Fresh off a day-long flight and drive from Vermont, we headed for the dunes first thing the next morning. The sun was already sending a penetrating heat onto the dunes, though the sand, we discovered, was surprisingly cool if you dug down just a few inches below the surface. The view from the top was magnificent, as anyone who has ever been to this national park knows.

That first day, we simply enjoyed the strenuous hike up to the tallest dune, but on our second day, we came prepared: the boys had each rented a sand board (think bootless snowboard for the sand). A good coat of special sand wax was a must, as well as a willingness to, once again, schlepp up the imposing dunes in order to get to a peak that would give you a nice, long run. The boys went their separate ways, each choosing dunes to their liking. Their snowboarding skills definitely served them well, though the sand was definitely more of a challenge than the white stuff they were used to on Vermont mountains.