Amboseli National Park, the Land of Giants, in Kenya

On July 22, 2021July 22, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Africa, Kenya3 Comments

We arrived in Nairobi about 15 hours later than we were originally scheduled to due to a variety of cancellations and flight changes. So, instead of arriving Sunday evening and getting a night of sleep before starting our safari, we contacted our guides, Perminus and David, and had them meet us at the airport to take us straight to our lodge at Amboseli National Park. Since we had been awake for over 48 hours at this point, we couldn’t have been blamed for drifting in and out of consciousness during the drive from Nairobi to the park. Since we didn’t leave Nairobi until early afternoon, it was near sunset when we approached the Zebra Plains Amboseli Camp where were to stay two nights. As we got close to the camp, animals could already be seen along the road, especially some wonderful views of giraffes as the sun set behind them. This would be the last time that we would not have cameras at the ready to capture every possible image, but we did take a few photos as we drove toward the camp.

Our Tent in the Zebra Plains Amboseli Camp

As we checked into to our tent at the camp, we were informed that we must always be escorted by one of the camp staff and Maasai warrior guards if we were to leave our tent after dark. This would be true at almost every place we stayed during our safari and it became very evident as to why on our very first night as we heard an elephant trumpet near our tent and even heard a hyena on the porch of the tent. Although we were up early every day and stayed out until dusk, we really enjoyed the places that we stayed. Our days always started with some wonderful African coffee and a warm and hearty breakfast. The lodges also provided us with box lunches to take along as we spent the day driving throughout the parks.

Thompson’s Gazelle – They Were Literally Everywhere on Safari

Amboseli National Park is one of the smaller parks that we visited, but we literally seemed to come across different wildlife around every turn. The park is known for the elephants, hence the nickname “the Land of the Giants”, which are not only large, but also have some of the largest tusks that we would see on the safari. It was also the place where we would have our up-close interactions with the elephants and even had a playful baby elephant lift his trunk and try to smell us. We understand that the park can get quite busy because it is close to Nairobi, but due to the pandemic, there were not many other tourists or other Land Cruisers (the “official” vehicle of safaris) around us as we traversed the park.

We Saw Hundreds of Elephants at Amboseli National Park

One of the Many Types of Antelopes and Gazelles that We Saw

Birds Often Ride the Elephants to Eat the Insects That Get Stirred Up

In addition to the many different encounters with the elephants, we also saw hundreds of giraffes, zebras, and wildebeest. Amboseli would also provide us our first opportunities to see lions, of which we saw several times during our day and a half in the park. We also saw many different birds in the park including the ostriches, African Crowned Crane, pelicans, flamingos (which there are two types known as the lesser and greater), and hamerkop (also known as the hammerhead). As the sun set after our first full day on safari, we asked our guide, David, to drive us back to the area around the lodge where we had seen the giraffes at sunset the previous night. We wanted to capture them with the camera since we didn’t pull it out during the drive to Amboseli.

We Played with Our New Fisheye Lens in Amboseli

By the time that our first day and a half was over, we had seen three of the Big Five, elephants, water buffaloes, and lions, just leaving rhinos and leopards to be seen later. It truly was an incredible start to our safari as we so many different animals and we especially enjoyed seeing some of the baby animals. It was also mating season, which was quite interesting as well. On the second day, we drove through Amboseli National Park to see many more animals before making our way to the border of Kenya and Tanzania to continue south on our safari. The full safari is a giant loop that starts south, then heads west, and eventually goes north and finally back east. We can certainly understand why people might make this one of their only destinations on safari, but we would recommending extending it through the many other national parks as we did.

Enjoying the Beauty and History of Southwestern Colorado

On June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Colorado2 Comments

We don’t make our way to southwestern Colorado as often as we should. Whenever we do take the time to go there, we always have a wonderful time. There are so many different reasons to make your way through the mountains and valleys, as there are definitely some beautiful locations throughout the area. Regardless of whether you want to get into the mountains and go hiking, see some locations of geological interest, or visit ancient ruins, there is something that will appeal to everyone. We have been to each of these locations multiple times, but never in the same trip. It would actually make for a very interesting loop from Colorado Springs to go to all of these locations on a single trip with short stays along the way.

