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This morning was the coldest yet....30 degrees. We were on the road at 7:30am heading to Pagosa Springs CO for the night. We thought we would try to visit the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument, a fairly new National Monument dedicated to protecting 242,500 acres where the Rio Grande runs wild. The morning light may be better for picture taking. We came to the turn off and it looked a little iffy. So Bob and I drove in to make sure the Beast and Testie would be able to get in and out. We stopped at the first pull out area, which was right next to the Rio Grande Gorge. We radioed Walt and Barb to drive out. While we waited for them, Bob and I savored the silence of the morning. The more populated the earth becomes, silence will be harder to find. We all listened to nothing for a few minutes, then we were back on road.
The stretch of road between Taos and the Great Sand Dunes was wide and wild. We saw three herds of wild horses running free on open plains...not a fence in sight and there were signs that Elk were also present in this area.
You can see the Great Sand Dunes for miles. The dunes are the tallest in North America at 750 feet. Walking on the base of the dunes felt like we were walking on a beach, but with no ocean. Just bizarre. We watched kids carrying snow boards, boogie boards, sleds, heading for the dunes for a day of sledding. People climbing the dunes looked like slow moving ants crawling up ant hills. After watching all the activity, we had a quick picnic lunch at the edge of the dunes and then got back on the road.
The drive from the Dunes to Pagosa Springs CO took us through the Rio Grande National Forest reaching an elevation of 10,856 feet at Wolf Creek Pass on HWY 160 and we crossed the Continental Divide as well. It was a beautiful drive.
As we were coming into Pagosa Springs, there was a cloud of smoke rising off in the distance. First thing that came to mind was a forest fire, but none of the forestry websites mentioned anything about a fire. So we continued on our way to the RV Park.
One problem with traveling late in the seaon with winter approaching is that most RV Transit Parks close for the season. We ran into this issue in Pagosa Springs. We found that the only Park still open in the Pagosa Area was appropriately named, "Last Resort RV Park". This park is the most "rustic" park we have stayed at. It only has space for 14 RVs and resident critters. We met a duck named Wilson. There was a horse stabled in the back and periodically, you caught a scent of "eau de cheval". Bunny rabbits ran wild and there is the resident cat, Oscar. The park is nestled in a small canyon next to a stream. There were no level pads and the hookups were very worn. A lot of the folks staying there will be there through the winter. ..... It was cozy and friendly.
We settled in. Bob and I served BBQ Chicken with Beans and Rice and steamed broccoli. We normally eat outside, but the temperature was dropping so we crammed into our RV with knees touching around our small table and enjoyed the meal.
Tomorrow, we head for Montrose CO for the night. Along the way, we plan on visiting Mesa Verde National Park.
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