THERE ARE SAND DUNES THEN THERE ARE---!

      In the late 1990's I was watching the public television station and they had a show about these huge sand dunes in Colorado. Sand dunes in Colorado? In my lifetime I have or had been in the state at least a dozen time, but, never knew there were these huge sand dunes there. Lots and lots of beautiful mountains but dunes?

      They were talking about the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve southwest of Pueblo. Again, it was 2006,  Ilah Morey and I traveled to the state in May of that year for a travel vacation. One thing I had to see was were those Dunes. We had traveled from Estes Park and then followed the back side of the Rockies down to the Dunes.

         I have seen sand dunes in Michigan and there are some lulu's up there. But, not like this. I had even met a couple from Michigan on the Gondola ride across the Arkansas River by the Royal Gorge and they kind of down played it when I told them about it since they were accustomed to dunes in their home state. I told them that "there were dunes and then there were these dunes." All I know is that they said they would check it out.

       Coming down from the north to the Dunes, you could see something like a huge void for 100 miles or more away. Finally arriving in the park, we were greeted by 19,000 acres of sand more than 750 feet tall in some areas.It sets right on the west base of the Sangre de Cristo Range. It was not made into a federal park until most recently by President Clinton. It is, to me, one of the great treasure's in this country that is pretty much unknown. Look it up and if you ever plan a trip to Colorado it is a must see!