Fall Update: The Snowbirds Return - 10/25 - 12/22

Yes, folks, it has been nearly two months since our last post. Though the intention is to provide an update more frequently that goal has been missed this time around. So, here is what has been going on with us.

We arrived at the RV resort where we spent our time in Kissimmee last year, Great Oak RV Resort and Park, on October 31. While taking our dogs for a walk we commented to each other about some changes made since leaving in April. We also commented about what hasn’t and wondered when some friends would be returning. It takes a process of about six weeks for things to return to normal for the snowbirds that return here.

We learned, through the application process and talking with other WDW employees, that no seasonal people were being added this year. In fact, some employment policies have changed and the benefits granted to “recurring” employees were being modified. As a result of the changes, Martha didn’t get a job at Disney that we had planned. So, on the search she went landing a position at the Chick-fil-A franchise in Celebration. She generally works mornings but also can be assigned afternoons.

To coordinate our schedules, Byron set his availability for work at Magic Kingdom to afternoons from 3:30 to 10:30. Since Disney uses a 24-hour format, that’s 15:30 to 22:30. During November he worked at Tomorowland Terrace when it was opened providing a full menu as well as during the evenings when Magic Kingdom was hosting Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and TLT became a complimentary refreshment station.

One of the special “treats” for the Christmas Party is the seasonal

Electric Light Parade and the lighting of the Castle, which is a

grand production unto itself. Of course, there are specially-themed

fireworks held at 9:30 pm during Christmas Party.

Ashley, Michael and family came to WDW for several days in the early days of November so we got to spend some time with them as well as a niece and her family from Vero Beach. We didn’t pay extra for the Christmas Party but did enjoy a couple of character dining experiences.

Martha and the grandkids with Donald Duck at Chef Mickey’s 

in The Contemporary during breakfast.

We both started working at our respective jobs before Thanksgiving. Martha, as a new hire in a fast food (Disney calls it quick service) environment soon found that the pay isn’t in line with the responsibility and shear physical staring it puts on the body. Byron refrained from saying “I told you so.” (We both wonder if pay in the service industry would change if those at desk jobs spent two weeks in the food service industry.) At any rate, Martha is suddenly aware that her body isn’t as young as it used to be though she has always considered herself a hard worker. Byron had that certain “baptism by fire” experience last year. For sure, it keeps us fully aware of what is required to help make people happy and fed.

Speaking of eating, Martha was able to attend the Thanksgiving meal in the RV park. Byron, who was working at Tomorrowland Terrace, got to enjoy a take-home plate when he got off work. For Thanksgiving TLT changed the menu to a traditional turkey dinner with the trimmings. Oddly, several guests were upset that Angus burgers with cheese weren’t available.

With Chick-fil-A being closed for Sundays and Byron making himself not available on that day, we are both able to go to Kissimmee First United Methodist Church each week and enjoy participation in the Hugh Embry Sunday School Class. The regular teacher of the class has asked Byron to take over for a few months giving him a bit of a sabbatical. Byron also agreed to guide some Bible studies on Wednesdays at the invitation of the church’s pastor.

The image at the top of this blog is our greeting to you. It was created by Byron so it’s coming as a personal expression to each of you. By the way, if you’d like to see his posting of the history and commentary on some hymns for the Advent/Christmas season, go to the following URL –  http:songersmusic100.blogspot.com

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Transition: Wisconsin to Florida - 9/22 to 10/24

Since leaving our summer position at Wisconsin Dells KOA, we have have traveled over 1500 miles. Having worked 40 hours per week for 5 months, we took a few days to rest and relax at the KOA in Lena, Illinois. Our route to Lena took us through a small town we visited a few years ago, New Glarus, Wisconsin, where we had lunch at the New Glarus Hotel. New Glarus is a small town with a Swiss heritage. We enjoyed some good Swiss cooking before visiting a cheese shop with some of the best local cheeses. We also took our time at a local Swiss bakery.

Outside the New Glarus Hotel ready to eat lunch at their wonderful restaurant.

We ate here with a friend two years ago and it is worthy of a second visit.

Lena, Illinois is a small town in northwestern Illinois about 30 miles east of Galena, Illinois and the Mississippi River. We had read about Galena being one of the 18 best small towns in America to visit so we spent a few days traveling around the area and taking in some of the local history, a bulk of which involves U.S. Grant or the lead mines.

There were three or four routes into Galena from the KOA in Lena. One route was an old stagecoach trail from Chicago to the Mississippi River near the Quad Cities area. We enjoyed some beautiful scenery much of which included crops of corn and soybeans almost ready for harvest. We’ve always thought of fall as being a time for beautiful leaves, but fall in the midwest took on a new beauty for us.

A photo just can’t do justice to the majesty and glory of the rolling hills

and valleys of the farmland in northwestern section of Illinois. But, it’s worth a try.

