On the road: COLORADO for a brief visit

After the long drive across the heartland of the U.S., we entered Colorado and headed into Comanche National Grasslands south of La Junta. We were pleasantly surprised by Vogel Canyon. After a great night of sleep in the van, we set off at sunrise with the intention of hiking just to the overlook. What an inviting sight and easy access to the valley floor! Off we went to explore some pictographs and find a well-hidden geocache.

We just love how the early morning sunrise lights up the rock formations.

We met up with my sister and her son and his family at Trinidad State Park to pay tribute to her husband, Perry, who passed away in January. Trinidad SP was a special place to him and we launched a geocaching travel bug in his honor. We hope fellow geocachers will help it reach its goal of Maine, his final resting place.

The "travel bug" was released in this geocache at the overlook above beautiful Lake Trinidad.

Perry and his beloved Casita trailer.

We enjoyed a few days in the Trinidad area and drove the scenic "Highway of Legends" around the Spanish Peaks. A visit to the Farley Wildflower Memorial near Cuchara Pass was very serene and a great place to reflect on our gratitude to have the opportunity to visit such beautiful places.

Many geologic features of interest along the route as well.

igneous dikes that radiate out from the Spanish Peaks

A look back at the Spanish Peaks from La Veta:

We hiked on the Long's Canyon Trail and saw one of the exposures of the K-T Boundary Layer that demarcates a layer of iridium from a massive meteor strike that likely doomed the dinosaurs. It was a great hike in a more remote section of Trinidad State Park. (K-T refers to Cretaceous - Tertiary)

More sights along the trail, including a beaver dam...

... a wildlife viewing blind

We found this cute little thing parked next to us in the church parking lot in Trinidad:

As we ventured westward deeper into Colorado, our route took us within 20 miles of Great Sand Dunes National Park. We couldn't resist a quick two-hour visit. This park was a favorite with the Kissell Kids many years ago.

Intriguing view of the dune field and clouds over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

You might be able to make out the specks that are people at the crest of High Dune. We have hiked to the top twice in our younger days. Now, we are content to be observers from a distance. Due to recent rains, the dunes had patterns of dark and light sand - a national park ranger referred to them as "tiger stripes."

We had reserved a campsite in the Rio Grande National Forest with the intention of riding the Cumbres and Toltec Historic Railroad between Chama, NM, and Antonito, CO. The excursion was canceled due to wildfires in New Mexico so we stayed only one night and moved on. The hummingbirds were quite active in the campground.