This weekend, we went to Egypt.
No … I kid, I kid.
We went to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. It’s an incredible spot, about 4 hours from Denver. It is caused by a very rare natural phenomenon that traps the sand in this valley and creates the beautiful dunes. But I like to think of it as God’s own little practical joke: dropping tons of sand in the middle of the Rockies. Tee-hee.
We came here a few years back, but this time we camped! We got a great site at Pinyon Flats Campground, inside the park. After Labor Day this all 88 sites are first-come first serve and we got an excellent spot.
Check out that view!!
The first evening we had plenty to do getting camp setup, but the next morning after a hearty breakfast of my new favorite pancakes, we explored the dunes.
Grammy and Ben chilled near the bottom …
… while the rest of us climbed… and climbed …
… to the top!
And rolled back down again. You might not be surprised to hear that our beds and practically every other thing we touched was covered in sand for the rest of the weekend.
After lunch and “naps” Tabby and Grammy decided to stay at camp while the rest of us explored another local attraction, Zapata Falls.
Ben was more than happy to get out and run around in the wilds again.
No, really, he had a great time.
And who wouldn’t? After you do a quick .5 mile hike, the last bit of it through a shallow river, you come to a cave. Inside the cave is a waterfall! How cool is that? Very very cool as it happens … especially on your feet. Mine were NUMB. But it was worth it.
Luckily back at camp there was fire … and s’mores … and lots of good company and fun.
Sunday morning we packed it all in and headed out of the park, just in time to see some deer crossing the road in a very orderly fashion, at their assigned crossing location. Tee hee.
On the way home we stopped for Mexican Food in Boona Vista (Buena Vista) and had a lovely swim at the Mount Princeton Hot Springs. Ahhhhh!
It was a great trip and one I’d love to repeat. Four hours is a long way but it’s well worth it.
Hey Jesser,
I looked for your e-mail. I just wanted to reply and say ‘GO YOU’ (and also ‘thanks for the comment on Lush vs Lean). Honestly, I think anyone who can casually mention that they run 10 miles at sub 10’s is well on their way to coozie removal through complete and total bada**ness. Thanks for dropping by. I am not a nutrition expert or blogger by any stretch, but with access to Brooke, I’ve got some answers these days, so if you ever have a question, NEVER hesitate to ask.
On that note… I think I’d like to pack my bags for Egypt… er, The Dunes. SO beautiful.
What a terrific weekend!