Following is how our first and last stay went at this run-down, poorly ran campground:…read more
This Memorial Day Weekend we had planned a little bit of a reflective, relaxing getaway for our busy family! We love camping, fishing, and Lake Erie a stay in Port Clinton near the boat was a must. Our inlaws surprised us with a pop up camper and they rented a campsite for our little family - Dirk, me, and our girls (2 and 9 months.) We were so very excited about this vacation, especially my two year old daughter who adores fishing and making smores. Somehow EVERYTHING went wrong, really FAST.
Upon arrival, though the reservation was in the name of my mother and father in law and we had not made the reservation or payment, they demanded to have our debit card on file... We explained that that our parents would be here within 5 minutes with the proper card, they were not to charge ours. We trusted them and let them keep it on file. My inlaws handled business in the office and we assumed all was fine.
Our first night there, our neighbors cursed, screamed, drank, had FOUR dogs off leashes running and barking within 10 foot of our camper. Our parents spoke with the front desk who assured them it would be handled and a curfew would be enforced. Last night, we got to sleep around 3:00 in the morning... When the loud music, barking, screaming, and cursing finally died down.
Exhausted, but excited to start our weekend on the lake, we went out with our parents all day, only returning back to the camper tonight at 9:30pm to get some sleep. We got the babies put in their PJs and all tucked in when our neighbors (10 foot away) turned on the most explicit, sexual, vulgar rap music you could imagine. The dogs were running and barking, children being screamed at and called obscenities by their parents, and lots of nasty hollering and cursing...
But the music... It was BLARING. The language was pornographic, filthy, and our babies were being forced to fall asleep with that kind of "lullaby" roaring on a boom box.
We needed to switch campsites. There were empty ones very close by, but out of earshot of the graphic music (our main concern) and everything else. Dirk went to speak with the owner, she refused to let us move and said "I am no ones babysitter. I'm not going to talk to anyone about anything."
He came back to tell me the bad news. I was shocked. Surely, this was just a mistake, a misunderstanding. There's no way she spoke to him like that, I thought.
I thought going back and speaking with her as a couple, maybe she would emphasize with a tired Mama, a sweet, softspoken, Christian mama. If they weren't able to move us, maybe they would refund us and let our baby girls catch a wink of sleep somewhere where that kind of explicit content wasn't blaring at bedtime.
Boy, was I wrong.
The first words as we walked into the office were "SIT. SIT right there." The female owner pointed to two chairs. "You aren't going to speak to me. You are going to speak to MIKE."
"Great!" We thought. "The owner will come in. He will understand!"
Mike, the owner walked in... Smelling so strongly of alcohol that my stomach turned. He was screaming and cursing upon his entrance. I cannot repeat word for word what this man said, it was incredible explicit, but I will try my best as the public needs to be aware.
1. "What the 'f' is your 'f'ing problem? You don't like it here, get the 'f' out, we keep your money anyway!!"
2. "If you don't get the 'f' out, I will 'f'ing make you get the 'f' out... You don't WANT me to have to 'f'ing make you!"
3. "Boo hoo! Cry some more little girl."
4. "Go to BIBLE CAMP if you don't 'f'ing like it here! (He also recommended a campsite down the road in a sarcastic manner and laughed in my face.) Nobody cares if you are a 'good Christian family. F you."
5. "Read that sign, it says no 'f'ing refunds. We don't care whose 'f'ing card we have on file."
Anyone who knows me, Harley, knows I was bawling my eyes out. This man absolutely petrified me. He was well over six foot, screaming and cussing in my face, threatening to get physical with my husband who retained a respectful and professional demeanor.
He forced us out the door of the office, cursing and screaming in our faces (quite literally) in front of nearly 30 individuals camping within 15 foot of the office. Although he made himself look terrible in this circumstance, it was so very scary for us. His last words to me were "If you don't get the 'f' out of here, be prepared for me to PERSONALLY remove you."
I was shaking, in tears, scared beyond clear articulation. I got back to the girls as fast as I could (my sister stayed with them for me.) We were so scared this drunk, angry, outrageous man was going to hurt our property, us, or (worst of all!) our precious baby girls.