Standing in a Virtual Sahara!

Last year, on the way, while going to San Diego, I passed through a most extraordinary place. As if I were transported to the Sahara itself, bare rock formations much removed from the verdant upland Sonoran landscape which I am much used to, flanked the roadside. Dry soils sporting almost nothing but very sparse tiny covering shrubs surrounded mountains naked 1960 Fleer baseball cards any trees, even the Saguaro!

This was in the desert located just north of Yuma. I , Archie Comics wife, and kids, decided to cut through this area after staying in Blythe, California for a night. Short story is, the weather at our original destination was too cold and snowy, so we headed south toward southern California beach country..

I got out a couple of times to stretch my legs, while my wife opened the door to take a few snap shots. The terrain here was truly splendid! The geology displayed vibrant tones of red, blue, orange, and even yellow among others. After a lengthy viewing period, the some five minutes that I'd allow myself to stay on schedule, again I jumped back into the drivers seat, and we were off.

More panoramic vistas presented themselves as we moved into a more hilly dusty landscape. The rocky surfaces were no more. The mounds of dirt became smaller and more sandy as we proceeded. Eventually the hills gave way to some flat terrain then a few more hills, but this time once again, of the multicolored rock variation.

A gently sloped, yet deep appearing valley was suddenly visible when passing through the middle of the last two vividly hued little mountains. Flat desert almost devoid of any trees or brush, then farther to the west, a vast chain of not dirt, but sand, could be glimpsed. Upon approach this impression of a field became clearer, until individual dunes could be made out.

Some were as high as skyscrapers. They were miles wide. It was if some gigantic sea of sand had washed once over this desert floor, leaving a reminder of some untold cataclysm on a fantastic scale! Evidence of this imaginary scenario lingered all around as we neared the threshold of the actual field.

The highway which crosses over it does not allow one to pull off the road, as the area is open to various environmental disrespecters, oops I meant "sand enthusiasts"! Before anyone asks, or stops reading this is anger, I will state that I love the outdoors, and using a motorcycle, quad, ATV, sand rail, or 4x4 is a great experience, I've used many of them myself, but to ruthlessly pound an area and overcrowd it, especially when the habitat is very limited in it's encompassing scale like this one, is to me, insanely preposterous and utterly ridiculous!

Although closed to general access, there is one rest stop on the crest of one of the largest dunes in the vicinity. The view from here is breathtaking, excluding the ant-sized people writing their vehicular signatures in the sand's surface. The beauty here is truly intoxicating. Upon spinning half a circle, I could see a region not used as heavily, or at all, for off road activities.This restricted zone was not as hilly, and a little more covered with vegetation, but the lack of tracks and buzzing "flies", (noisy recreationalists), made it feel ever the more appealing, more so than the larger monsters of sand which were now located behind me.

My wife and two children enjoyed the views as well, so this shall be a regular place to have a break and take a gander at this small piece of the American Southwest, a corner which may as well be the Sahara, for all of it's exotic stunning beauty is like few others on the North American continent, save for that located in the northern mexican state of Sonora. Southeast of these California sands, often referred to as the "Imperial Dunes" lies a realm of even greater dunes. This vast region which is part of the same desert, is commonly known as the Altar Desert, or Desert De Altar, a sea of sand!

Hello, I am both native to and am a current resident of the great state of Arizona. I would like the world to know just how amazing this "kingdom of differing biomes" really is! I grew up going outdoors as much as my family desired to, which was quite often. There are literally many differing worlds here. I encourage all to read my pages and ponder the significance of the outdoors and the impact it has on our lives. Perhaps one day humankind will understand why we should not abandon hope of preserving it's pristine nature!

Come see what makes Arizona so beautiful, as well as the rest of our planet which, I believe, should be cherished and adored passionately!!

-please visit http://www.arizonabackpack.com

*(You don't know what in the WORLD you're missing!!!)