Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 719-379-2993;
www.garlandmotorinn.com
;
411 Hwy 160; d $79-105; )
Although there's not really
any reason to stay in Fort Garland - unless you're looking for an alternative base from
which to explore the Sand Dunes - this clean and well-run motel is a good spot in a pinch.
Rates vary depending upon occupancy.
All Gon Pizza
( 719-379-2222;
http://allgonrestaurant.com
; 319 Beaubien Ave, off Hwy 160; mains $7-9, pizzas $14;
11am-9pm, closed Sun in winter; )
This popular restaurant serves up pizza, pasta, Mexican fare
and peach and mango milkshakes, and is generally regarded as the best place to eat for
miles around (and we mean miles).
AMERICAN
$
Getting There & Away
From Fort Garland it's 8.5 miles east to the Hwy 150 turnoff to the Great Sand Dunes Na-
tional Monument, 26 miles east to Alamosa or 17 miles south to San Luis via Hwy 159.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Great Sand Dunes National Park
ELEV 8200FT
For all of Colorado's striking natural sights, this sea of sand - the country's youngest,
quietest and most diverse national park - is a place where nature's magic is on full dis-
play.
At the center of the
park
( 719-378-6399;
www.nps.gov/grsa
; 11999 Hwy 150; adult/child $3/free;
visitor center 8:30am-6:30pm summer, shorter hr rest of yr)
is a 55-sq-mile dunefield, surrounded by
steep mountain peaks on one side and glassy wetlands on the other. After long drives on
the straight highways of the San Luis Valley or twisting mountain byways, it's a bit un-
nerving to find yourself so suddenly standing amid the landscape of the Sahara.
This is a place of stirring optical illusions. From the approach up Hwy 150, watch as
the angles of sunlight make shifting shadows on the dunes; the most dramatic time is the
day's end, when the hills come into high contrast as the sun drops low on the horizon.
Hike past the edge of the dune field to see the shifting sand up close; the ceaseless wind
works like a disconsolate sculptor, constantly creating and revising elegant ripples under-
foot. Lose all perspective in the shadow of the dunes - the largest of which rise over
700ft. In this monochromatic, uninterrupted landscape, the only tool by which to judge
