Ode to the Burro (by Sunshine)

You’ve kept us warm. You’ve kept us dry. You’ve protected us from blowing sand and insects of all kinds. You’ve given us space to sleep and cook.

We’ve taken you through sand and mud, rain and sleet. You’ve been on bumpy gravel roads and winding steep hills. Even with your bent axle you’ve always pulled straight.

We’ve listened to the rain on your roof and watched the sun shine through your windows. You’ve been our constant even when everything else is always changing. You’re enough to keep us feeling protected yet the outdoors is not far away.

You’re fast to set up and ready to go in a flash. We know – we’ve parked next to the pop-up types and watched them fiddle and adjust while we hike away ready for fun.

You have just enough space for the three of us to eat, sleep, and play (usually Uno) in the rain. You have more than enough storage room; if we filled it all you’d be too heavy.

I’ve learned my way around you in the dark; though you look great with your modern LEDs. You’ve carried our clothes, our food, and Walden’s tricycle from one ocean to the other.

You’ve been the perfect companion for this journey and held up remarkably well after nearly 20,000 miles. Yes, you have your leaks, creaks, and gaps but they were nothing we couldn’t manage. After all, you’re likely as old as I am and I’m starting to wrinkle, sag, and gray too.

You’ve become part of our story and so many have come to know you. People are curious where you came from and many have peeked inside. Though you are a fraction of the size of the big rigs we wouldn’t want any more.

  

Yes, dear Burro we will miss you for this journey is coming to an end. We can’t imagine traveling without you; you are like an old friend. Our house will feel like a mansion, spacious and full of convenience but in our hearts we’ll always feel that home is where the Burro is.

Cooking and Eating on the Road (by Jim)

Enjoying a meal on our kitchen table

For those who know me, you know how much I love food. And for those who have been following Sunshine’s dietary restrictions, you’re likely thinking, “Oh no, Jim must be starving!” But fear not! Despite our limited budget and limited food choices, Sunshine is an amazing chef who has kept us well fed and healthy on our journey. Quite a bit different from the typical “camp food” you might expect for a weekend trip. Fresh food is a must, so every few days we stop at grocery stores, farmers markets, or roadside stands to load up on produce, chicken, and other ingredients. Driving through major cities has provided access to specialty grocery stores that don’t exist near Stevens Point, such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Natural Grocers, where Sunshine can find the natural foods she needs. She also orders hard-to-find food items online and sends them to friend's and family's homes we visit.

The small propane-powered refrigerator/freezer in the Burro has been a major necessity, as is our giant Coleman cooler in the back of the car.

Sunshine cooking pasta

[Note from Sunshine: though there are many things I fix for the boys that I cannot eat I’m thankful to have the refrigerator and freezer to save leftovers for myself. Jim has been amazingly patient with a finicky appliance that is likely older than he is. The refrigerator has required numerous adjustments to stay running, but he’s never given up on it. As for the cooler – wow, who knew it would be so difficult to find block ice? When it got warmer, we moved the wool blanket off our bed and onto the cooler to help with insulation. We still needed to buy ice about twice a week. Two ten-pound ice blocks last far longer than a 20-pound bag of cubes. It seems like every gas station in Wisconsin offers block or cubed ice, but we’ve been in states where they didn’t understand what block ice was even after I described it.]

Along the way, I have been treated to special dinners and restaurant meals with friends and family, for which I (and my stomach) are very thankful. But for this post, I would like to share some of our “everyday” meals that Sunshine prepares for us boys.

For breakfast, we have a couple of options. The first, and my personal favorite, is plain yogurt with homemade granola and fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, or berries we pick in the woods), with a bit of applesauce or honey mixed in for sweetener.

Yogurt with fresh huckleberries and raspberries

The second is homemade oatmeal also topped with fresh fruit.

Walden-approved breakfast

On special occasions, Sunshine makes gluten-free pancakes with a homemade berry sauce topping…. mmmmmmmm. Recently, Walden has switched to gluten-free cereal with milk as his favorite breakfast. Sunshine eats vegetables and nuts.

