Today the forecast here was for a high of 27C and sunshine, lots of it, a perfect Easter Sunday and a great day to explore the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. Because it was so warm this morning we decided to "hang out" at the Sunbeam Lake RV Resort for a while to have a swim and some lunch first.

We decided to drive there via Hwy 78 instead of taking the interstate and it took us past a number of "sugar beet" farmland, big business in the Imperial Valley. We also passed several hayfields and some orange groves and finally we came across a massive feedlot, which explained all the baled hay we've seen stacked throughout the area. Highway 78 winds through the desert and finally comes to the sand dune recreation area near Glamis, California. This "sport" is enjoyed by people of all ages, from 4 and 5 year olds to senior citizens, a real family affair, and the vehicles ridden range from dirt bikes to elaborate $100,000 dune "buggies". There were hundreds of RV's camped everywhere and they ranged from small basic trailers to million dollar motor coaches with fancy trailers painted to match. According to some "ATVers" we spoke to, Thanksgiving weekend is the biggest draw but every weekend from October to May attracts hundreds of enthusiasts for a few days of fun.

At one campsite area, referred to as Vendor's Row, a recreational enthusiast could buy anything they wanted pertaining to the sport as well snacks and fast foods. We were curious to see if there were any places where we could rent a dune buggy, but couldn't find any (probably due to liability issues) however there was one guy renting ATV's. We decided to forgo a jaunt on the sand this time but someday it might be fun and we headed back to the motorhome awed by what we'd seen and our curiosity satisfied.