Monday and Tuesday
South again, to Sand Dunes National Park. A dramatic drive across huge, open plains with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rising gradually from the valley floor on the left. In the distance, nestled at the foot of the hills, we could see the sand dunes as we approached. All the sand from the surrounding mountains gets washed into the valley, then the regular strong wind blows it all down to the corner where the huge dunes form. We set up camp, waited for the sun to chill out a bit, then hiked up the dunes to watch the sunset. Way across on the other side of the valley, a couple of thunderstorms were rolling southwards, making for a pretty atmospheric evening. We decided that we liked this camp so much that we’d stay another night, so we spent a day relaxing, reading, and had a wander up the river that runs along the foot of the dunes.
Wednesday 20th
Into New Mexico! We weren’t originally planning to come this far south, but on recommendation from Ben and Rosie, and with a pinch of wanting to bag an extra state, we thought we’d pop over the border to Taos. The drive to Taos took us past a load of random homesteads – families set up for remote, desert living. Some really run down, and some clearly belonging to old hippies that have been here for a long time; from school buses converted into houses to smart solar panelled eco-dwellings made from adobe and glass. We stopped in Taos for lunch, had a look around at the numerous galleries and bought a couple of souvenirs. We decided that there wasn’t much extra to be gained from staying for a night, so we turned back on ourselves, over the impressive Rio Grande Canyon, and on towards Durango. With hindsight, and reading the guides, we should have stopped in at Taos Pueblo just north of Taos – the longest continuously inhabited settlement in America – but we just drove by without knowing about it. Should try to read up a bit further ahead.
A long drive through Carson National Forest brought us to a campsite at Heron Lake State Park – a pretty much empty gravel site on the edge of a lake.
Road and Ocean 