Day 28: Sat, 7/9: Horseback riding Red River, NM, hiking Great Sand Dunes in Colorado

Day 28:  Sat, 7/9:  Horseback riding Red River, NM, hiking Great Sand Dunes in Colorado

Sarah, Andrea, and Ryan left at 830 am to go for a short but beautiful horseback ride through the Enchanted Forest of New Mexico.  While riding with a guided group, we saw a deer and a bunny rabbit, and we were each able to get to know the personalities (good and bad) of our specific horses named Hollywood, Jewels, and Jasper.  It was a lot of fun.  While they were riding, Sam enjoyed a quiet morning sitting alongside the Red River at our campsite reading and relaxing.  It was a great morning for  all.  We then drove north about 2.5 hours to Walmart in Alamosa, CO and then checked into the Desert Oasis Lodge and RV Park overlooking beautiful Great Sand Dunes National Park, which is tucked up against the gorgeous Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  We got some snacks and waterbottles and headed straight to the dunes to explore.   We first had to run through a mosquito gauntlet and then cross Mendano Creek and then we were on the 30 square miles of sand dunes.  The tallest sand dune in all of North America (750 feet) towers overhead as we hiked up and down many ridgelines.  According to my fitbit, we climbed 56 stairs and we are at 8,000 feet above sea level!  We really enjoyed the vistas and the hard shadows on the dunes when the sun would peak out between the clouds.  We had fun running down the long steep slopes to get back to the car as well.

Ryan with Jasper

We were parked 5 feet from the Red River.  Sam enjoyed reading here rather than riding horses today.

Sarah riding Jewels on a fun horse back ride.

Great Sand dunes, Southeast Colorado

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Southeast Colorado

We  hiked up the ridge to that point with the people behind us.

The sand ripples and mountains behind were great.  This picture doesn't do it justice.

Sarah running and jumping down huge steep dunes.

Ryan--Pure Joy playing on sand dunes.  I love Andrea's look too.

Ryan leaping having fun.