Colorado vacation part IV: The Dunes

 On our last full day in Colorado, we hiked to Zapata Falls, a waterfall that was back in a cave.

We had to cross a stream to get there and Bruce fell in, so he was quite grouchy for most of the day. But it was still pretty.

 Phoebe hitched a ride on dad, but Bruce is too big for that now. He grew three inches last year and put on five pounds this summer, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

 We went to Great Sand Dunes National Park and spent most of the day there.

 This river comes down from the mountains next to the dunes. There are winds that blow toward the mountains, trapping the sand at the base. There are storm winds and the river that carry sand back down the mountains, so the dunes stay put in this neat little spot.

 Oliver loved playing in the river.

 Bruce enjoyed hiking on the dunes. I think he enjoyed going down more than up though.

 We hiked...

 ...and hiked some more until Phoebe got too hot and tired and stripped her shirt off.

 Once we topped one dune, the kids and I hung out while Scott ran up another. Then Bruce and I ran down, and Phoebe eventually recharged enough to run down with Scott.

 I went for a run on the dunes with Mark. Again, the elevation (9000 ft this time) left me gasping for breath. Oh, and the barefoot running on sand too.

 Mark is a beast though.

 Victory at the top of a big dune.

 Awesome run.

 After a day on the dunes, we headed to a nearby campground for dinner and a bonfire. One of Phoebe's favorite snacks is Cheetos.

 I snuggled with this guy, who traveled okay all things considered.

Now we are back in Boston and back in the swing of things. Scott is working lots of weekends over the next few months and starts a month-long stint of night shifts soon, so it's about to get wild in the Raymond Residence. We are glad we got a break!