In late December of 2020, during my road trip home from Reno, NV to Cleveland, OH, my final National Park stop came at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

Driving from Moab, UT, where I just visited Arches National Park, I crossed through Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park before reaching my overnight destination in Crestone, CO. A small mountain town tucked in against the Rockies, I spent the afternoon and evening taking in the town sights and sunset across the mountain valley.

The next morning, I drove an hour south to Great Sand Dunes National Park, where I spent the afternoon hiking.

After climbing some of the dunes, I returned to my car and proceeded to make the 10-hour drive ahead of me to reach Kansas City, MO, that night.