The Great Sand Dunes

Spent the weekend down at the Great Sand Dunes, camping and playing and just generally having a good time. I'd just like to recount a couple of the highlights:

- After passing a large sign reading "Point of No Return" and telling drivers that high-clearance vehicles with 4WD only should pass the parking lot at that point, a not-so-bright middle aged man continued on in his low-clearance 2WD minivan. He got stuck. And therefore blocked the road. His wife/some woman with him proclaimed about the sign that was directly applicable to her, "yeah, but even then..." No, lady, not even then. Obey the sign telling you to stop and avoid making a long line of 4WD cars wait for you to dig your idiot asses out. This scenario became funny when the two children, tagging along with angry stuck-daddy said, "Dad, why don't we use four wheel drive?" It appears that the children could read even though dad could not. Dad replied, angrily, "we don't own four wheel drive." Yes, that's why they put up the "Point of No Return" sign-- so that you would know to stop.

- Once past the stuck minivan on our way to the dunes, a man leaning against his Durango flagged us down. AL rolled down his window, and the guy says, "there's a lot of, uh.... sand up there." We were driving to the sand dunes, and were about 100 yards away at that point. Yes, sir, there is a lot of sand at the Great Sand Dunes. Thanks for the most helpful advice.
-The Murder Chop House, aka the bathroom in an old train car. Three stalls. One nailed shut. At one point, one was operable. At another point, zero were. If we pay for bathrooms at the campground, it's helpful if we don't have to pee on the floor. Good news was, we could just pee in the woods.

-Pancakes fried in butter. I will be making these every chance I get.

-And, of course, hiking the dunes. But really, running all the way down.