We prayed for great weather and safe travels – God granted us both. If you have never been to the Sand Dunes, they are a splendor sight to see. They look like every image of the Sahara Desert you have ever seen, minus the pyramids. And they are a TON of fun on a beautiful, sunny day.
We spent the better part of the afternoon playing in the water and the sand. Strolling up and down the stream, staying far enough away from the vegetation as to avoid the one big drawback of the dune: skeeters. Yuk!
The kids were eager to get their passport stamped – how appropriate that the dunes are their first entry. Tomorrow they will get the Mesa Verde stamp. And the next day will be from the Grand Canyon. It’s a fun, educational way to keep the kiddos entertained and excited about visiting the Nat’l. Parks.
The shallow stream meandering through the dunes is attractive to both young and old. It took all but 5 seconds for our kids to be drenched from head to toe in the cool, 6” deep water. 5 seconds later is all it took for them to be completely covered (in EVERY crevice) with the site’s biggest attraction: SAND.
We camped at one of favorite Colorado camping spots: the Hot Springs. Located in Hooper, CO – just 20 minutes west of the dunes, this natural 2000’-deep Artesian hot spring brings 110-degree water into the pool. They add no chlorine or chemicals to the water, which makes for an enjoyable swimming experience. The pool is well designed for families, as they have: a 1-foot deep kids pool, 2 basketball hoops, a low and medium dive, and a custom rock water slide. Like I said, it’s one of our favorite spots. The worst part about camping here, again, is the skeeters! They are miserable, as they thrive on the warm, still-standing water.
What’s crazy about the camping site and facility is that ALL of the water is hot. The toilet water is steaming, the cold water spout kicks out hot water, even the drinking fountain has hot water. But since it is from an Artesian well, it’s some of the best drinking water I’ve ever enjoyed. It’s like swimming in a pool filled with Dasani.
If you ever find yourself desperately craving prime rib, one of the best cuts I have enjoyed since leaving the Midwest is in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Alamosa. Appropriately named the “Outhouse ‘N”, this place looks like a dive on the outside, and like the country bar from “Blues Brothers” on the inside. The food is good, home-style cooking, and a must-stop for us when we are in the neighborhood. The five of us dined for $50 (and that included a $2 Heineken for me). My prime rib was half the bill, but worth every penny. Kat enjoyed the “kiddie” burger for $5, and was larger than most burgers in Denver. Jade ordered the “Char-broiled Steak Sandwich”, which rivaled her sirloin steak from Outback. And the fries…oh man! The good, skinny style with the skins still on them. Fantastic!
For day two, we will be heading west and staying at the Anasazi ruins in Mesa Verde. It appears that we will be enjoying blue skies and low wind for the day.
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