Hops growing in alamosa, Colorado

Here is a Hops plant we saw outside of an antique shop in Alamosa, Colorado.

The hops were huge - over an inch in length for each bud.

I had never seen hops growing before.

The leaves were slightly reddish and the plant was like a vine.

I know hops grow in the wild in Utah and in some parts of southern Wyoming.

Here again are the hops growing next to a gargoyle statue.

Offbeat Places near Alamosa, Colorado

We came across a medical marijuana dispensary near Alamosa.  This was their street sign.

Inside the building we were limited as to what we could photograph, but  here is what we saw.

 Here he took two vehicles and created a unique vehicle.

A man who lives in a blue dome house near Blanco, Colorado had these amazing vehicles on his property.

A 1957 Wileys

He had a unique weather vane

This is the layout of the man's home.

Castle with stained glass windows

The Dome

Wind turbines and solar panels generate electricity.

He built a minature model of his home!  Check out the view of the mountains.

Blanco had a community center with a sauna, hot tub and pool!

Sand Dune State Park, Alamosa, Colorado

Approaching the Sand Dunes State Park near Alamosa, Colorado. 

View of the Sand Dunes from the mountains nearby.

The dunes are pretty bizarre in that you're driving along and all of a sudden, there they are - the largest sand dunes in North America.

The visitor center has great displays and a deck that overlooks the sand dunes and leads to hiking trails.

It also has a terrific book shop and sells maps.

 One view of the dunes outside the visitor center.

Some rain began to fall with lightening so we didn't climb on the dunes.

In daylight though the sand can get up to 130 degrees Farenheit so best to visit this park in early morning.

The dunes are next to some spectacular mountains and there is camping available.

The dunes look pink at dusk.

Large Quilt in the Visitor Center dedicated to Alamosa County

In this photo you can see human footprint trails on the dunes where people have hiked.

Zapata Falls near Alamosa, Colorado

Zapata Falls is a waterfall near Alamosa in the mountains.  A short day hike up the mountain brings you to this beautiful spot.

The gurgling brook makes for a peaceful place.

 Many wildflowers were blooming near the falls.

Also wild medicinal herbs.

View from the moderately easy hiking trail.

Storm Clouds moved in.

Heading down the hiking trail from the falls

Cloistered Community near Crestone, Colorado & Chapel

Outside of Crestone, Colorado there is a cloistered Roman Catholic community and the chapel is open to the public.  This post shows photos of the inside of the chapel.