It’s no secret you can quickly be transported to any number of stunning global destinations by simply driving around San Luis Obispo County,

and today we’re featuring our favorite nearby dupe for the rolling sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. Located near the ever popular Pismo Beach on California’s Central Coast, the Oceano Dunes SVRA features a drive-on beach, off roading areas, and, our favorite, a protected area for people just like us to roam the miles of natural sand dunes as far as the eye can see. Though we hope to one day visit the Sahara itself, we’ll settle for the half-hour drive down to Pismo to get the same effect here.

Loren and Jason got engaged around Christmas time, and new they wanted to make a trip out to San Luis Obispo for their engagement photos. The whole time we planned with them, they were interested in another of our favorite spots, Montana de Oro, for the coastal vibes their home doesn’t quite offer them. However, things changed when Loren explored our Location Guide (an exclusive gift all our couples receive as part of their experience!) and Pinterest a little more deeply.

She fell in love with the different, almost exotic look the dunes offered, and couldn’t believe these towering piles of sand were in San Luis Obispo county! So we changed our plans and met them on the most picturesque Friday evening we could imagine at the dunes. The area, usually full of college students, especially on a warm night like this one, was almost empty and untouched. There was no wind blowing and the heat wave from the week was wearing off too.

We wandered deep into the dunes to really give Loren & Jason’s engagement photos those Sahara vibes, and rounded out the night with a champagne pop to celebrate the fact that their Nevada wedding was only 365 days away!