Alamosa and the Great Sand Dunes National Park – If you head south from Colorado Springs and then go west once you reach Walsenburg, it is about a 3 hour trip to reach the town of Alamosa. At least for us, the main reason to visit this quaint town is to enjoy time in the Great Sand Dunes National Park, which is truly an amazing experience. It is also a great location to enjoy food of the southwest in one of the several restaurants located in Alamosa. There are some very interesting hiking trails in the area, even one that allows you to get up close to some petroglyphs.

Durango, Mesa Verde National Park, the “Four Corners”, and the Aztec National Ruins Monument in New Mexico – Located in the southwestern corner of Colorado, about 3 hours west of Alamosa, Durango is a great place to explore. The area is known as the four corners because it is where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona all come together in a single location. There is even a marker right where all four states come together and if you want, you can put one body part in each state by putting your hands and feet in different states all at the same time. Mesa Verde National Park is certainly spectacular to see and it worthwhile taking the time to go into New Mexico to visit the Aztec National Ruins Monument.

San Miguel River that Runs Through Telluride

Telluride and Ouray Colorado – After seeing the historic area of the four corners, you can continue north for about 2 hours to the town of Telluride where you can enjoy some upscale relaxation. There are many trails to hike for people of all ages as well as mountain biking and other outdoor activities. Since it is a resort town, there are more than enough food options for any type of meal or budget. Whether staying in the actual town of Telluride or staying in the Mountain Village, taking the gondola between the two provides incredible views without having to exert any energy. The mountain vistas are some of the most spectacular in Colorado, which makes Telluride a destination all on its own.

Pond with a Beaver Damn Just Outside of Telluride

After spending time in Telluride, it is about a 6 hour drive back to Colorado Springs, but the scenery is beautiful and varied as you go through valleys and mountain ranges. Any of these destinations are worthy visiting simply for their own reasons, but combining them into a single trip will provide you with a very unique experience since each location has something different to offer. There are obviously other locations along the way that can be added, so this route can be added to for those who have more time to spend on the road.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Southwest Colorado

On August 27, 2020August 27, 2020 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Colorado3 Comments

Located about 30 miles outside the town of Alamosa in Colorado, the Great Sand Dunes are a fascinating feature that has been created by nature over thousands of years. The giant sand dunes sitting at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains highlight the diversity of habitats in southwestern Colorado, which ranges from wetlands, prairies, mountains, and forests. The sand dunes seem oddly out of place, it is almost as if a piece of an African desert was scooped up and dropped in the mountain valley. The reality is that they were created after a large lake dried up thousands of years ago and the wind drove the sand to the base of the mountains.

The People Give Perspective to the Size of the Dunes

Although this year the mountains did not receive a lot of snow and therefore the runoff was minimal, usually there is a river or stream running at the base of the sand dunes, making the contrast even more interesting. One of the good things about the stream not being there was that we didn’t have to get our feet wet in order to get to the base of the dunes, but the bad part was that it was even more sand to walk through in the heat of the sun. It is not easy walking in the sand and even harder walking up the steep sides of the dunes. They may not seem as large from the distance, but the actual peaks of the dunes can be as high as 750 feet (230 meters).

As more and more people visit the dunes, one of the most popular things to do is to bring a sandboard and go sandboarding. People will spend hours climbing to the top and then boarding their way back down. Just to reach the top is difficult, so to do it over and over again in order to shred the sand is a real achievement. It also means that you will be surrounded by plenty of crowds as people flock to the area. There is camping nearby and you will find and endless array of motorhomes and RV’s. Since it is a national park, you can expect to pay $20 per vehicle to get into the park, which is good for seven days.

It took us about three hours to drive from Colorado Springs to the Great Sand Dunes, but it is well worth the drive. We hadn’t been to the sand dunes for over twenty years, so it was also a little bit nostalgic for us as we remembered bringing our young children there to play in the sand. We only spent a couple of hours at the sand dunes as climbing the hills is very exhausting and hard on the legs. Even though we were walking in the Sahara Desert only a few weeks ago, visiting this unique place in Colorado was really something special.