Sept 19 Cañon City

We're making a lap around the southern part of Colorado to fill in the time until we're due in Durango.  We watched the Colorado episode of Aerial America on the Smithsonian Channel and were intrigued by the Great Sand Dunes National Park, so we decided to visit.  It's a short drive from Alamosa and just as interesting from ground level as when viewed from above on television.

 Arriving early (or perhaps staying late) is crucial to give contrast and depth to the dunes.

 The dunes are huge.  I figured that if Boca Raton left their beach renourishment dredge set on HIGH for about a thousand years, it would look like this.

Good News:  NPS allows people to ski/slide down the dunes.
Bad News: There is no ski lift, you have to climb up.
For these guys, the good outweighs the bad.

 We went past San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area.  The book says that Sandhill Cranes visit here in September.  We think those 5 dark blobs on the far shore are cranes.  Even with 10x binocs it was very hard to tell.

 Trees are beginning to show color, particularly in the high altitudes.

 We stopped for a picnic lunch in Salida along the Arkansas River.  It's a cute town.

 Apparently this is what mountain bikes look like nowadays.  I've seen fat tires for beach sand but not for mountain trails.  My knees don't like bike riding, so it's all academic for me.

 Wall art/advertising

 On the way into Cañon City we detoured to the Royal Gorge bridge.  They've turned the bridge complex into an amusement area, with an admission price of $27.  However, about a mile before the bridge there's a state park picnic area.  You can drive to within 500 feet of the gorge, then walk (carefully) to the rim and view the bridge and gorge.  Only two other cars were there when we went to look.  However, if you want to walk across the bridge, take the gondola back the other way, bungee jump and zip line, you'll have to go into the park. We were happy viewing it from afar.

 I don't think the rafters paid the park admission either.

 Downstream from the bridge

 We don't normally include meal and restaurant pictures, but there was a Village Inn in Cañon City.  My father used to love the VI in Tucson, so we ate there in his honor.  And it was "Free Pie Wednesday" so it was all good.