Santa Fe and Sand Dunes!

This past weekend Mom and Dad flew into Denver for a long weekend over the Easter holiday. I worked a half day Thursday and picked them up at noon on Thursday, May 5th. Katy had gone into work early and so was off at 3:00pm and we were able to take Mom and Dad hiking at the Red Rocks trail right outside the downtown area of Boulder. We forgot that Boulder was 5,500 ft. above sea level, and even though the hike we went on was short, it was also steep. However, despite all that Mom and Dad were troopers and made it without too much grumbling. 

After our hike we headed up to Aunt Cyndi's house where we ate some grilled salmon, zucchini, and a strawberry avocado salad. After dinner we all hit the sack as we had a big day ahead of us.

We were up early Friday and on our way to Santa Fe by 9am. It is a pretty drive from Denver down to Santa Fe, especially for people who have never driven the route. You pass through Colorado Springs and beside Pikes Peak, and the scenery of southern Colorado and into New Mexico is very different from what us East Coasters are used to with lots of sandstone cliffs and high desert scenery. We stopped for lunch in the northern New Mexico town of Taos, an artsy ski town known to locals as a smaller version of Santa Fe. After eating lunch on the downtown plaza we visited a few shops and then headed to the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, a historic and widely photographed and painted church just outside of the Taos city limits in an areae called Ranchos de Taos.

When we got into Santa Fe that evening we checked into our hotel and then walked downtown to check out some of the sights. We didn't stay out late as it had been a long day and we were all tired and wanted to rest up before a busy day on Saturday. 

At Cafe Pasqual's

On Saturday we started off the day by going to breakfast at Cafe Pasqual's, a well known restaurant that Katy and I had been to on our previous trip to Santa Fe and thoroughly enjoyed. After a delicious breakfast complete with lots of guacamole and green chili, we spent the rest of the morning shopping in the many stores and at the many vendors that set up shop on the plaza. That afternoon we went and toured the Georgia O'Keeffe museum and then Mom, Dad, and Aunt Cyndi went to the Loretto Chapel to see the miraculous staircase. After doing some sightseeing by foot we hopped in the car and drove by the San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in the United States. We then drove down the infamous Canyon Road, which is literally one art gallery on top of another.

Cafe Pasqual's

That night we headed back downtown and went to the historic hotel La Fonda on the Plaza. At the hotel is a rooftop sunset bar called the Bell Tower. We went up to the Bell Tower to drink some margaritas and watch the sunset over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. 

The Bell Tower provides blankets for cold evenings!

After watching the sunset we headed over to grab dinner at another Santa Fe classic, The Shed. We ate a delicious dinner and then headed back to the hotel to call it a evening.

On Sunday we started off Easter morning by grabbing breakfast downtown at Tia Sophia's. We then did a little more shopping before hitting the road to head to our next stop, The Great Sand Dunes National Park. The drive to the park was both scenic and desolate. Mom and Dad were able to witness just how wide open areas of the Western United States are. We would drive miles and miles without seeing any sign of civilization, and then would finally come upon a town only to discover the town consisted of about 250 residents...this is the real rural America. 

When we got to the Great Sand Dunes we were immediately in awe. The place is incredible with 750 foot tall dunes, the tallest in North America, and snow capped mountains beside the dunes. To put these dunes into perspective for you East Coasters, the Kitty Hawk dunes on the Outer Banks are 100 feet tall, so the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado are over seven times taller!

After going to the visitor's center and looking around, Mom, Dad, Katy, and I set out to hike the dunes. It was an incredible experience hiking up these gigantic dunes as the views were amazing and just seeing the massive towers of sand up close was quite impressive. It was hard work hiking to the top, but well worth the effort. Mom and Dad made it over half way up the dunes, but decided to stop and enjoy the spectacular views from where they had reached. They were hiking at a major disadvantage as we were 9,000 feet above sea level and their bodies had not had time to adjust to the climate change. The pictures do not do this park justice. If you are ever out in this area of the country the Great Sand Dunes are well worth the time to stop and explore. 

After a great weekend spent in New Mexico and Southern Colorado we were worn out, and so spent a low key day hanging out in Boulder. We went over to Katy's work so Mom could get a little treatment on her foot that has been bothering her, and then we headed to The Hill, an area of shops and restaurants in Boulder that is an extension of the University of Colorado. At The Hill we ate at one our favorite spots in Boulder, The Sink. 

At The Sink

After lunch we headed up one of the many canyon roads in Boulder to go hiking. We went on the Anne U. White trail, a 3.5 mile hike that follows along a stream and crosses over the stream 12 different times, so the dogs loved it! It was a nice hike and then that evening Cyndi and Carole drove down for dinner. 

It was a great time spent with Mom and Dad and as crazy as it is, we'll see them again in less then two months when we head back east for good.