Pancakes with freshly picked blackberries

Lunch is typically my "gluten fest" (as Sunshine calls it) of a meat and cheese sandwich, potato chips, and banana (or other fruit). Walden gets either a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on gluten-free bread or rice cakes, or a “Daddy sandwich,” which is lunch meat and cheese. Sunshine eats, well… more vegetables, nuts, and sometimes chicken or tuna.

Suppers are where the magic happens. Sunshine has several “standard” meals that she rotates through each week. But the meals are anything but standard! They're an international experience in the woods...

1. Italian night: Gluten-free pasta with tomato sauce loaded with grass-fed beef or chicken and tasty vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli, and peppers. Fresh salad with veggies.

Italian night

2. Mexican night (a personal favorite): Chicken (or grass-fed beef) and beans seasoned with salsa and peppers, corn tortillas, and all of the fresh fixings a hungry boy could want… cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado. And, of course, tortilla chips and salsa. Yes, I always eat too much on Mexican night.

Mexican night

3. Asian night: Stir fry with a peanut butter sauce, chicken, water chestnuts, garbanzo beans, peanuts, and a wide array of vegetables like broccoli, green beans, peas, and peppers.

Asian night

4. American night: Chicken breasts seasoned with turmeric, garlic powder, and dill, potato slices fried with sunflower oil in a pan, and “soft” (cooked) broccoli and green beans (Walden always asks whether the broccoli is soft or hard).

American night

5. Fish night: Salmon fillets seasoned with turmeric, garlic powder, and dill. A mix of broccoli, asparagus, and green beans (the green veggie mix).

6. Hot dog night (my other personal favorite): Always a special night because we grill the hot dogs or sausages over a campfire. Walden helps me build the campfire. Along with the hot dogs, Sunshine prepares fried potatoes and fresh, crispy vegetables with hummus.

Walden cooking sausages over the fire

Hot dog night!

7. "Feel good" night (or, "We got back too late to prepare anything else" night): Tomato soup, tortilla chips, and grilled cheese on corn tortillas.

For me, each supper is typically accompanied by a local craft beer (or any beer I can find in a bind), the perfect balanced meal. Sunshine eats what she can of each meal and fills in the rest with… you guessed it… more vegetables.

A special treat... a plum from John Muir's orchard

And a quick note on SNACKS, which are a MUST for long car rides and hikes. My favorite, which I’ve eaten every day of the trip and I’m still not sick of, is trail mix with peanuts, mixed nuts, raisins, dried fruit, and M&Ms. Every time Sunshine found a snack that Walden liked and bought it again, he suddenly despised it and refused to eat it. This included giant raisins, purple grapes (green are okay), corn nuts, dried fruit, carrots, and brown-colored cereal puffs (but only the brown ones, not the yellow). He has yet to refuse a banana chip, M&M, marshmallow, or ice cream. Sunshine eats… yep, fresh vegetables and nuts.

Thank you, Mommy, for all of the good food!

So, as you can see, I’m FAR from starving on this trip. In fact, it’s the best and healthiest food that I’ve ever eaten. While Sunshine’s dietary restrictions can make it a challenge to eat on the road every day, she has developed a system that keeps our tummies happy, healthy, and satisfied. It’s amazing what a diversity of meals can be made out of the same ingredients by just switching a few things around. We’re blessed to have a wife and mommy who takes such good care of us boys.

Family, Friends, & A Few Strangers (by Sunshine)

As we enter the final week of our journey, I find myself sorting through a mixture of feelings. One that rises to the top is gratitude. This adventure would not have been as enjoyable and functional without the support of so many family and friends. 

Walden enjoyed getting packages sent from home

Unlike some travelers we’ve met, we didn’t sell everything we own, quit our jobs, and leave behind everything that was familiar. That meant we had to make arrangements for upkeep of the life we will return to. Mail was forwarded to Jim’s parents who sorted it, paid necessary bills, and mailed us important items when we had an address to ship to. Our neighbors watched over our home, emptied the dehumidifier, and filled the bird feeders. Jim’s coworkers mowed the yard and made sure our other vehicle will still run when we get back. Jim’s coworkers also took on extra responsibilities at Schmeeckle while he’s been away; teaching, managing the reserve, and mentoring students. For all of this we are so appreciative. It is comforting to know everything at home will be okay when we return.