Northwestern Illinois is rather hilly but still in the heart of corn and soybean country. There were several times we would top a hill and, lying before us, come upon a view of a large valley with fields of brown corn shimmering in the sun and golden soybeans interspersed with swaths of dark green grass. Many corn fields have a swath of grass separating the different corn varieties being grown so there is no cross pollination in the test plots. Also interspersed amongst the crops were homes and grain silos/storage bins, all adding to the beauty of fall in the midwest.

A view down the main street that runs parallel to the northern edge of the Galena River.

Again, a photo doesn’t quite reveal the difference between the low and high lands

along the river in Galena. 

We drove into Galena, which is built along the Galena river and on the side of a hill, with small winding streets and many homes built in the Federal style of architecture. It was late in the day, so most of the shops were closed when we happened upon the Market House Restaurant started by three sisters in 1982. The Monday night special was chicken pot pie topped with a puff pastry, a salad, and a basket of liver pate and parmesan spread all for the great price of $10. We didn’t pass up this opportunity served on the second floor above Main Street or the main floor off Bench Street.

We spent the next few days enjoying the area which included a trip to Edwards Orchard for apple cider donuts and a stop in Fremont, Illinois where we visited the site of the Lincoln/Douglas debate.

Debate Square in Freeport marks the location of one of the Lincoln/Douglass debates.

On our third day ini the area we took a one-hour trolley tour of Galena where we learned that nine of the civil war generals called the town of Galena home. Four of the generals were held that military rank  during the Civil War and the other 5 were awarded the rank after the war. The most famous of these was General Ulysses S. Grant who also served as the 18th President of the United States. Grant was born in Ohio but moved to Galena to work with his brothers in a leather goods shop. He lived on the hill above town. His daily walk to and from work consisted of traversing a total of 400 steps up and down the hill, 200 steps each way. After the war, Grant returned to Galena and lived there until he was elected President. When he left the presidency, he was given a home in Galena but spent most of his remaining years in New York, near his children.

The U.S. Grant Historic Home is on the hillside district on the southern bank of the Galena River. The house was a gift from grateful citizens of Galena. It is now a state historic site for Illinois.

Leaving Galena we traveled to Kickapoo State Park for a few days where we visited with our good friends Larry and Peggy Stahl. We had a good time visiting them at their home in Ridgefarm just south of Danville, Illinois. On Sunday we attended church in Danville.

Leaving the Danville are we headed out for another jaunt of less than 200 miles into Southern Illinois to Rend Lake, an Army Corps of Engineers park. The lake, near Benton, Illinois was completed in the early 1970’s to help with flood control and drought for the region. One thing we like about state parks and COE campgrounds are the spacious sites. Rend Lake had full hookups and beautiful views of the sprawling Lake. COE and state parks typically don’t have full hookups (water and sewer connections) but that’s okay for a couple of days as they all have electricity at the camping sites and our holding tanks have adequate capacity for up to four days.

From Rend Lake we headed to Lone Oak, Kentucky to visit Byron’s brother Danny, sister-in-law Lynda, and nieces Martha and Amy. Fortunately they live on a large lot and there’s more than enough room for us and our 40-foot motorhome to park in their driveway for the duration of our visit.

After a couple of days we headed back into Illinois to Fairfield, Illinois and Byron’s 50th class reunion. Our home there was the campground at Sam Dale Lake State and Fish Wildlife Area in Wayne County. The campground overlooks the lake and, surprisingly, was almost full for the weekend. We must say this was the first time we have seen campers show up with a basketball goal on the back of a trailer that they set up so their kids could play basketball.

Byron had been a part of the committee planning for the class reunion and spent many hours using his technology skills to contact and inform class members about the weekend as well as collect up-to-date data and narratives from them. He enjoyed visiting with many of his classmates. The weekend included the class riding on a float in the homecoming parade, a reunion dinner on Friday night at which he and a friend sang a duet, and then an alumni dinner for all former high school graduates on Saturday night.

We also got to visit with family, June Gray, Joyce and Gaylord Taylor, and Michael and Marjorie Simpson and their family.

Byron (on right) with relatives at “Middle of Nowhere”

Martha (center) and the “girls.” Claudia (on left) owns the cafe.

From Fairfield, we headed to Louisville where we set up camp at the Shepherdsville KOA about 20 miles south of Louisville. We enjoyed visiting with Jeremy and Jody and Candice, and Martha spent time taking care of things that needed to be done for Candice. We also spent some time with friends Roger and Cheryl Basham, and got to see our adopted Hispanic family, Hilario, Sandra, Naomi, Ana, Miguel, and Antonio. We enjoyed a visit from them at the campground where the kids had a good time roasting hotdogs and marshmallows over a campfire and devouring a pot of Martha's chili.

