{"id":5015,"date":"2020-04-15T10:40:23","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T16:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/?p=5015"},"modified":"2025-05-28T13:58:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T19:58:56","slug":"great-sand-dunes-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/great-sand-dunes-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Plan a Visit to Great Sand Dunes Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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U.S. WEST<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Each season offers something special at North America's largest sand dunes, in southern Colorado<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There may be affiliate links within this post which provide me with a commission, at no cost to you. This is a way to help me to provide valuable content. More information at: Privacy & Disclosure<\/a><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Every season is stunning at North America’s largest sand dunes so the best time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park really depends on what you want to do and your tolerance for very hot or cold weather. Read on to learn about Great Sand Dunes weather, and what to see and do in each season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Largest Sand Dunes in North America<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Great Sand Dunes National Park<\/span><\/a> is located in southern Colorado, about 3.5 hours from Denver. The largest dunes in North America were millions of years in the making, but the newest park to receive “national park” status, in 2003.\u00a0
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The dune fields encompass more than\u00a030 square miles beneath\u00a0the Sangre de Cristo mountain range.\u00a0As the lakes that covered portions of this valley dried up, sand was left behind and funneled by winds into a natural pocket between the mountains. It had nowhere to go, so accumulated into giant dunes over millions of years.<\/p>

There is nowhere in the world quite like it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Medano Creek in May<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Great Sand Dunes Weather<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Great Sand Dunes Park is open year-round and temperatures can be extreme here: the weather can be very cold and snowy in winter and hot in summer, although summer nights are cool thanks to the high elevation.<\/p>

May is a popular time to visit if you want to swim in Medano Creek (more below), and the average daily high is 66 degrees and the low is 37 degrees. So it can still be chilly for camping. Average July temperatures are 80 degrees during the day and 50 degrees at night. January is the coldest month at Great Sand Dunes National Park with daily average highs around 35 degrees and average daily lows around 10 degrees.\u00a0<\/p>

For more information on Great Sand Dunes Weather, this National Park Service page lists monthly highs and lows at the park.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Weather was cool but pleasant at Great Sand Dunes in April<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Best time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The best time to visit Great Sand Dunes depends on your priorities. First, do you want to camp? Camping is open April through October, but can be very cold at either end of the camping season, with summer the most pleasant camping weather, thanks to temps that tend to dip down in the evening.\u00a0<\/p>

The busiest camping season is July and August, and late May and June bring lots of people who want to swim in Medano Creek.\u00a0So if you have flexibility, don’t mind cooler temps and want to avoid crowds, I think the best time to visit Great Sand Dunes is late spring or early fall.\u00a0<\/p>

We visited in mid-April and had very pleasant weather, with the added benefit of lighter crowds and lots of available accommodation. Temperatures for hiking were also ideal. Camping was open, but would have been too cold for us, so we opted for a hotel stay.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Great Sand Dunes weather is pleasant for hiking in spring<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When to Visit Great Sand Dunes - Hiking<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The dunes are fun to climb and there are no designated trails which makes it fun for kids, and a great workout for everyone else. Summer air can be pleasant with an elevation of 8700 feet here. But the sand does get very hot so you will only be able to climb the dunes early or late in the day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The dunes are surrounded by <\/span>meadows<\/span> and forested hills, which offer a great variety of hiking, beyond the sand. Hiking would be very hot in July and August, so early morning hikes would be preferable if you visit in summer.<\/span><\/p>

In spring, we enjoyed hiking in the nearby forest which had a wonderful view of the dunes and mountains. There were also some pretty waterfalls to see.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