As we’ve traveled we’ve made stops at the homes of so many family and friends. Before leaving on our trip we thought of these stops as brief layovers from the “real” journey through national parks and other outdoor sites we wanted to visit. We were surprised from the very beginning of the trip with how much more rewarding and beneficial these stops were for us. Staying with family and friends at their homes became some of the favorite and most memorable parts of our journey. For Walden, they were places to spread out, play, use a bathtub, and visit with pets. He really enjoyed all of our home stays. For Jim and I, they were places to cook in a real kitchen, do laundry, use the Internet, fix and clean the Burro, and take care of an assortment of other necessary day-to-day activities that were more challenging to do on the road. More important than any of those things, they were time to visit with people we don’t often get to see. We really enjoyed seeing people’s homes, they towns they live in, the places they enjoy visiting. There is something very different about visiting with people when they come to Wisconsin for a brief vacation or holiday. When we visited people at their homes we were fortunate to get a glimpse into their “real” lives. So for everyone we stayed with - We feel fortunate to have become part of your lives, even if it was for a short time. It has made us feel closer to you. We learned to ask for help when we needed it and always received more than we expected. It was so fulfilling to be part of all of your lives and we are so grateful for all you provided. These visits have become an important part of our story.

So much to be thankful for

Then there are the strangers we crossed paths with on the trip. Random people we camped near who were kind enough to let Walden visit with their dogs and then allow him to tour their campers when he asked. People who offered advice on where to camp or what sites to see in an area they were more familiar with than we were. Jim once left his camera bag (containing camera, extra lens, video camera, and flash drive containing our financial information) in a play area at a roadside fruit stand in California. When we discovered it was missing 45 minutes later and called the place in a panic, we learned someone had found it and turned it in. On another occasion, Jim discovered he had lost his cell phone. We turned around and drove 20 minutes back to the last place we had been. Jim used my phone to call his phone and the woman who found it walked it up from the lake where she was spending the afternoon with her family. We were fortunate on both occasions that kind, honest people had found the lost items. Before we left on our journey, we talked about all kinds of unfortunate things that could have occurred on the trip. We tried to minimize potential theft by locking our battery, propane, spare tire, and storage box on the Burro. We were conscious to never leave important items (computer, purse, etc.) in view in the car. What we found in most places we visited is that we felt safe and had to worry little about our possessions. Generally people are good, kind, honest, and helpful. For that we are thankful and feel blessed. 

Now that we are headed home, we’d love to have visitors. If you are traveling and find yourself near Stevens Point, please drop us a line. We’ll show you some of our favorite places, make you a meal, and share our home. 

A Wild Time in Kansas with SEVEN Friends (by Walden)

Mom and me in a UFO (Science City)

After having so much fun in the biggest sand box EVER (Great Sand Dunes), I didn’t think our trip could get any better. And as we drove out of Colorado east from Colorado Springs (August 12), I figured I was right. We waved good bye to the amazing mountains in our rear view mirror, and said hello to the huge, dry fields of nothingness in front of us. It seemed like we drove forever that day! I kept asking for MORE ACTIVITIES, but I go through activities (coloring books, dot-to-dots, mazes, kid magazines) pretty fast and soon there weren’t any more. I then beg for the iPad for hours on end, even though I know I won’t get it unless I take a nap. I also pretend to take naps (that only last for about five minutes) in order to get the iPad. It usually doesn't work, but I always try. We stopped for lunch outside a neat museum in Kit Carson, CO, which was an old depot with a railroad car outside it. The museum was closed and I didn’t get the playground I had requested, but it was okay.

