Friday, March 18, 2011

Bruneau Sand Dunes






Meg and I recently returned from an overnight trip to the Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park, located about an hour and half south east of Boise, ID. We took our Chinese students, Jasmine and Marshal with us. They enjoyed the variations of patterns, colors, vegetation of the dunes, and hiking in the area. Here is how Wikipedia describes this area:

"Reportedly the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America rises to 470 feet (140 m) high above small lakes. The dunes at Bruneau Dunes State Park are unique in the Western Hemisphere. Other dunes in the Americas form at the edge of a natural basin. The Bruneau dunes form near the center. The basin has acted as a natural trap for over 12,000 years. The dunes may have started with sands from the Bonneville Flood about 15,000 years ago. The prevailing winds blow from the southeast 28 percent of the time and from the northwest 32 percent of the time, keeping the dunes fairly stable. Unlike most dunes, these do not drift far."

2 comments:

  1. Another thing we have in common is hosting Chinese students!
    Isn't it wonderful showing them around our country- be in USA or NZ. These dunes are simply amazing- I so appreciate being able to see another part of the world.Beautiful pics and words. Blessings!

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  2. Yes, Mary, we have enjoyed these students immensely. We are back in Oregon now. If you want to email me, you can reach me at
    evalenti@eoni.com

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