If seeing Colorado wildflowers is a priority, the best time to visit is June or July.\u00a0\u00a0The Sand Creek Lakes hike is supposed to be beautiful at that time. If lots of hiking is your idea of a perfect trip, I think late spring or early fall are the best times to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sand Boarding & Sledding<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We visited Great Sand Dunes with our boys, who were young at the time. We brought plastic sleds but learned that the surface is usually too dry for “snow sleds”;\u00a0 if you want to try sand boarding or sledding, you will need to rent special equipment with the right kind of surface and a special wax finish. Rentals are available in the nearby towns of Hooper, Alamosa and Blanca.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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When to Visit Great Sand Dunes for Swimming - May & June<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Medano Creek at the bottom of the dunes comes to life as the snow melts from the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The water volume is greatest in late <\/span>May and the flow continues into June (although this varies by year). May is very popular with families for this reason and campsites book up very far in advance. Plan ahead if you want to visit to enjoy Medano Creek.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

When we visited in mid-April the water was just starting to accumulate and it was very cold. There was definitely no swimming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Where to stay in Great Sand Dunes National Park<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Camping & Glamping in Great Sand Dunes<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Camping at Great Sand Dunes is available at the park’s Pinon <\/span>Flats Campground from April 1 to October 31. There are <\/span>88 sites for tents and RVs – each can accommodate up to eight people and two tents.\u00a0 A fire grate and picnic table are located at each site, and a campground store offers limited supplies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

To reserve a Great Sand Dunes campsite,\u00a0visit the federal booking portal recreation.gov<\/b><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/b>Reservations can be made up to six months ahead. Dogs are permitted. For larger groups of between 18 and 40, you can reserve up to one-year ahead.\u00a0<\/p>

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Photo from Frontier Drive-In, via Facebook<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Hotels Near Great Sand Dunes National Park<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For a more upscale \u201cglamping\u201d experience, check out the Rustic Rock Resort<\/a><\/span> 19 miles from the park entrance. Another stylish but affordable option is Frontier Drive Inn<\/span><\/a> about 40 minutes away. It offers traditional rooms (pictured above) and studio yurts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The town of Alamosa is 30 miles southwest of the park and has several accommodation options. The top 4 by reviews are Hampton Inn Alamosa,<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 Fairfield Inn & Suites, <\/span><\/a>Comfort Inn and Suites,\u00a0<\/span> <\/a>and on a tight budget, the Dunes Inn<\/span><\/a> motel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Visit Alamosa<\/span><\/a> has additional info about exploring the area.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Charming Zapata Ranch in early spring<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Zapata Ranch<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I previously recommended Zapata Ranch for a place to stay near Great Sand Dunes, as we loved out experience here. However, it has closed to visitors in 2025. They have posted the following message:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

“While plans are still being developed, the Nature Conservancy\u2019s vision for the future of the Zapata Ranch will likely include Tribal involvement and the use of the Preserve as a place for cultural connection, learning and resource protection alongside meaningful engagement with Tribal Nations, Indigenous Peoples, and the San Luis Valley\u2019s historic Latino and local diverse communities. <\/em><\/p>

This change comes after a significant review by The Nature Conservancy of their Colorado Preserves to determine the best role for each property to achieve their strategic plan and have maximum impact to their mission. After the 2024 season, the lodge will be closed to the public for a period of time while TNC explores future uses for the Preserve.”<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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My family and I stayed at Zapata Ranch when our boys were young. It was very quiet in April when we visited, just us and a herd of 2,000 American Plains bison which roam the property\u2019s 50,000-acre pasture. <\/span>The charming ranch is set amongst a grove of cottonwoods, and t<\/span>he original homestead was built in the 1800s. The 17 guest rooms reflect that heritage offering the rustic charm of an old log cabin \u2014 a cabin that has been thoughtfully appointed with charming decor, plush beds and beautiful linens. The common areas are welcoming and comfortable, with a gorgeous view out every window.<\/span><\/p>