Scott Lake State Park

After LOTS more driving (nope, didn’t take a nap… yep, still got the iPad), we finally made it to a place called Lake Scott State Park in western Kansas. And fortunately for Mom and Dad, they DID have a playground. It’s a neat place. Everything looks flat and dry, and then suddenly there is a lake in a canyon surrounded by craggy bluffs and trees. The lake is spring-fed and made by a dam. There weren’t many people there, so we found a cool campsite right next to the lake and within walking distance to a fishing deck. I went fishing with my SpongeBob SquarePants fishing pole, but I didn’t catch anything except for a plant (probably because Dad doesn’t put a real hook or bait on the end). We also walked to the playground, which Dad called “old school.” I loved going fast on the metal merry-go-round, but Mom and Dad got sick when they went on. The playground is right next to the beach, and I couldn’t resist going in the water and splashing as the sun went down. It was a HOT day!

Merry-go-round at Scott Lake

That night, I got to see my first fire flies blinking on and off, on and off around our campsite. I ran after them and tried to catch one, but they were too fast. I had to go to bed before the stars came out. That always makes me mad, because I love looking for constellations. Dad stayed up late, though, and saw all sorts of shooting stars. He said it was a meteor shower! I wish I could have seen a shooting star!

Stone shelter at Scott Lake

The next morning (August 13), we took a hot hike along the bluffs of the park and climbed up to the top of a hill to go inside a neat stone shelter for an amazing view of the park. We visited an old house (Steele Home) where people used to live near the river. And we visited the ruins of a pueblo (El Cuartelejo) where more people lived hundreds of years ago. Dad said it was a very “historic experience.” Before lunch, we got to go swimming again, and this time Mom and Dad weren’t wimps… they put on their swimsuits and we all splashed together. Then, we had to drive a long, long way again (this driving thing is getting old).

Swimming at Scott Lake

We didn’t get to our campsite until the sky was really dark. We had to drive down a long, bumpy, gravel road. The place was strangely called Pottawatomie #2 State Fishing Lake near Manhattan, Kansas. Mom and Dad liked it because it was free camping. We found a place to pull in under a big spreading oak tree near the water. The stars were coming out, and Dad and I spent a long time trying to see a shooting star. I never did see one, but I did get to see all of my constellations, like the Big Dipper and my Draco.

Our campsite at Pottawatomie #2 Lake

Flint Hills Discovery Center

The next morning (August 14), we got to visit a special museum called the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, KS. It was a ton of fun! I was a little scared of the big screen projected on the top of the lobby, which sometimes showed a thunderstorm. The exhibits had things to push and pull, but there was a lot of writing. In one area, we got to go underneath the ground to see the roots of prairie plants and creatures that lived there. Making a model train move was one of my favorites. We also watched an amazing movie about the prairie, where we could feel wind, see fire, and watch as real snowflakes fell on our heads! On the top level, there were lots of activities for kids, like crawling through a tunnel and sliding down a slide, and playing with Mr. Turnip Heads and giant Lite Brites. But the BEST part of all was outside the Discovery Center, where I got to splash in fountains that squirted water into a stream. How fun!

Flint Hills Discovery Center

Playing in the fountains

 After that, we drove to nearby Konza Prairie to see what Dad called the “real” tallgrass prairie of Kansas. Dad carried me on his back in the backpack, but he seemed pretty hot lugging me around in the 90-degree sun. Oh well! I loved seeing all of the different kind of grasshoppers leaping this way and that, which I learned were the biggest grazers in the prairie. We also saw a collared lizard, and waves of tall grass growing on the hills.

Konza Prairie

Grasshopper at Konza Prairie

The Beckley family... and me!

Then, we made one last big drive to Shawnee, Kansas to visit Mom and Dad’s friends who live there. Dad has known Chris Beckley since they were classmates in middle school. According to a story they told, when they were younger, Dad led Chris to some ice volcanoes along Lake Michigan, and they fell through the ice up to their waists in the cold water. But I guess they’re still friends! When Chris married Susie, Dad stood up in their wedding. But Dad hasn’t been able to see Chris and Susie for many years because they live so far away. In fact, since Dad had seen them last, Chris and Susie had five kids!

