Visitors stop by local businesses during the busy Halloween weekend Sunday afternoon in Glamis. (Eric Miller) |
GLAMIS — Trucks pulling trailers and off-highway vehicles trekked along Highway 78 on Sunday as they traveled away from Imperial County, closing out the first big weekend of the dunes season.
Thousands of people were expected to visit local desert areas like Glamis, Buttercup and Superstition Mountain through Halloween weekend.
There were plenty of people out for the first weekend, said Bessie LeBlanc with Glamis Beach Store. She manned the counter on Sunday as people came in to buy essentials for their visit.
“It’s been fair, but it was a heck of a lot better years before,” she said.
There used to be more people that headed out to Glamis before the economic downturn, she said. However, there are still people coming out to have fun.
She said she is excited for the season to start.
“I’m anxious for it. I love it,” she said, adding that the people are great. “They come out to have fun.”
People were having a good time throughout the weekend, including 10-year-old Brianna Harden of San Diego.
She’s been going to the dunes her whole life, she said. It’s a lot of fun “because you get to ride your quad and everything.”
“It’s fun to ride,” she added.
She didn’t get to ride on her quad too much, but she got to ride in her family’s truck, which was good, she said.
Many of the groups that come to the area have been riding locally for years.
Jordan Lewis, 28, of Tucson remembers how his family was first invited out to Glamis as part of the University of Arizona Wildcat Off-Road Club about 10 years ago. Now his group is the one inviting others to head out for big holiday weekends.
“The adrenaline, the parties, it’s really unique here,” he said. “You can’t get this in Arizona.”
Others were also excited to get back to the desert.
Chelsea Sorensen, who turns 20 on Tuesday, was happy the off-roading season was starting up again.
“I’m excited because I love it,” she said. “As much as we can come, we will.”
This year she headed down from Corona with her boyfriend and friends, but has been riding since she was little, she said. She got to do some good riding on Saturday and Sunday.
Halloween weekend is a pretty fast weekend, said Nate Reeder, 28, of Phoenix. It’s kind of a dry run for the longer Thanksgiving weekend.
His said his group plans to head back to the area later this year for more riding and more fun.
Staff Writer Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
Thousands of people were expected to visit local desert areas like Glamis, Buttercup and Superstition Mountain through Halloween weekend.
There were plenty of people out for the first weekend, said Bessie LeBlanc with Glamis Beach Store. She manned the counter on Sunday as people came in to buy essentials for their visit.
“It’s been fair, but it was a heck of a lot better years before,” she said.
There used to be more people that headed out to Glamis before the economic downturn, she said. However, there are still people coming out to have fun.
She said she is excited for the season to start.
“I’m anxious for it. I love it,” she said, adding that the people are great. “They come out to have fun.”
People were having a good time throughout the weekend, including 10-year-old Brianna Harden of San Diego.
She’s been going to the dunes her whole life, she said. It’s a lot of fun “because you get to ride your quad and everything.”
“It’s fun to ride,” she added.
She didn’t get to ride on her quad too much, but she got to ride in her family’s truck, which was good, she said.
Many of the groups that come to the area have been riding locally for years.
Jordan Lewis, 28, of Tucson remembers how his family was first invited out to Glamis as part of the University of Arizona Wildcat Off-Road Club about 10 years ago. Now his group is the one inviting others to head out for big holiday weekends.
“The adrenaline, the parties, it’s really unique here,” he said. “You can’t get this in Arizona.”
Others were also excited to get back to the desert.
Chelsea Sorensen, who turns 20 on Tuesday, was happy the off-roading season was starting up again.
“I’m excited because I love it,” she said. “As much as we can come, we will.”
This year she headed down from Corona with her boyfriend and friends, but has been riding since she was little, she said. She got to do some good riding on Saturday and Sunday.
Halloween weekend is a pretty fast weekend, said Nate Reeder, 28, of Phoenix. It’s kind of a dry run for the longer Thanksgiving weekend.
His said his group plans to head back to the area later this year for more riding and more fun.
Staff Writer Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
