Thursday was a wonderful day. Sunshine, beautiful green foliage, and Sand Dunes Trip with college friends – something I was looking forward to! I wanted Prasha to join me, but she was all day busy with her work. We reached at Saugatuck Sand Dunes State Park after forty-five minutes ride from our campus. I had heard about the Sand dunes since my arrival here in Grand Rapids in 2007, yet I had not been there once even though we lived not that far from there. According to the dictionary, Sand Dunes is a ridge of sand created by the wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans.

During the trip, we learned that Sand Dunes have four major characteristics: (a) Backdunes (b) Trough (c) Foredunes, and (d) Beach. We hiked through Backdunes to Trough and reached on the top of Sand Dune. We had the first glimpse of the Parabolic dune and were pretty dumbfounded when we saw Lake Michigan facing toward us. The Parabolic dune is formed by the wind that moves sand through an eroded corridor such as a path. The wind pushes sand many yards up the slope and creates a saddle-shaped dune. This process takes many years. My professor and friends found it befitting to sing the first verse of “How Great Thou Art” standing on top of the dune to glorify God for this breathtaking view. Singing does not come to me naturally but I enjoyed their singing. It was serene. We experienced the beauty and grandeur of God’s creation. I also had my first Dune ride in a buggy. We felt butterflies in our stomach when the buggy followed the whorl up and down passages in the dune. I would recommend my other friends who had not been here before to come to try it. It is worth the drive.