In summer, you can book stays with or without ranch activities and horseback riding \u2014 the latter requires a minimum three-nights. Prices are inclusive of breakfast and dinner, and the food is delicious. You could easily and happily fill several days here, and if you are looking for an authentic western ranch experience with fantastic food, this is it. The ranch is open March through October.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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American Bison populations are recovering after near extinction around 1900<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Bison near Great Sand Dunes National Park<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Zapata Ranch is owned by the <\/span>Nature Conservancy<\/span>. I had not heard of them before our visit but this organization is doing amazing conservation work.<\/span>\u00a0It’s an environmental non-profit that was founded in the U.S. in 1951, it has grown to operate in 79 countries, with more than a million member supporters. They are actively addressing climate change, land conservation, and food and water sustainability, as well as sustainable growth of cities. More than 400 scientists are on staff and have protected more than 125 million acres of land to date.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bison originally numbered in the tens of millions through the vast plains of the western U.S., but were almost wiped out by 1900. Today bison numbers have grown close to half a million, much of that is livestock, but there are also conservation herds, such as at Zapata Ranch, near the Great Sand Dunes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The reintroduction of bison enables land which had been overgrazed by cattle, to rebound, when properly managed. Bison actually aerate the soil with their hooves and support the return of native plants such as buffalo grass and cottonwood groves.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The process is explained by the ranch: \u201cWe use (bison) as a tool to disturb the surface of the land to achieve conservation goals by recycling nutrients and improving the water cycle, mimicking the symbiotic relationship between the North American High Plains grasslands and the great bison herds of the past.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you are enjoying this article, please subscribe! Receive the monthly Midlife Globetrotter newsletter with travel ideas, itineraries, hotel reviews and more!<\/p>Subscribe<\/a>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Activities & Dining on the Ranch<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you\u2019ve dreamed of experiencing the life of a Colorado wrangler, a working ranch experience is available here and all levels of riders can be accommodated. Beyond exploring the sand dunes and horseback riding, there is hiking, fly fishing and rafting, all of my favorite Colorado experiences in one beautiful place. To get the most of the all of these experience, the best time to visit Great Sand Dunes and Medano Ranch is the summer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Although there was less going on in April, our spring visit was very enjoyable. Our children were quite young when we stayed and Medano is excellent at accommodating families.\u00a0<\/p>

The ranch has delicious gourmet meals, including the chance to try bison, if you wish. Otherwise, the meat and produce served is locally sourced, to the extent possible. They will pack a lunch for you to take along on your daily adventuring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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It’s also possible to visit for the day and take a tour to learn about the herd’s North American plains bison and bison conservation. Bring your camera to capture photos of the herd of 2,000 animals. Tours are available Thursday through Sunday, and depart the ranch lodge at 10am. Reservations are required. Call\u00a0 719.257.3043 or stay@ranchlands.com to book..<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I hope this has helped you plan a dream trip the Great Sand Dunes of southern Colorado. Writing this article has reminded me what a special gem it is.\u00a0<\/p>

I would love to return to the sand dunes in fall, when the days are warm and the nights are cool. Then again, it would be fun to visit in late May, to swim in Medano creek. The summer would be great fun as well, with so many activities.<\/p>

In other words, there’s not a single best time to visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Anytime you have the chance to go, you will have things to do and will certainly admire the unique geography of the giant sand dunes trapped between the mountains.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you are interested in exploring other national parks, you might like to read about my trip to Grand Teton National Park<\/a><\/span>\u00a0in Wyoming, or my L.A. to Denver Road Trip Guide<\/a><\/span>, with stops in Arches National Park and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.<\/span><\/p>

Or if you are planning Colorado travel, and interested in camping, check out this guide to Yurt Camping in Colorado State Parks<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

U.S. WEST Each season offers something special at North America’s largest sand dunes, in southern Colorado There may be affiliate links within this post which provide me with a commission, at no cost to you. This is a way to help me to provide valuable content. More information at: Privacy & Disclosure. Every season is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[350,25,60,100,128,43,369,112,126,66,63,65,18],"class_list":["post-5015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-guides","tag-adventures","tag-colorado","tag-family-travel","tag-favourite-places","tag-great-sand-dunes-national-park","tag-national-parks","tag-north-america","tag-ranch","tag-road-trip","tag-road-trips","tag-special-hotels","tag-u-s-west","tag-united-states"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/great-sand-dunes-spring-weather.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5015\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/midlifeglobetrotter.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}