Our first visit today was to the Aztec Ruins National Monument. No, the ancient Aztecs were never lived here.  It is name for its location in the town of Aztec NM. The Big House ruins are all about the various Pueblo peoples that lived here centuries ago.

The most fascinating building was the Great Kiva which was reconstructed in the 1930’s. The ruins are neat to walk through. Either the people were short or they built their doorways for protection. Check out that picture of Ellen getting through a doorway. Jorge thinks it served as a hotel for travelers but what does he know?

Then we were off on a long trek to get to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Once again along the way we marveled at the beautiful scenery.

The sand dunes at the park were infested with tourists. If you see the pictures of us at the dunes you’ll not notice the people because we removed them. However, you can see their tracks!

We’re not sure what Tickle thought of the dunes. It was a cool day and the sand was not hot. As usual, after a walk, we offered her water but she refused. She’s a good traveler and loves her kennel. It was a beautiful day to be a tourist!