Playing on a playground

One of the things I miss most on this trip is being able to play with other kids. I sometimes meet one on the playground, but we usually have to leave right away. Having the chance to play with FIVE kids was like a dream come true! I had some trouble remembering their names, but Mom and Dad helped me with them: Max (the oldest), Anthony, Josephine, Ambrose, and Veronica (the youngest at 2). They were so nice! Max and Anthony even let us stay in their bedroom upstairs, which had all kinds of neat toys like a big stuffed elephant and Buzz Lightyear. Veronica was a tough little girl, and she scared me sometimes. Mom and Dad thought it was funny when I came in and said, “The little baby is trying to get me!” But we all had so much fun playing on the swing set, having hiking adventures through the backyard, and playing trains and kitchen downstairs. Their dad, Chris, even played his trombone and button box for me.

Touching a snake

While we were visiting, we got to do all sorts of neat things in the Kansas City area. On the first day (August 15), we went to the Schlagle Library and Environmental Learning Center  to see a naturalist program about how animals stay cool in the summer, and I got to touch a real snake. We went to an amazing playground for lunch with all sorts of spinning devices… including a merry-go-round that is much more fun with other kids (rather than Mom and Dad). Then, we drove across town to Missouri to visit the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center. It was an amazing place with huge fish tanks (we loved to watch the fish get fed worms), live snakes, and a play area with a tree, nest, slide, and jumbo chipmunk. We all took a walk on the Discovery Trail, which led to a natural playground, through a woods, over bridges, and to a wildlife viewing blind. It was another hot day, and we were all exhausted by the end of the hike.

Exploring a jumbo nest

Peeking through a wildlife blind

Exhausted after a full day of hiking

The next morning (August 16), we went to church with the whole family. For lunch, Chris and Susie treated us to grilled pork chops and chicken with homemade rhubarb sauce and cheesy potatoes. For dessert, we roasted marshmallows on the grill. What a treat!

Helicopter at Science City

Then we drove to downtown Kansas City to visit the Union Station Science City. Wow! It was one of the best museums I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot on this trip)! Looking for mysteries in a spooky hotel, playing music in a park, running in a big gerbil wheel, flying a helicopter, playing in a water table, climbing through a sewer pipe, crawling into train cars, walking through a cave, nervously watching a roaring dinosaur… there was soooooo much to do! Mom, Dad, and Max even got to ride a bicycle over a tightrope way up high! (I was too little). Afterwards, we also got to see a movie in the Planetarium about Black Holes.

Dad on a tightrope bike

For dinner, we went to a restaurant to eat what Dad called “famous Kansas City BBQ.” We went to a small place called Bates City Bar B Que near their house, and we had lots of nummy food and mountains of fries. Dad said that his ribs were amazing. Chris got a giant bowl of meat and beans that was called a “cluster duck” or something like that.

A Kansas City barbeque feast!

Chris and his bowl of bbq

That evening, the kids put on an awesome circus show for us! There were clowns, tigers, animal tamers, elephants, and magic tricks. Even I got to help out with the performance!

The circus performers

My first day in school!

On our last day with the Beckley family (August 17), Chris had to go to work, and Mom and Dad had to run some boring errands in town, so I got to stay with the kids and had my first day in school. Their school is in the basement of their house, which has desks, craft supplies, scissors (which were my FAVORITE), and all sorts of other fun things for learning. And their teacher is their mom, Susie! I spent the time cutting paper into little shapes and announcing to the class that I went poop in the toilet this morning and didn’t get the five M&M’s that I had been promised (note from Dad: this was the first poop in the toilet for Walden! We were so proud!)

After lunch, I had some final time to play with all of my new friends while Mom and Dad loaded up the Burro. It was so much fun playing, exploring, and talking to all of the kids… even more fun than big sand dunes! And Mom and Dad had a wonderful time catching up (talking about grown up stuff) with Chris and Susie. I was very sad when we finally had to say goodbye to everybody, and cried going into the car. Thank you, Chris, Susie, Max, Anthony, Josephine, Ambrose, and Veronica for all of the amazing adventures and playtime! We hope to see you again someday soon! Now we're off to follow some big river that Mom and Dad call the "Mississippi."

(P.S. from Dad: When we asked Walden later whether he would ever want any brothers or sisters of his own, he thought for a second, and then said, "No, I like my quiet time." A true Jim and Sunshine kid to the end!)

Trail at Scott Lake... Kansas is the Sunflower State!

