For thousands of people, Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the desert dunes of Glamis.
The windblown sands in the southeast corner of California are not a destination most families would think of traveling to during the holiday weekend. But these families, who come from all over, are different - and proud of it.
"Fast cars, sunshine, great weather. What more could you ask for?" said Jim Hickey.
The Curiel family has enjoyed their Thanksgiving meal in the desert for the past 20 years.
"I was a little boy when we started coming out here and riding," said Robert Curiel of Yuma, Arizona.
Most groups are in the desert to ride offroad cars and motorcycles, and many meet up with family and friends from other parts of the southwest.
"Just getting away from the cellphones and the computers," said Tracis Hickey of Redlands.
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And they have all the fixings to make their traditional dinner, including a turkey cooked in a crockpot, plus some extra food to last the entire week.
The desert destination, formally known as the Imperial Sand Dunes, occupies roughly 40 miles in Imperial County, about 150 miles east of San Diego.
For these desert thrill-seekers, Thanksgiving just isn't the same without sand - even if a little ends up in their turkey.
"Fast cars, sunshine, great weather - what more could you ask for?" said Jim Hickey.
