Ross and Griff were working while the rest of us feasted on Thanksgiving, however, they were able to have a change of pace once the weekend rolled around. Read on to hear about their unique desert experience:

Friday and Saturday are the weekend days here in the UAE. We signed up for a desert safari program for Friday afternoon and evening. The company uses SUVs which can transport 6 tourists and the driver and there were 10 vehicles out this day. Our first desert stop was to watch a falconry demonstration and then four-wheeling in the sand dunes. Walking in the fine sand took some effort and used leg muscles not normally called into action. For those wanting technical data, the tire pressures are reduced from 35 psi to 20 psi to move in the extremely fine sand. Some parts were reminiscent of turbulent air travel. We were in the far back seat for this part of the adventure and had to slouch to keep the tops of our heads from hitting the headliner. The presence of padded roll bars was in interesting touch! We saw a few gazelles and a herd of over two dozen oryx. From the dunes our caravan went to a campsite at which a traditional dinner was served, camel rides were available, and belly dancing closed out the evening.