Great Sand Dunes…and They Were GREAT! (by Sunshine)

On Friday, August 7th after saying goodbye to Jay and Chris and taking our motorcycle adventure with the Brokaws, we drove south to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. It was late in the day when we arrived and the park campground was full, but we were happy to find a camping spot at the Oasis Campground right outside the park. We were up on a hillside and our view was amazing. To the south, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rose out of a broad flat plain interspersed with low bushes. To the north, were mounds of golden sand pushed up against the jagged mountain peaks. Dark clouds hung low and thunderstorms moved from the mountains across the plains. We hurried into the Burro and watched the magic unfold before us. When the storms passed there was just enough light left for Walden to explore the playground and find a plastic toy space shuttle someone had left behind. He pretended to fly it over each piece of the playground equipment until we finally convinced him it was almost too dark to see our way back to the car.

In the morning (August 8th), we drove into the national park and grabbed the first, and only, campsite available. We dropped off the Burro and headed out to explore the dunes before the sun got too high. The dunes are at 7,000 feet and the daytime temperatures are only in the 80s, but the temperature on the dunes can reach 150 degrees by afternoon. To reach the dunes, you have to cross Medano Creek which varies in depth from thigh high during spring runoff to completely dried up by late August. Fortunately, during our visit there was just enough water running to create beautiful ripples and patterns in the sand. The creek bed is so broad and flat the course of the shallow water continually braids and changes. Due to the way the water carries the sand, deposits it, creates dams, then breaks them and reroutes, the creek experiences a phenomenon called “surge flow.” It only occurs a few places in the world, and even with only an inch or two of depth, we watched as the water suddenly grew a bit deeper and rushed through. It was really neat.

Climbing the dunes

After crossing the creek, we began to climb the dunes, which are the tallest in North America. We hiked up, down, up, down, and up approximately 1.25 miles to the top of the tallest dune we could see. Some areas were so steep, each step forward was followed by a half step sliding back. The view from the top was amazing and we could see the undulating sand stretching for miles, surrounded by rocky mountain peaks. Going down the dunes took significantly less time than going up, because sliding and running is the only way to travel. Walden loved holding each of our hands and pretending he was surfing down the sand with his feet barely touching the ground. He would also sit on his butt and slide on the steep parts, sending a wave of sand rushing below like an avalanche.

Playing at the top of the dunes

View over the dune field

Prairie sunflowers growing in the dunes

After lunch, we explored the visitor center which pleased Walden. He especially enjoyed the exhibit that demonstrated the creation and movement of a sand dune; it had a light and fan that he could turn with a wheel to blow real sand into a dune. While Jim took a short interpretive hike outside, Walden and I worked on his Junior Ranger book and earned another badge. I enjoyed some quiet time after supper while Walden and Jim took a trail from the campground to the creek and played in the water until a storm arrived. After a good show of thunder and lightning, we were graced with a beautiful pink colored sky as the sun went down behind the dunes. The show got even better after dark when the Milky Way appeared among some of the brightest stars we’ve seen on the trip. To me, the stars somehow seem closer when they touch mountains.

Sunset over the dunes

Starry sky and Milky Way above our campsite

The next day (August 9) we hiked the Wellington Ditch Trail from the campground to the visitor center. We took in about half of the Montville Nature Trail (which wasn’t that exciting), then walked the interpretive trail by the visitor center that I had missed the day before. Our route back was along Medano Creek and the wet sand made for easy hiking.

Zapata Falls

In the afternoon, we drove 11 miles south of the park to a BLM road that led to Zapata Falls. We’d heard this was a great place to visit when the dunes were too hot to explore. Apparently, everyone else heard it to since we were in a long line of cars (limited options near the park)! The 3-mile gravel road up to the parking lot was rather treacherous and we were thankful that we had abandoned our plan to camp at the BLM campground nearby. The poor Burro would have rattled to such an extent that every screw might have come loose and the doors and windows fallen off. Despite the road conditions the parking lot was packed. It’s only a short quarter mile hike uphill to the creek, but the falls are not visible once you get there. We replaced our hiking boots with sandals and waded into the ice cold water. After crossing the stream on slippery walks several times, we reached a very narrow slot canyon that curved into darkness. Once we rounded the final corner, we were surprised to find a rather large waterfall shooting down a narrow passage. The tight space made the falls very loud. There was just enough space at the bottom of the falls to stand for a photo and there was a line of people waiting for their turn. Usually we’d be frustrated that we couldn’t stay longer to see more, but the water was so cold and our feet completely numb that we didn’t want to spend more than the time it took to snap a picture. It was a fun adventure and great place to explore on a hot day.

