After spending three weeks in Elkhart, Indiana getting some modifications done to the Grizzly, we headed back to Emporia, Kansas. We spent a week with our family and congratulated two former co-workers who retired this year before starting our next adventure. This is a big travel year for us and it will be nearly six months before returning back to Kansas.
We departed Emporia on May 24th with an additional family member in tow, our granddaughter Kinslee, who was spending a month traveling with Mimi and Papa. Our first day covered 370 miles and concluded in Lamar, Colorado where we lot docked at their Walmart Supercenter. Our second day landed us in Alamosa, Colorado (206 miles) at the Cool Sunshine RV Park where we established our home base for visiting The Great Sand Dunes and Zapata Falls, approximately 20 miles away.
While we approached the Great Sand Dunes along Colorado 17, which were derived from sediments of the surrounding Sangre de Cristo mountain range, it didn’t seem possible it encompassed 30 square miles but as we neared the entrance, the massive 750-foot tall dunes were impressive to see.
There are a lot of activities to partake in the park. If you are in good health and have some experience skiing, we recommend renting sand boards in Alamosa and making an attempt down the dunes. A fair warning, falling on sand is much different than falling in powdered snow.
Teenagers jumping off the dunes into Medano Creek
If sand boarding is not your thing, try taking a swim in Medano Creek. Medano Creek runs along the west side of the dunes and is filled by melting mountain snow. You might think the water would be cold; however, the temperature during the summer time on the dunes can reach over 100 degrees, which also heats up the creek.
If you love photography like we do, catching a sunrise or sunset over the dunes is gratifying. The best angle of photography for a sunset click, from our point of view, is along the Medano Creek, which will capture the sun glistening off the rolling sand dunes.
Sunset at the Great Sand Dunes (west side)
Since there was an overcrowding issue in most of the parking lots, we opted for the fourth choice, off-roading along Medano Pass. Medano Pass is just west of the visitors center and easily accessible by most 4wd vehicles. High clearance vehicles are highly recommended on this trail. We made it approximately 4.5 miles along the pass until we were turned around by a road closure due to the amount of run-off from the melting snow.
Tracy, the expert behind OurNextRVAdventure.com, brings over 9 years of experience in travel writing and RV living. With a Master’s degree in Travel and Tourism Management, she offers in-depth knowledge on RV maintenance, scenic routes, and campground recommendations. Connect with her adventures on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
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