This is me and my husband’s 5th trip out west. The first and third time we drove from PA to our destinations out west. The remainder of the time we would cheat – fly to Las Vegas or Denver and rent a car… I really can’t say which I prefer. Driving the entire way lends a certain sense of mystery and freedom where flying seems so much more planned.
This time we travel with my parents. We have taken this trip with them once before and had the time of our lives. This time we have chosen our favorite spots and plan to stay in each for longer. I love to paint en plein air out here and spend a lot of my time doing so. I will be sure to post some paintings once the weather starts to agree with me.
Yesterday we stopped at Great Sand Dunes National Park. We drove for miles through flat lands with the Rockies in the background. As we approached the park we could see massive sand dunes on the horizon – quite a sight in the middle of nowhere.
Some national parks are very strict and others allow you to really explore your surroundings – this one was the latter. We were able to walk right up to the dunes which were half the height of the rockies behind them. I slipped my flip flops off and walked through the corse sand – I even walked into the shallow mountain runoff – which was soooo cold. I love the feel of the air there – crisp and clean. I think I am starting to relax.
