A Glamis Thanksgiving
Glamisis known as the Sand Toy Capital of the World and a few times a year this sand recreation area in Southern California becomes a city within itself. The place has become one of the most popular winter destinations for those who love a sandy vacation, with Thanksgiving and New Years being the biggest holidays to ride and recreate there.
With the popularity of people taking off most of Thanksgiving week, the camping areas fill up fast. Most people typically arrive on Wednesday through Friday to get a place to camp. By late Friday on a holiday weekend the place is packed. Gecko Road is wall-to-wall trailers, about two or three deep for five miles. The area near Vender Flats is also super crowded. Camp in these areas if you want a party weekend. If you want a weekend with less people, take the long drive along the railroad tracks near Boardmansville to find quieter camping spots.
For many people, going to Glamis for Thanksgiving is a tradition. Drive near a few large camps and you’ll see full course Thanksgiving meals being served including the turkey and all of the extras, laid out on a table for all to enjoy. It’s the gathering of friends and family, the riding, the weather, the crowds, getting stuck and unstuck and seeing everyone else’s toys that makes a holiday weekend at Glamis so special.
OUT TO RIDE
On the Thanksgiving weekend we visited Glamis, a few hundred thousand people had showed up to ride and take advantage of the great weather. Warm temperatures and very little wind made this particular long weekend great for riding and spending time with family and friends. While most of the country at this time of year are wearing long johns and big winter jackets, So Cal desert enthusiasts are in their trucks and buggies sporting shorts, tees and flip flops and the guys and gals on bikes and quads are riding in warm weather gear.
Trying to get to Oldsmobile Hill via the Sand Highway was sometimes a bit of a challenge as there were motorcycles, quads, buggies and trucks heading in each direction. During the day there were vehicles and people about six to eight rows deep watching the action on Oldsmobile Hill. The racing was non stop during the day with some of the high powered buggies doing mid-hill starts with turbos screaming by the time they reached the top.
This was the place to see if all the massive trucks running around really had the power or if they were just show trucks. Some of these tricked out trucks were attempting to make it to the top of the hill. A few with massive lifts and huge tires made it to the very top and then watched as the rest couldn’t. The biggest challenge they had were the whoops at the bottom of the hill which were big and deep by the end of the weekend and made for a rough ride to the top.
Even after the sun went down people continued to come and go. Campfires were lit and music played. It was one big gathering of people who were having a great time for the most part, until they got stuck. Some people go to Olds just to watch all of the rigs get stuck. Friday and Saturday night the BLM did the dreaded “push” later in the evening. It’s then that the Sand Highway becomes a real challenge to get through. Trucks were getting stuck everywhere and the back up was ridiculous. Just as one truck got out of the way another would get stuck. Luckily there were lots of people with more capable rigs to pull them out of the way.
Another great sight to see is the drags at the Turkey Shoot. Thousands lineup along a long straight section to watch as the fastest and craziest trucks, bikes, buggies and quads race along to show off what they got. If a vehicle is crazy, unusual, tricked out or all of the above, more than likely it will be seen at the Turkey Shoot races. Some of the most memorable toys we saw at the drags included the Dune-a-boat, the ’60s Cadillac on a truck frame and the Unimogs, since they are so unusual to see.
After a long day at O-Hill and at the Turkey Shoot one might need to shop or eat. Most people stop at Vender Flats for these reasons. If a part for your rig is needed, it just might be found here, saving you the long drive to Brawley or Yuma. There are also lots of places to grab a burger, taco and a drink. There was even a Rally’s out there serving burgers. This is also the place to pick up the Glamis Tees and merchandise from major brand retailers such as Got Sand, Big Belly Crew, Human Tribe and others.
It is not all sand in Glamis. Get on the hard packed road found a few miles north of the railroad tracks and head out to Boardmanville Trading Post. The outside, and most of the inside of this bar and general store is plastered with one dollar bills. It’s a great place to grab a bite and get a little change of scenery. It’s just one more experience that the area of Glamis has to offer.
LOCATION
The Imperial Sand Dunes, (AKA Glamis) is located just east of Brawley, CA and west of Yuma, AZ. Its southern boundaries border Mexico. The area is the largest open dune system for off-road use in the United States. The area on the North side of Highway 86 is closed and most of the area on the South side of 86 is open. Although there are a few areas inside the riding area that are closed, the Glamis dunes are still the largest accessible to the public.
Every year this tradition of a desert Thanksgiving becomes more popular and will continue to grow. The dirt nation has become larger and the passion to ride is not going away. To keep this tradition alive we all have to work together to keep our riding areas open by following the rules and regulations.