Tuesday, June 8, 2021

We made our goodbyes to the Black Hills of South Dakota with hopes that we will return someday, though the memories and emotions will always stay with us.

Today was a travel day – South Dakota to Nebraska to Colorado to Kansas, the heartland of America.  Many people call it (often pejoratively) Flyover Country; some say that it is boring, but not for us.  Farms and cattle range land as far as the eye can see – and since the land is very flat, this is no small statement.  It is as humbling as it is awesome.  Three times we saw mile-long (it seemed) trains carrying nothing but coal.  There was no shortage of big rigs, trucks that transport essential produce to the rest of the country; sometimes, two or even three cargo trailers being pulled by one diesel.

At night we stayed at a city campground in St. Francis, Kansas.  What was unusual was that even though it was a very nice place to stay overnight, there was no one else there.  The electric sites were $25, you pay on the honor system by depositing the fee in a metal box, but the non-electric sites were free (we stayed at a non-electric site). 

In the middle of the night, around 2:00 am, Bill woke up and looked out the window; the sky was filled with stars.  We remember as children we could see stars at night in Chicago, and every child knew the Milky Way constellation.  When we went traveling away from the city the sky was awesome.  Now, with pollution and city lights, you are lucky if you see just a few stars.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

A nice day for a ride in Kansas, home of Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz (it really was very windy), where Superman grew up, and “I’m as corny as Kansas in August.”  Why Kansas? It is one of the few states that we had not yet been to.  Driving down the highway, not the interstate, there was no traffic, often no other cars for miles.  The fields were green with new crops.  It felt like we were a ship sailing in a sea of green.  We really enjoyed the experience.

At night we stayed in another KOA in La Junta Colorado, just a place to stop overnight, expensive but useful.  There was a Walmart two blocks away, a room to do our laundry, and internet connection to be able to post the last blog.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

We went from flat farmland to hills to the San Luis Valley, to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, all within a few hours.  Our destination was the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

The Great Sand Dunes are America’s tallest, so tall that you can see them for miles as you approach the park.

Wind and water form the dunes. Most of the sand comes from the San Juan Mountains, 65 miles to the west. Rougher grains come from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Storm winds keep the dunes piling back on themselves.

We arrived around 12 noon and went to the Visitors Center which was closed from 12:00 till 1:00. We have never seen a visitors center closed for lunch before. We then continued on to a trailhead that began as a nature loop trail, but we turned off to join a longer 1-½ mile forest mountain trail – the Wellington Ditch Trail – that led to the campground, which was full. We walked from there to the sand dunes.

Prior to getting to the actual dunes, there is a shallow creek that must be crossed, getting your feet wet and sandy.  Some visitors bring sand surfing boards to climb the dunes and slide down, others walk around the dunes, and still others just sit down in the stream to cool off. This is not unlike when we visited White Sands, New Mexico.

After our hike, we returned to the Visitors Center.  We have yet to be somewhere where the rules for masks, distancing, and a limited number of people allowed in the store at one time were in force.  Yes, there was a line for information and souvenirs. Another park magnet to add to our refrigerator.

An additional first:  This is the first time we are camping on BLM land (Bureau of Land Management).  This is land managed by the federal government which – in some areas – is open for public use.  You just pick a spot to camp on and are allowed to stay for up to two weeks at no charge.  The snow-capped mountains in the distance from our front window were breathtaking.  Last night in Kansas we had more amenities, but for beauty, this one wins hands down.

At night we had some dinner guests who just happened to graze by.  Again, like at Wind Cave and the turkey, we had them with our dinner, not for dinner.

Woke up at 2:00 am and looked out the window.  We are tens of miles from the closest street light.  The sky was filled with stars, more than at St. Francis.  It was like being at the planetarium.

Friday, June 11, 2021

Early morning, our previous guests returned; they must have liked the company, or the grazing.  They also provided the morning entertainment.  In their process of exploring for better pasture they knocked down the gate to, and entered, the next field.  Not long after, four federal rangers on ATV 4-wheel cycles, dressed in full battle array (side arms, M16s) came along to herd the cattle back through the gate and send them on their way (modern day cowboys?).  How did they know the cattle were there?  The cattle had tags on their ears, and we are guessing that there were sensors to let the authorities know where to find them.

We bought more supplies at Safeway (supermarket) and headed for our next destination, Gunnison, Colorado where we will be spending Shabbat at a Good Sam campground.

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado, and when we say high… marijuana is legal here and advertised.  Not what John Denver meant.  We drove down one of the most beautiful roads through the mountains, Highway 114 – full of streams and grass valleys, perfect for grazing cattle, and scenic as a quality picture. Around every twist and turn there was a new visual delight.

After getting to our campground in Gunnison, we found that there was a mistake made with our reservation and we ended up with three different spots until they got one we liked.  It took us a while to get level (well almost level) and the water pressure leaves a lot to be desired, but settled down we are.  Six hours to Shabbat.

There is a shade tree at our site and we are across the road from the beautiful Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado’s largest body of water.  The people who run this campground are very accommodating and very religious – the hostess wore a sweatshirt that said The Chosen and she mentioned that we should say a prayer for them (this is a family-owned and -operated campground) as they worked to get us situated and settled in.  They should only know.

Saturday, June 12, 2021

A long but restful Shabbat.  Out our window we could see the reservoir, and we were able to walk there in the morning, before the heat set in.