Colorado Day Seven

After sleeping in this morning, we parked at the back of the hotel and Levi read the daily scripture after Shirl and Paul led a song or two.  The singing continued as we drove down the road, headed for the tallest sand dunes in North America.  Still exclaiming over the brilliant aspens that lined the highway, we were awed by the stunning beauty around us.  God is good!

The size of the dunes were deceptive when we first saw them at Great Sand Dunes National Park.  When Anna Mae told us it would take an hour to walk to the top I was enthused about trying it.  Sam, Helen, and I headed out together and after walking hard and fast through soft sand, we topped a steep incline that appeared to be about a third of the way to the top.  What we couldn’t see until we crested the hill was the sheer drop off down the other side, and still a long distance from the dune that reached to the top.  We all three realized there was no way we would make it to the summit with the time we had left so we stopped laboring along and visited instead with a mother and her two daughters.  They were planning to take their snowboards to the bottom of the dune we were on.

After thoroughly rubbing the bottoms of their boards with wax  Mom went first. She made it to the bottom in good form and yelled encouragement up to her girls.  The oldest one didn’t fare quite as well, sliding sideways before she fell down.  The youngest sat on her board and sailed to the bottom screaming all the way.  I was so amazed by the sheer size and distance of these dunes!  We have vacationed in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina for many years.  Those dunes top out at about 100 feet.  These are seven times higher!

When we got back, breathless and sweating, to the picnic area below, Anna Mae and Irene had set up a lovely picnic for us.  Cold sandwiches, macaroni and potato salads, chips, fresh fruit, and a birthday cake for dessert.  We have four birthdays to celebrate on this trip.  The picnic site was perfect.  The weather was perfect. The company was perfect.  How grateful I am to be able to get away from responsibility for two weeks and rest up – mentally, spiritually, and physically!

As it happened, before we turned toward Durango, our destination for today, we would be passing within a quarter mile of the hotel we had stayed in last night.  Lucky thing too since Pearl forgot her very special pillow.  A quick call to the hotel by our faithful tour guide, Anna Mae, and the pillow was located.  A short detour, a quick stop, and Pearl and her pillow were reunited once again.  And the person who accidentally kept their key was able to return that as well.  I’m feeling better and better every time someone else has a senior moment.  I’m losing my title as the bus screw-up, and happy I am.

We passed through more beautiful farmland and Anna Mae told us there were probably at least forty Amish families that had settled in the area.  We passed several of their farms and spotted buggies parked outside.  No one was in sight since Sunday is a day of rest and the Amish take it seriously.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on the road with all of us enjoying the scenery, or napping.  Or both.  We stopped several times for photo ops and bathroom breaks.  When everyone woke up, popcorn was passed around.  Every good Amish person knows that Sunday evening is for eating popcorn.  Then a few stories were told.  And the mystery of “who stole Carolyn’s cookies” was discussed.  No one will own up to it.  But they mysteriously returned when no one was looking.

We stopped at the continental divide at Wolf Creek Pass.  Pictures must be taken and, yes, the song must be played overhead.  Then on through the town of Pagosa Springs with a pause for pictures of the sign.  And always the aspens, brilliant, breathtaking, plentiful!  Aspens will only grow at a certain level of elevation.  Too high or too low and they die. We flew past Chimney Rock far off in the distance but still close enough for another bunch of photographs.

We arrived at our hotel earlier than usual and everyone scattered to eat supper wherever they wished.  It pretty much turned out to be the hotel restaurant which was fine since the food was excellent.  And now for some card games!  A fine, relaxing Sunday it has been.