It was a really good day!

As of last night, it felt like the trip was over, and all that remained was to trudge about a thousand miles homeward.

I did get a great good-night hug from grandson Matt:

After breakfast with Donna, I decided not to just get on I-25 and boogie.  Instead,  I went over and used US 285, which I suspect was the major N-S highway in these parts before the interstates.  I guessed I'd get as far as somewhere near Alamosa, CO before I ran out of energy.  That turned out just right... fortified by a cuppa joe and a gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffin from Mirage Trading Company in Moffat, CO

I pulled into Sand Dunes National Park at about 3:30.  Full.  Can your effing believe it? On Thursday at a little-known park in the middle of pretty much nowhere  -- full?

Here's what it looked like as I approached the park.  Yup.  Dunes.

With the advice of the park entrance dude, I wound up about 10 miles away at the BLM's Zapata Falls recreation area. The road in was some of the worst dirt washboard I've ever encountered, and Beastie's teeth got rattled pretty good, but when I got camped, this is what it looked like:

Not too shabby for Plan B, huh?

Rt 285 is spectacular.  A LOT of high plains with snow-covered 14000-foot peaks right alongside.

I didn't get any real good pictures along the route, but this will give you the idea:

And to make matters even better, Dotty Reilly (who's been reading the blog) sent a note pointing out that there's a new exhibit at the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe, and I could stay with them if I wanted to see it.

So that's the next stop.  White Rock, NM.