Our Trip To The West – Day #5 – The Great Sand Dunes

A trip to the Great Sand Dunes National Park was our last big adventure for the trip. We actually visited it twice, once for an evening picnic and some stargazing and then again in the day time. We weren’t planning on going twice, but that’s just the way it worked out. Glad we did too. They are two completely different ways to experience the Sand Dunes.

The tallest sand dunes in North America, just outside of Alamosa, CO, are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. The dunes were formed by the right combinations of wind, water, and sediment. Creeks and streams brought in large amounts of sediment and sand into the valley. Wind then blew the sand toward the bend in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where opposing storm winds helped squeeze the sand into the tall dunes you see today. They are a sandbox of epic proportions, where the entire dune field encompasses 30 square miles and the tallest dune towers 750 feet high.

We decided to visit the Sand Dunes at night to stargaze. It’s a great spot to watch the Heavens above because it is so isolated and there aren’t any interferences from city lights. We packed up all our picnic stuff and dined beneath the stars. We all agreed, it was a great evening. At first, we weren’t sure how things would turn out, especially since it was cloudy and over cast. Then one by one, the stars started to appear and each one got brighter and brighter. We even saw the International Space Station zoom right past us. We didn’t believe that’s what at was at first, but then we checked, and sure enough, we had seen the Space Stations zooming past us at about 5 miles per second. In addition to seeing the Space Station, we also saw about 6 deer in the creek, a coyote on the prowl and a lot of bats flying around us. The deer were only a few feet away, but as soon as I got them in focus with my lens, they scampered off to places unknown. I wasn’t able to get any photos of the local night life, but we all saw them. We knew they were there.

The Dunes at night.

The Dunes during the day time.

This is just right about where we had our evening picnic, right at the water’s edge. We were surprised to see water there. We weren’t expecting it.

After doing the dunes, we headed north again, homeward bound. We had one last bit of exploring to do, as well as a nice dinner, before ending our trip.

We made a stop at The Cave of the Winds, in Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs, to do some caving. All of us had been there before except for the Californians on the trip, Lori and Karen. (I am no longer a Californian. I have been in Colorado for over 23 years, so I’m like a native now).

In 1880, brothers John and George Pickett scouted for new caves in Williams Canyon. They discovered a small cave near the limestone archway. They noticed that the flames on their lit candles flickered in the wind coming from somewhere within the cave. They crawled through a small opening and emerged into a large chamber that promised an amazing world of exploration.

That world was structurally opened by George Washington Snider, a stonecutter from Ohio. Soon after the cave’s initial discovery, Snider excavated passages and found Canopy Hall. He continued to excavate and soon was giving guided tours. Cave of the Winds Mountain Park in Colorado Springs has been in continuous operation since February 1881 – it is one of Colorado’s original visitor attractions!

Outside the caves.

Inside the caves.

This concludes our Southwestern Colorado and Southeastern Utah adventures. As you can see we survived through it all. We hiked and climbed through the mountains, slid down sand dunes, explored caves and encountered all kinds of wildlife. And through it all, we are still smiling. We all had a great time and made many happy memories.

Last stop before ending the trip was a stop at Scileppi’s Italian Restaurant for dinner.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.