Maryhill State Park in Washington

I prefer Oregon State parks but Oregon does not honor our disabled pass so we sometimes subject ourselves to Washington State parks.  I much prefer Forest Service campgrounds but we need electricity to camp with an oxygen condenser so we are car camping this summer.



<><> <><> <><>

Sunset behind Mount Hood from Maryhill State Park Beach on the Columbia River

Maryhill State park is pretty and the rangers are very nice.  The one ranger bent over backwards to get us a good camp spot when I told him that my husband was ill.  I don't think I've seen such kind rangers before.
Like many people, we will go back to Maryhill state park, but we hope that the camp host retires before we go back.  We met a lot of folks who camp there every year and each of them had problems with the host.



The camp host was Ray Lenzen and his wife Judy.  We never met Judy, she might be  a really nice person, but her husband  Ray Lenzen is the campground host from hell.   Constantly circling the campground shining his flash light, waking up all the the dogs and campers, watering the tents and enforcing the rules.  Ray made it clear that dogs are not allowed to bark, sleepers are not allowed to sleep and campers are not allowed to camp.  Give it a rest Ray, people go to Maryhill to relax, not to be chastised by  you.   Hosts like Ray are the reason that when given a choice, we always pick the campsites furthest away from the host.



He only tried it on with us one time and he never came back, so it's not like we had a huge problem with him, we just got sick to death of looking at him.  We spent 5 nights there and his dour face was the first thing we saw when we woke up each morning.   He picked a bad time to try it on with us, we were sleep deprived from the damn sprinklers turning on a 2am to water our tents, I was suffering from rather severe PMS and my family had been arguing, then along came Ray to complain about my dog.  I had dropped my guard and allowed my dog to do a little barking because the grounds keepers were mowing the lawn with a huge loud riding lawn mower.  I figured no one would mind a barking dog with all the lawn mower noise.  But Ray came around to complain.  Poor Ray  I gave him to him with both barrels.. He never saw it coming..  But I'm glad that I said a few things that in my husband's words "needed to be said" because it kept Ray from bothering us any more.






But  we were still constantly subjected to Ray creeping around the campground  at all hours while satisfying his OCD like fascination with keeping the grass wet.



<><> <><> <><>

Here Ray and Judy at least provided an interesting view while blocking the view.

<><> <><> <><>

Sunset behind Mount Hood from Maryhill State Park Beach on the Columbia River

<><> <><> <><>

Ray Lenzen Blocking the View

<><> <><> <><>

Mantis make a nice shadow on our tent

<><> <><> <><>

Ray Lenzen Fouling the View while watering a pic nic table

<><> <><> <><>

Naughty Squirrel invades a neighbors camp

<><> <><> <><>

Ray Lenzen messing with our faucet yet again

<><> <><> <><>

Nearby Peach Orchard

<><> <><> <><>

Ray Lenzen annoying the neighbors

<><> <><> <><>

Nearby Sam Hill's life sized Stonehenge at Maryhill

<><> <><> <><>

Ray Lenzen makes another circle

<><> <><> <><>

Looking at Ray Lenzen is a bit like chewing on a Walnut Husk

<><> <><> <><>

Ray Lenzen accidentally makes a rainbow while watering the sign post

<><> <><> <><>

Nearby art museum is loaded with all kinds of stuff
including original works by Auguest Rodin!!

 

<><> <><> <><>

It says nothing on here about a 2AM watering but Ray Lenzen
 defended watering our tent and soaking  our dog at 2AM, by
claiming that it was on the schedule.

<><> <><> <><>

Basketful of Wiener dogs at Maryhill State Park

<><> <><> <><>

This camphost at a different campground was a bit more
friendly and much more interesting than Ray Lenzen.
Poor old Ray, he is probably watering the lawn right now..