Off-road Enthusiasts Opt for Glamis During Easter Weekend

CC | May 6, 2011

Story by: SILVIO J. PANTA, Imperial Valley Press Staff

Some people prefer to stay with family during a holiday break while other folks like Gadi Flores head out to the dunes to spend some quality time with their all-terrain vehicles.

Flores, of Hemet, braved the gusty winds and heavy traffic with friends in tow to do some off-road riding Saturday at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. He wasn’t alone.

“Just to have fun in the sand,” Flores replied when asked about his Easter weekend getaway. “You don’t get to do this very often.”

An untold number of other ATV enthusiasts felt the same way when they trekked from all over to enjoy the pleasures of the desert under sunny skies as the traditional Easter break began to wind down.

There weren’t any available estimates as to how many visitors there were, as those figures will be determined by early next week. But the area appeared to be well-attended with people like San Diego resident Mike Horne, ready to gear up for the occasion.

Horne patiently waited by his off-road vehicle for his friends to come out of the Glamis Beach Store as he explained that some people opt to head out to the desert because it’s an inexpensive way to have fun.

“Can’t afford to go on a trip so I just came here, which is a couple of miles away,” Horne joked.

Richard Rodriguez, of Phoenix, wasn’t joking either when he arrived with four friends. Rodriguez intended to remain having fun until today, he said.

“This is the closest one,” Rodriguez said of the dunes area. “It’s a 3 1/2-hour drive for us.”