Dune

Did you know Colorado has sand dunes?  Until we moved here, I didn't either!  We've seen plenty of dunes around Lake Michigan, but the Great Sand Dunes National Park felt like something out of a movie -- almost like we were on a different planet.  Colorado never ceases to amaze.

Getting goofy on our way to the dunes.

Wading across the Medano Creek, which only lasts a few weeks a year.  

Getting closer.

We made it!

Building sand castles in the sky.

It was truly awe-inspiring.

Dad and I tried hiking as high as we could...

...and we got pretty far before we came to the edge of a sand cliff and had to turn back.

Aaron came on the hike too.

He was a trooper.

But he didn't complain when it was time to turn around.  Hiking in the sand is hard!

We also rented boards and tried sand sledding (we got a lot of sand in our pants).

Jill made sand angels (more sand in the pants).

The kids reenacted their favorite movie scenes (sooo much sand in the pants).

And then, for reasons I still don't fully understand, the kids decided to go full Dune and become sandworms.  I don't even know why we had a snorkel along or whose idea it was in the first place...but I bet Dad had something to do with it...

Aaron the sandworm

Jill the sandworm.

Danny the sandworm.

SO. MUCH. SAND.  In the pants.  In the sleeves.  In the eyes.  In the hair.  In the ears.  In the mouth.  In the everything.

After a couple of hours, the sand started to get a bit too hot for our feet.  So we cooled our toes off in the creek, hopped in the car, and drove back home.  Can't believe we live so close to such a magical place!

(Just watch out for those sandworms.)