California Dreaming.... on a warm winter's day!

Today started out a bit cool, but by 10:30 it had warmed up to about 15 degrees, and made it up to about 20 or so, not bad! Lots of sun!

We decided after breakfast to take a bike ride, it was time! I had been looking on Microsoft Streets and Trips program, (good one...) and had wanted to head out to see the Imperial Sand Dunes! I figured we could hit Calexico, California, and then maybe head to to El Centro. Halfway out we came across the Imperial Sand Dunes. This is a recreation area that people can come out to, and have fun with their sand toys... dune buggies, dirt bikes, ATV's, whatever you have...

They also are allowed to boondock in their RV's here, so the can stay and play. Here are some pictures I took.

You do have to pay a small fee to use this area, but it is not expensive.

The sand dunes are huge, and go on for miles... this area is also right on the border with Mexico, and the good old Border Patrol was very busy today. We got stopped by them, but they allowed us to go right through their dragnet.


Tonight I was previewing pictures to put on the blog and got messing around and I am about to take some photography liberty..... I use the photo program that came with my Olympus camera, and is pretty easy to use...

You can take a picture like this....

and turn it into this... you can do all sorts of things to try and enhance your picture...


As you can see, they love to have fun in the desert!

On some busy weekends, they can get 80,000 people out here at once, that is when the fun really begins...

These guys were playing chase....

Yes, I am still playing around with my computer, here is some more photographer's liberty being taken... these next two are the same picture...

Yes, I might have enhanced the colour of the sand....

We made it up to Calexico, and it is a border town with Mexicali, Mexico. I took a couple of pictures, it was hard, as there is a lot of security fences around. The Americans put a lot of security up to keep the drugs out!

This mountain is in Mexico, and is part of a long chain of mountains that reach up into California.

We followed old Highway 98 out to Calexico, and there is nothing but lots of sand and trails for miles for the dune buggies to run in. To my surprise, they also groom the side of the road in the sand area, for the ATV's to run on... just like we groom ski doo trails in Ontario... crazy...

There is also a bunch of farms along the way, and the American Canal runs through the desert to irrigate the fields, it is amazing to see.

We made it back to the Resort by 5:00 bells, just in time for the hot tub to sooth your body after the 120 mile run today! It was fun.

Yes, I watched the Leafs beat Sid the Kid and his fell Penguins.... ya!

Till tomorrow...