1/26/13 Waco, Tx

Since returning from Alaska we’ve been staying in Belton, Tx to watch our grandkids while Bonnie worked through the holidays.  She now has a job that is Monday through Friday 8-5 so she is able to pick up the kids after work.  We were in Belton approximately 3.5 months.  Then we moved up to Georgetown for 10 days and got all of our annual Dr. Appointments out of the way.  10 days was not enough time to see everyone I wanted to see but we were ready to move on.  Lake Georgetown is a nice campground but because they don’t have sewer hookup we can’t stay in one place much more than 10 days so we moved on up to Waco a few days ago.  We had bought ¾ of an acre here last year and had planned to put in the electric and a gravel driveway in order to live in our RV there.  We’re still trying to decide if we want to do the improvements now or just wait until we return in the fall.  For now we are staying at Riverside RV Park about 10 miles from our property. 

I’ve been looking for a work camping job for this summer.  Yellowstone National Park is where I REALLY wanted to work so we applied and were contacted for a phone interview.  The interview took almost an hour and we were offered a position if interested.  They only have full time work, we don’t want to work that many hours.  It’s an extremely busy park and we don’t want to work that hard.  Minimum wage pay and they charge you for your campsite.  Maybe some other time.  I’m very disappointed that’s not going to work for us.  Maybe we can find something in the area so we can enjoy Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks one summer. 

We’ve applied with several places, Rocky Mountain Recreation Area, Snow Mountain YMCA, Colorado State Parks, a dude ranch, a lodge near Bryce Canyon, Utah (LOVE Bryce Canyon) and interestingly enough we’ve been offered several positions.  However I am being very picky and have certain criteria to be met.  We don’t want to travel far this summer, elevation can’t be too high or too low, temperatures can’t get real high, there has to be plenty to see and do in the area, not too much work or hours involved and I want to work with other work campers, and getting paid would be a big plus as well as a free campsite.  We don’t want to work 40 hours, 20-30 would be good.  After all, we’re looking for a fake job, not a real one!  We accepted a job at Ridgway State park in Colorado.  After much research the area is perfect (near Ouray). Lots of hiking and historical sites.  Within driving distance to a lot of sites.  The job meets all of my criteria except pay.  We get a campsite but it does not pay.  It involves riding around in a golf cart checking campsites, preparing sites after someone departs (sweep patio, clean out fire pit, etc).  It’s a nice area, 7,000 ft. elevation.  No cleaning bathrooms.  We do have to work in the visitor center one day a week.  Oh, and we have to be nice to the campers, that could be hard.  Lol.  What I’ve found out in general is that part time jobs offer a FHU site but don’t pay.  I have seen some jobs in Oregon and Washington that have fewer hours and pay, maybe next year we’ll go there.  I subscribed to workcamper.com where there are many job listed but a lot I’ve found just surfing the internet.  There are free sites that have work camper jobs posted as well.  I’ve kept information on jobs I may want to check on next summer. 

We report to our jobs the last week of May and work through Labor Day.  The plan right now (it changes daily) is to go up to Tahlequah, OK to get Norm’s dental work done in April.  Stay in that area a couple weeks to see family and friends.  Maybe take a trip over to Arkansas (Eureka Springs?) for a week or so before heading to Colorado.  I’m ready to just do something!

Retirement pictures from recent annual staff recognition event at SU: