{"id":2359,"date":"2019-07-12T23:51:40","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T23:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seafog.net\/QuickNotes\/?p=2359"},"modified":"2019-07-12T23:51:40","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T23:51:40","slug":"great-sand-dunes-national-monument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seafog.net\/PeresRamblings\/great-sand-dunes-national-monument\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Sand Dunes National Monument"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Road Trip!
Rhonda and I took advantage of a rare opportunity to take both Colorado grandchildren on a road trip. We started in Denver, with our five year old grandson Jack strapped into a car seat and headed south to Peyton (near Colorado Springs) to pick up Kaden who is seven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first stop? Great Sand Dunes National Monument, which is in southern Colorado, almost four hours away from Denver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Red flag shows location of the Great Sand Dunes National Monument<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I’ll be honest, a long car ride with two youngsters is not without its challenges. Luckily, besides being cousins, Jack and Kaden are best friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This National Monument, is a strange phenomenon. These mountains of sand are dwarfed by the adjacent Sangre De Cristo range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The parking lot adjacent to the dunes seemed peaceful, but…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We arrived at the visitor center and then ventured toward the dunes. The area was swarming with mosquitoes! We were not prepared at all, and almost immediately the boys received painful bites. Fortunately some kindly fellow-tourists shared repellent spray and wipes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Kaden, Rhonda, and Jack<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Do they really let old, feeble men into the park? Well yes! especially when they are carrying a National Park “Senior Pass”!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The youngsters (Jack, Kaden, and Rhonda \ud83d\ude42 ) took off their shoes and tromped through the wide shallow stream that runs at the edge of the dunes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n