Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) 2024 Conference

For our first dinner in the magical dunes of Samalayuca in Chihuahua, we have a few updates/reminders:
Please make sure to bring the following:

1. Passport and/or Govt issued ID
2. Close-toed shoes, if you have sandals or crocs, they will not permit you into the dunes
3. Cash - there will be vendors in and around the site, no need to convert to pesos
4. Backpack with:
5. Hat
6. Sunglasses
7. Loose clothing as it will be hot
8. A layer for the evening as the desert gets chilly at night
9. Water bottle

And here's the itinerary:Schedule
ITINERARY
Notes
15:00
Depart DOUBLETREE HOTEL to international border
15:30
Cross International Bridge of the Americasmigration check inn15:35
Stop at Juarez Visitor Center45 minute travel to Samalyuca16:40
Arrive to the Dunas of Samalayuca
16:45
Entrance to the restrooms and organization of groups
17:00
1st activity Sandboarding
17:25
2nd activity Regional products17:50
3rd activity 4x418:15
4th activity Can Am
18:40
5th actvity Fodarch Arts and Crafts Vendors
19:00
Meditation experience
19:40
Transfer to the Sotolera
20:00
Dinner time at the Sotolera restaurant
23:00
Transfer to El Paso Tx



NOTE





Recommendations

Carry a sun umbrella

Stay hydrated

Carry plenty of water

Dress appropriately: Because of extreme temperatures – high heat during the day and cold at night

No Sandals or Crocs

Bring Cash- Dollars is fine


Samalayuca Dunes
A magical landscape that changes with the wind and offers astonishing views. That's what the Samalayuca Dunes are like.
Located 50 kilometers from Ciudad Juárez, this magical natural landscape is full of nature and mysteries. The Samalayuca Dunes belong to the Chihuahuan Desert, which is the largest in North America, occupying territories in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Sonora, and Coahuila. Moreover, it is one of the most biodiverse in the world.
On your visit to the Samalayuca Dunes, we will have some activities that are part of the tours offered here, and these are the following:

• Sandboarding
• Meditation
• 4x4 ride
• Guided tour
• Additionally, we will have the sale and exhibition of regional products from the state of Chihuahua such as:
  • Handicrafts
  • Sotol, an alcoholic beverage from our desert region
  • Chihuahua wines
  • Regional products such as jerky, mesquite honey, etc.

We will have a delicious dinner at La Sotolera, a place where sotol is made and is a restaurant with regional food.
Recommendations: comfortable clothing, sunscreen. Temperatures will be a maximum of 95°F and a minimum of 20°F at night. Bring comfortable closed-toe shoes or boots, white or beige clothing, light jacket or sweater, a hat, passport, global entry card if you have one, cash to purchase items from local artisans and a charged battery in phone or camera so you can capture it all.

(Tour subject to change at the discretion of the host)

Be sure to be in El Paso by 2:00pm. Buses will depart from the Doubletree Hotel at 3:00pm.