Flat, Flat Plains and Sand Dunes

What a couple of days - very busy. We went up North to the Alabasta Caves, the scenery was very boring as it was flat flat flat. We couldn't use our National Pass but paid the $28 and Kim (nice but....) the lady Ranger took us round. Dan Yr Ogof has nothing to worry about! From there we went through a part of Kansas, if anything it was flatter, again no birds, no animals, no farms - nothing. We went into Colorado and gained an hour but the scenery was just as boring! ended up in a town called Lamar - nice hotel.

In the morning we motored West and suddenly the scenery changed, Mountains in the distance which we knew were the Rockies. They got bigger and bigger as we got closer - couldn't believe it 14,000 feet plus. We headed for the Great Sand Dunes National Park in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, with expectation and wow did they deliver. There were huge sand dunes in the middle of the mountains. the highest dune was 1.5 miles away so we climbed the 2nd highest one - High Dune at 650 feet. Real hard going as every step forward you slid back 6 inches at least. Ffi and Den walked for 50 minutes and collapsed but the Loon and the Loon pushed on to the top, took some pictures and videos and ran back down!!!!

We left the park and guess who found the only dirt road on the map - it turned out ok. We made it to South Fork, which is a winter ski area. Bit expensive but we found a little bungalow with a hot tub; at a good price but we just found out there's no air conditioning............!!