it and we headed back to the car. We will let the picture speak for itself.
Come back soon for the rest of our adventure.
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