I've visited these sand dunes many times from the time I was a teenager, but I hadn't returned for about 15 years. There was a tree I sat under from time to time for about twenty years- from when I was single, through when I had babies, to when my young ones were getting a little older.
The last time I was there, so many obnoxious, loud, off-road vehicles and people made it unbearable. There was no peace. Plus, whoever was in charge of the fencing moved the wooden fence from where it had been for all those years. My favorite juniper tree was now blocked out of the safe zone of the no-vehicle area. It was scary to worry about dune buggies and motorcycles, but I climbed over the fence to visit the spot anyway. I felt like a trespasser. I was so sad about the whole experience that I didn't want to ever go back.
I changed my mind. Today is my youngest daughter's birthday. When we were trying to decide where to go to celebrate, I thought of this place. Since it had been years and years, my curiosity was up. I wondered if anything had changed. I didn't think it would be crowded in the middle of winter even on a Saturday, though I was prepared for that possibility. I wondered if the fence was still in the same place. It was worth a trip to see.
I'm glad we went. Yesterday, it was not crowded nor very noisy. The wooden fence that blocked me from my old tree area before is now missing or buried in sand. I felt like I could safely return.
Sadly, vandals have ruined most of the bathrooms at the Jericho picnic area, so they are currently closed, but thankfully, there was one small outhouse they spared or repaired in the picnic area. The campsite bathrooms look untouched. Overall, the recreation area doesn't look like it has been well maintained, but it is winter. Also, the sign said it had been 0 days since a severe accident, so maybe it wasn't a good day for the place. Maybe they've had a lot of rough days. The good news is, the dunes and juniper trees and blue sky are still there and worth experiencing.
Here are a few more pictures from our visit:
