I wanted to take my children to River Raisin National Battlefield over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend. We're Jr. Ranger badge-o-holics, and it was a part of the state we'd never explored. And if we camp, we can afford a quickie little adventure trip. November isn't terrible for camping, right?
Shouldn't have been. But we had a less than desirable experience with this place, and I would NOT recommend this campground to anyone. Ever.
First, we called to make reservations and the woman was distracted (having other conversation at the same time) while not hearing what I was saying to her. I told her that I wanted just a standard, electric-only campsite for two nights Thanksgiving weekend. She said she had no idea if they had any openings (?!? Isn't that her job?) and would call me back "in a little bit". Hours later, she called me back and said they 'had something for us'. Little did we know, her 'something' was a full-hook-up site - they don't tell you, they just say they'll give you what you get when you get there. I thought that meant a site within the parameters you give them for price-range. Apparently not, but I didn't know it at that time. I was trusting that with a name like "Lord Willing" they'd be upright about it.
Next problem was that I have five children. The website says two adults, four children, and extra persons are $8/night. I was *hoping* that it being Thanksgiving, they'd show kindness/charity waive my last child, but the woman on the phone didn't. Well... we needed the site, so I agreed, anyhow.
We got there at five (they close at six), and the couple there wanted OUT of that office early, and were rushing us through the check-in like it was a marathon. She noticed the extra child on my paperwork, and said, "They didn't waive that for you?" (No.) She considered it for a split second, but then said, 'Well, it's already in the system.' :/ Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.
Our total seemed high, but she was shoving the paperwork at us, and pushing us out the door, and we were already across the state, so we took it and went... to a full hook-up site. NOT what we asked for - no wonder it was so much more expensive! We have no need for septic, water, or propane...! I was angry, but the office was now closed.
It gets worse. On the campground information sheets? Extra children are $3 (not $8, like the website says, and like they charged me). Isn't that nice, what they did, there? My husband talked me down from going postal and said, "It's still better than a night in a hotel."
Ha. Hahaha. No, it wasn't. They don't tell you that it's along a train track, and that there are trains running all night long. The horns are nearly constant - there were 23 blasts, the one time I bothered to count. We got NO sleep the first night, slept thru half of it the second night out of sheer exhaustion. And where the trains leave off? The ducks take up. Did I mention they have man-dug 'rivers' along the campsites, filled with ducks that apparently serenade with incessant honking?
Half of the people who camp here *LIVE* here, from what I can tell. Gives new meaning to "trailer park". The other half are seasonals that store their trailers all winter and camp all summer. In case anyone wondered about the four/five-star reviews.
If it's winter, go to a hotel. If it's spring/summer, go to Sterling State Park. Just don't go here. Because "Lord Willing" is apparently
short for "Lord Willing, we can pull a few over and make a few extra." It wasn't a good experience for us. read more
