We've been enjoyed and spent almost every vacation weekend that we have tanken since 1988 on the Oregon Coast in dunes at Winchester Bay, Florence, or Sand Lake. Winchester Bay had finally agreed and brought back the traditional SandFest Celebrations with A.S.D.A. races and activities and just a few short years later...has jepordized the entire affair.
Though we have had to endure increased fees, a vendor's row that has decreased, unorganized races, city services that are less than adequate(sewer dump hasn't been functional, # of dumpsters, and blue rooms for tenters). We love camping in the dunes because we are self-contained and have no problem with the on-going day-in day-out racing, riding, and partying and every one having a great time. When the City and those who wish to "regulate" what is happening impose poposutrous fees we cannot help but ask for WHY and WHAT? What could the $60.00 they want to charge 300+ people bring in? On the other hand...Where are the other 20,000 people that were at DuneFest last year going to go? There are not enough camp grounds or hotels to handle them. 300+ permits, is what the officials have decided to issue. I've bought one and everyone in our group has bought one. We're hoping to enjoy our last year. Many of the folks are driving semi's or trucks and toy boxes in the equivalancy, that's alot of trucks to be turning around at Discovery Point. Have the regulators even fathomed the economic effect of only allowing 300+ people in the dunes for this event, to turn away THOUSANDS OF $$$. How are they going to be able to turn back these folks, or are they going to give up & let them in..will I get my $60.00 back...bear in mind that I've already purchased my Oregon State seasons pass for camping in the dunes. I realize the Forest Service has "bought" the dunes for these three days, but what are we getting for our money??? Past and previous events have not left us with any memories of tangible reasons for such a fee. Is this perhaps a precursor of future fees for other holiday type events such as...Memorial Day, 4th of July (the dump station was also closed this year), Labor Day?

 

We also recieved our permit for sand camping and a friend of ours is coming all the way from Arizona to come with us. We had told him how much fun it was last year, but now I'm worried with only 300 permits being issued it won't be anything like last year. We enjoyed the drags, but really had a great time in the evenings. My husband and I aren't big into the party scene, but the nightlife is something like we've never seen before and made the whole experience so much fun. It's what we envisioned Glamis being over Thanksgiving just on a smaller scale. It will be a big disappointment if it's completely different. I have an idea that our 60 bucks is going to "organize" the event, with camphosts in every area being roped off for camping and for the people roping all the areas off. I didn't see any problems with the sand camping last year. I wish they would spend more time getting the racing together and leave us sand campers alone! They could add so much more to make the racing more exciting. A street legal truck event would be cool, an actual track for quad and moto racing. A jump contest with classes for quads and moto's, with a jump thats worth while, not like the craping thing they had last year. It just seems senseless to put so much effort into the camping aspect when the majoritiy are coming to see the racing and theres lots of areas to be improved there!