The Great Sand Dunes NP is nestled up against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Central Colorado and are the highest dunes in North America.  A great place to visit as the view from the top of the dunes is well worth the hike.  Not to mention the run straight down face of the dunes is also a blast.  Be prepared for sand everywhere, and I mean everywhere.

A great place to stay is in Monte Vista, which is just a little bit further away than Alamosa (the closest town).  On the west side of Monte Vista, there’s the Movie Motel, which is next to a two-screen drive-in theater.  They pipe the sound into each room and you can watch the movies through the large windows.  It’s two slices of Americana on one plate.  The rooms are nice and the staff is wonderful.  Here’s the view from our room:

Here’s a pro tip for you: when hiking up the dunes, walking along the ridges is a lot easier than straight up the face:

Pictures from my trip there can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/captuslumen/sets/72157624006703749/

Movie Motel pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/captuslumen/sets/72157624130875608/