Great Sand Dunes: Colorado’s Beach Without the Ocean

Sunset casts its golden light and eerie shadows across the vast sand dunes. We have just arrived, and feel like we should kick off our hiking boots and dig our toes into the silky sand. But no, it’s only about 40 degrees now, and it will get lots colder once the sun dips behind the … Read more

A Yurt for the Night: In Colorado’s Snow Country

Like diamond dust sprayed on black velvet, shattered particles of light glisten in a crystalline winter sky. Overhead, the Milky Way spills a swath of creamy luminescence that flows through the celestial hemisphere. Stars glimmer with galactic intensity, undimmed by the glare of civilization. I stand mesmerized by the spectacle so seldom seen by city … Read more

Scenic Byway: Cache La Poudre-North Park

Wild waters froth as they roar through sheer-walled Poudre Canyon. Beyond a range of craggy peaks, moose nibble wetland willows and songbirds trill. Along the Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic and Historic Byway, sights and sounds vary from wild to serene. The byway stretches 101 miles between Fort Collins and Walden in the north-central part … Read more