Our family has camped at Olgulby, Buttercup and Dune Buggy Flats and we really have had some great times. However, this year is a little different with the economy issues.

I was really trying to put together a short trip to start off the season with. Unfortunately, stocking up the camp trailer, the gas it requires, firewood and all of the camp food not to mention the hassle for just a short two day trip, seems to be a waist of effort/money.

The local area (Brawley or El Centro) looks to have several low cost motels (with beds, AC, Showers and pools!). About a $100 a night.

It seems to make sense at least for this quick trip to only pull my small flatbed trailer and give it a try.

Penny for your thoughts

I recently stayed at the Brawley Inn, and they have a glamis rate, but wouldn't it be closer to go to Yuma or even El Centro. There is a motel right off a fourth close to Millies in El Centro, I think its a best western.

The Brawley Inn was nice the last time I stayed there 2 years ago.

Caution to staying anywhere over night with an open trailer with all the goods, wheter it be Brawley,or El Centro.. No shortage of those who wouldn't think twice on lightening your load. Just my opinion, I would not be able to sleep because of it. Just start packing a little sooner, and join all of us at the dunes. Nothing better than waking up to A Glamis sunrise.

^^^Yup, I stayed at the Brawley Inn for the cleanup in March '07, I got back to the hotel around midnight Sat night, had a 6X10 open trailer with my Polaris ranger, coolers and 2 full 5 gallon gas cans, everything was locked up with a cable except for the cans (put them on last minute after I already packed everything up), they were gone the next morning, I talked to the hotel about it and they looked through the survalence tapes, my truck was in the picture but the trailer wasnt. They were pretty cool about it, offered a huge discount the next time I stayed there, never needed to go back so never took them up on their offer.

Rooms were decent, staff was friendly, just lock your stuff up

If you plan on going to Gordon's, I recommend staying at Quichan Resort and Casino. It's a newer place (about 2 years old) and is about 15 minutes east of Gordon's. We stayed there twice last year. Was nice to hit the jacuzzi after riding all day. We got a government rate of $74 dollars a night for Fri./Sat nights. We just locked everything down with a big chain and lock. No problems!

I stayed at the motel 6 on 4th street and the I-8 in el centro. was pretty decent, was very cheap, and the room i was in had ICE COLD A/C.

I've stayed at the rodeway inn on imperial avenue as well....pretty low budget place, but prices are cheap as well. lock your chit up! stayed at my buddy's place in brawley on the way to lake powell one night. loaded the truck at 2 am got up at 6am and a bunch of our chit was stolen out of the bed of my truck in that 4 hour period, right in his driveway. was a pretty good neighborhood too.

I would highly suggest AGAINST any duners staying at the new Paradise casino (owned by the Quechan tribe.)

They sided squarely with the CBD pushing for full closure of the dunes when the lawsuit was filed. Every time the BLM does planning they again push for more closures and less riding. They regularly campaign for more and more limits on desert access.

Yet they built their new casino on an area their own elders say was an old ceremony site, and they run it entirely off of diesel generators because they couldn't get an agreement with the local power company. (Most likely because of a history of unpaid utility bills, the local governments have been on the hook for thousands in back sewer fees from their old casino for years.) Wonder if they still would have fought to hard to stop a refinery in eastern yuma county if they knew they'd end up running an entire resort on diesel.

Every dollar spent with the Quechan tribe is a dollar spent towards shutting down the dunes. Please keep that in mind.

Two nights in a tent , Whats the problem.

no doubt ^^^^^^^^weather is great right now. Paying for the hotel is same as added gas in your rv/towing. Just tent it for the weekend and have a campfire with your family, they'll love it.

We've had people come out and park with us for the day, or leave their trailer with us at camp for the night. We don't care if they hang with us or do their own thing, it's safer in numbers. Maybe you could hook up with someone that would let you park at their camp. Our first trip isn't til Nov 6th and then Thanksgiving, if your going either weekend and want a trailer sitter let me know.

That sucks! You mentioned the new Paradise Casino, but I was referring to the Q. I guess it doesn't matter, if they are both owned by the same tribe. Seemmed like most of the peeps staying at the Q ,when we were there, were off-roaders. Most of the vehicles in the parking lot were trucks with bikes/quads in the bed. If what you say is true, it definately needs to be broadcasted to the off-road community.

cheaper to stay in a tent then pay for gas to drive back and forth and a hotel.

Just do cheap sandwhiches and water for food! Better to be hanging in camp with friends and family eating pork and beans than staying in a hotel eating pork and beans

brawely inn was nice. left the toys out in G with the rest of the group.

Marriot suites IV mall, you need a safe place to leave your toys let me know.

Wow!,

What a great response fellow duners.

I really appreciate the information and I will consider the advise, especially the threat of thieves snaking our stuff. That by itself is a deterrent.

It would be great to hook up with trustworthy campers that could watch our stuff. I was not looking forward to loading back up at night anyway.

Anyone going the Dune Buggy Flats October 30-31?

The "new paradise" is now a convention center since they are only allowed one casino in CA. The "Old paradise" is still open since it's in AZ. The Q replaced the new casino they opened a few years ago.

Do some searches on here and the ASA site if you want all the details. I've posted their testimony to the BLM several times along with news articles about the hypocrisy of this tribe.

I've tried to spread the word as best as I can to off-roaders but can only do so much. This tribe is 100% anti-off roader and should not be supported by anyone who values access to our land. It really pissed me off when the UDG suggested people give them business at a cleanup a few years ago. They may be a local "business" but they're very anti-OHV.

Heck they're anti anything that doesn't put people in their casinos. Last year they even fought (and won) to stop a childrens fundraiser the Rotary puts on every year because they didn't want to risk loosing any visitors to their old casino:

http://www.yumasun.com/news/traffic-49555-...t-canceled.html

Never mind that the bridge in question wasn't even open to traffic until just a few years ago (and is only one way at a time) and their casino did just fine without the bridge for a longer period of time than the bridge has been open.

Any of these places have survaillance cameras or security in the parking lots?