Hi Everyone! Just returned from a 9 day trip to St. Anthony's Dunes near Rexburg, Idaho. Awesome great dunes! Larger than Glamis (height) and hardly ever saw other riders. The biggest downfall was at the bottom of a lot of the bowls were vegatation and/or lava rocks. But after the first day, you recognized where that was and stayed away. Definately a place to go to at least once or twice or hundred times . . .

Now the biggie . . .

What everyone says about Sandhills Resort is TRUE! Gene is a total meanie and FUNSUCKER! Hates kids (or at least acts like he does) and if it wasn't for the $25 a night UPFRONT he is collecting, he just as soon all duners went to HELL -- and he'll tell you so! He likes to pick his fights and typically does it with women and children when the men are out riding. He also seems to have a real racket going now where he collects your fee upfront and then kicks you out because its his property and he can do whatever he wants -- of course, you get no money back. He ejected at least (5) families we know of for riding the quads on the dirt from the campsite to the dune. Yes on the dirt, less than 5 mph, about 100 ft. His rationale: Your paddles rut the dirt. So how do we travel the 100 ft. from our site to the dune without our paddles rutting the dirt? "THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM YOU SOB'S" He also took his blade and proceeded to put up a 5' berm blocking the entrance to the dune. Now, keep in mind, we aren't radical duners, partier people -- just a few families with kids ranging in age from 5 - 15. We like to ride all day, eat dinner, maybe stay up a little bit and have a beer, but mostly in bed by 9:30 p.m. ready to do it again the next day. So, we packed up and left after watching the place dwindle down from FULL to about 5 sites in 2 days flat and getting called an SOB for pointing out the fact he bladed on BLM land -- BIG NO-NO. We didn't know how stressed you could be on vacation trying to make sure you didn't touch a blade of grass either.

The good news, we went to DESERT OASIS -- Which was AWESOME! Friendlier owners, closer to the good dunes, and way nicer bathrooms! (The only down fall was no trees yet, but they got them planted and they're on their way!) Now this is what we are talking about! Friendly duners who respect each other and are here for good duning. Common courtesy in place and in check! WE LOVED DESERT OASIS AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE.

BLM camground is coming along nicely too, but there is no water, no electricity, and no facilities yet. But, the place is clean and well laid out and closest to Thunder Mountain.

So, just wanted to let everyone know, what the forums say about mean Gene is TRUE!

GOOD RIDING and thank GOD Glamis season will be here again before you know it!

 

Well Suzy have I got a story for you about Sandhills Resort at St. Anthony's.

Back in January of this year I along with 20+ other friends (most with families) called Sandhills Resort to reserve some slots for our RVs for a trip druing June. I talked to Gene's wife, Shirly (sp) and told her that I'm with the so-and-so party and would like a spot right next to them. She said we have plenty during that time and she took my $25 deposit over the phone along with my debit card number. So the plan was to pay $25 dollars now and the $100 when we arrive in June.

Now fast forward to June. The wife and I were unable to make the trip because our trailer arrived way lated in June.

I wake up on Friday morning at home (which would have been the last day of the trip) and notice that there had been an unauthorized withdrawl from my checking account for a total of $100 dollars. My wife calls Sandhills Resort and talks to an "assistant" because Shirly is unable to come to the phone. The assistant says that since we "no showed" and per company policy they deduct the money anyway. Well the wife got into some words with the assistant and hung up the phone. We called our bank and told them the story to which they said that truely was an unauthorized withdrawl and will refund our money back on Monday. The bank also said if a company gets too many unauthorized withdrawl disputes they, the company, could loose thier ability to use debit/credit cards.

So now our friends arrive back into town from the trip to St. Anthony's and tell us all about it. When they arrived a day early Gene was hot. He said "You're not supose to be here till tomorow!" Now my friends have to camp down on the gravel? I've never been there. They didn't get their spots till 2 o'clock the next day. 2 o'clock!! Not because they had to wait for the other RV to move but because Gene had to mow the grass and water it.

Oh ya from what my friend tells me you can park a 20,000 lbs RV on the grass but if you even push a 350 lbs quad you'll be kicked out. The owners of Sandhills Resort state that "People come from all over the US to camp at our resort because of our fine grass." You mean there are people who are not into the ATV hobbie and travel 1500 miles so they can camp in the middle of some large dunes on top of grass? Sounds like these owners have been out in the sun too long watering thier grass and need thier head gear flushed out.

Vernman