On the weekend before 2006 Labor Day weekend, we made an exciting trip southwards to Crater Lake in Oregon via the Sand Dunes where we stopped over in the afternoon. The Oregon Dunes extend for 40 miles along the Oregon Coast. Formed by the ancient forces of wind, water and time, these dunes are incomparable to any other in the world.
After several hours of driving the rented Subaru Outback on I5 south, we found many establishments that were renting out mud bikes or running scenic or adventure tours on buggies. Fortunately, we made the right decision of taking an advenure tour instead of a scenic one. The wait for our turn was long and we utilized the time to gulp down some food. It was a sunny day but it was windy too with cold winds making us feel, well, cold.
Once our yellow buggy arrived, we had no idea what was in store for us. All 4 of us (me, Rikti, Ashish and Sonia) belted ourselves tightly into the buggy seats and wore gigantic red glasses meant to prevent our eyes from the dust. This buggy could have easily passed for a lunar vehicle based on its look and feel. The buggy driver started off towards the dunes via a narrow pathway.
The first sight of the dunes was a sight to see with vast expanses of steep sandy slopes in all directions. Until then, we did not know what we had signed up for by paying the ~30 dollars per person for the ride. The vehicle suddenly sped up and raced towards a steep mountain of dust which I never thought a vehicle could climb. Ah, and as soon as we got to the top safely, waiting for us was a steep drop to the other side again at real great speeds. The great maneuvering skills of the driver coupled with the knowledge of low center of gravity that the vehicle was designed to have, we soon started to feel comfortable. Another factor for the comfort was that we had been subjected to the most cruel stunts at the very beginning itself. It was the most exhilerating and thrilling 5 minutes of my life in so many years.
The ride went on for 30 minutes, we stopped a few times to take some pictures. Some parts of the dunes had very clear blue water oasis. There were many other bikers enjoying the sporting adventure with high flags on everyone’s bikes. For a moment, I felt I was inside a video game. As a kiddo I used to have some games on Samurai or Media which were sand dunes simulations and for the first time I experienced what a sand dune adventure is really like.
Though the main destination of our weekend trip was Crater Lake, the 30 minutes adventure ride at the Oregon Dunes was worth 5 hours of drive and every galon of gas and penny spent. Rating: * * * * *