Splashing in Medano Creek

In the evening, we all hiked back down the trail from the campground to play in the creek. Walden loves sand and water, and he splashed and ran and built and smashed castles until well after the sun went down.

On our final day at the park (August 10), we went back down to the creek. Walden and I played in the sand and climbed the dunes while Jim took another hike high into the dunes.

Notes from Jim: 

Shifting sands

I grew up in Kohler-Andrae State Park on Lake Michigan surrounded by sand dunes. Truth be told, I wasn’t very excited to visit Great Sand Dunes, since I’ve experienced so many dunes in my life. But my hike up the dunes on the last day was a revelation for me. The morning was windy and cool. The sand dunes were alive in motion. The wind whipped the sand grains into ever-changing patterns, rippled on one side facing the wind, smooth on the side away. Whirlpools, arcs, and swirls danced across the surface of the dunes. I could literally see the dunes being built and torn down before my very eyes. The wind sculpted the top of the dunes into knife-like edges, which made it difficult to walk as I straddled each side. 

Sand blowing from atop a dune

Although seemingly a desert devoid of life, ravens flew on the thermals looking for a meal. Tiger beetles, moths, and sand crickets, found nowhere else in the world, scattered across the sand making tracks that were quickly erased by the wind. Inside protected bowls within the dunes, brilliant sunflowers and hardy grasses clung precariously to the shifting substrate. 

Reaching the top of the dunes, feeling the full force of the wind, the sand blowing against my legs like sandpaper one second and then floating down like rain another, seeing the massive mountains nestling the dune field and sustaining it with their winds, watching the braided creek streaming its way at the base of the dunes, feeling like a raven floating… it was an extraordinary and magnificent experience, and one of my favorite memories of the trip. 

Ripples on the sand

Sand treader camel cricket

Sunshine continues;

The combination of the creek, sand dunes, mountains, and starry skies were like no other place we visited on our trip. Great Sand Dunes became one of our favorite places we’ve visited on the trip and is definitely worth a stop if you are ever in the area. After leaving, we stopped at a playground in Walsenburg on the drive back to Colorado Springs. We were welcomed back at Bill and Suzi’s house just in time for dinner.

Tickle fight in Cheyenne Canyon

We had a hard time deciding how to spend our last full day in Colorado Springs. We’d heard so much about the zoo and wanted to go, but the weather was a little stormy and unpredictable. We enjoyed Cheyenne Canyon so much when we went for our motorcycle ride, we decided to head there. The Starsmore Discovery Center sits at the head of the canyon, a beautiful stone building that was once a residence. Walden enjoyed exploring the exhibits, as well as numerous hummingbirds visiting the flower garden. We hiked the Columbine Trail (3 mi) along the stream up the canyon to an overlook of the city. It was a perfect hike among the rocky formations of the canyon and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. Knowing our journey is coming to an end has made everything I experience richer. I’m savoring every moment, every view, and every experience deeper knowing that life is about to change.

Beautiful stone bridge in the Canyon

Group shot with Bill and Suzi

In the afternoon, I was fortunate to be gifted a massage from my Aunt Debbie. Her sister-in-law, Robin, lives in Colorado Springs and is a great masseuse who also does cupping. It was my first full-body massage and I felt like I had melted. Jim and Walden enjoyed a playground nearby while I had a little Mommy time. The evening was spent making final preparations for next part of our journey – Kansas. We had a wonderful experience in Colorado Springs and are looking forward to visiting again… there’s so much to do! We are so grateful to Bill and Suzi, our amazing hosts who graciously opened their home to us. What fortune to have met such special friends on this journey.