From Louisville, we drove to Henry Horton State Park, southwest of Nashville, where we spent time visiting with Byron's sister-in-law Jacque and niece Kim. Martha had the chance to spend the afternoon playing cards with Jacque, which is something she has missed from our time in Florida. Out trek south took us through a one night stop at the Cartersville/Cassville-White KOA in an effort to miss Atlanta traffic before traveling on to Victoria Bryant State Park in Royston, GA and a visit with Martha's siblings and aunt and uncle.

Martha and sister Beth watch over the ribs being smoked over a low fire.

Our large campsite at Victoria Bryant State Park.

We had two more one night stays, one at Martha's brother Jimmy's house in Maxeys, GA and one at Lake City RV Resort in Lake City, FL before arriving at Horseshoe Cove RV Resort in Bradenton, FL for an RV rally sponsored by the Living the RV Dream organization.

Attendees of the “Living the RV Dream Gathering”

Final Month in Wis Dells - 8/21 to 9/21

As the title of this post states, we have concluded our last month in Wisconsin Dells working at the KOA. We’ve enjoyed getting to meet a variety of people. Some were on their way to other places and were just stopping for the night while some were making Wisconsin Dells their destination. While most were from Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, or Minnesota others were from as far away as Nova Scotia, Oregon, and even Europe including Great Britain and Germany. We have also worked with some interesting individuals not the least of which were the three foreign students (two from China and one from Ecuador). Then, there has been the opportunity to travel around the area and experience new things including eating at a variety of fine restaurants.

The question that may be asked is if we plan to return. The answer we have supplied to others this summer is the same we’ll supply here on the blog: “No.” The reason is that we can’t see other parts of the US or Canada if we return to the same location. After all, one of the reason for being full-timers in a motorhome is to travel extensively in the comfort of our own home.

During the last month our daily trips have diminished. We’ve made a couple of trips to Madison, returned to some of our preferred restaurants, and conducted other business which is a typical part of living. We’ve also taken time to sit around a campfire a bit more because there’s something mesmerizing and relaxing about watching a wood fire. Besides, we get to listen to the nighttime sounds or listen to each other.

 

Martha enjoyed an evening around a campfire. Byron enjoyed

taking the photo. By the way, the object in a vertical position

is the handle to the fire poker. We stick it in the

ground when we’re not using it.

One of the main attractions in town is the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show. Connected to the venue is the Paul Bunyan Shanty Cookhouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served “family style” in the cabin-like restaurant. Though the food is plentiful, it really is nothing to “write home about.” By the way, breakfasts start off with orange juice and cake doughnuts. It progresses on from there. While not particularly delicious (mass produced), it is a Wisconsin Dells experience as it draws in thousands of visitors per day during the summer months.

 

Breakfast includes scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy,

hash browns, pancakes, ham, and link sausage at the
Paul Bunyan Shanty Cookhouse.

Not far from Wisconsin Dells is the Mid-Continent Railway Museum which is a few miles west of Baraboo. Like other museums of this nature, they are attempting to obtain and restore cars and locomotives from the 1950s and earlier. In fact, the museum does have one steam engine that functions and another in the restoration process. However, for their daily rail trips (14 miles round trip) they use a small diesel-electric unit that was formerly used at a munitions depot. The diesel engine is Caterpillar and about the same displacement as ours. The model is a 3116 and ours is a later generation 3126. The museum has done a fine job of restoring several wooden cars. These cars were made before the move to steel or aluminum. They are displayed in a large building away from the harm of weather.

A refurbished but not operational locomotive sits outside the car barn

at Mid-Continent. Number 29 was originally built in 1907

by American Locomotive Company. It is considered as

a C2 Consolidation class since it is a 2-8-0 configuration.

Selfie time – aboard the train at Mid-Continent just before

leaving the station.

The day after Labor Day the time came for Sunny and Coco, the Chinese students, to leave for their journey back to China. We enjoyed their company and the opportunity to show them this part of the United States and talk about differences they see. Over the summer they had gotten acquainted with other students who also came to the Dells to work. We took them to Madison to catch the bus for Chicago. As we were getting ready to leave them Sunny gave us a card.

Sunny’s card: Two quotes. 1) I hope you two can continue your travel,

and bring more people kindness and courage. 2) Hope everyone can

live safe and sound, and appreciates the one moon together

even if we are far from each other.

Since we are officially registered as Work Kampers with Kampgrounds of America, we can take advantage of the opportunity to see openings for next summer. Though we have enjoyed Wisconsin Dells, we’d like to work in another part of the country next summer. We have our resumé posted and available for view to other owners and managers. The process of posting involves selecting some objective items such as states of interest as well as skills we possess and the levels of those skills. To date our resumé has been viewed by about a dozen campgrounds. We have also applied for about as many. We have had initial communication with about five or six but we’ve made no commitment and received no firm offers for next summer. We have, however, received a good offer from the KOA in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Finally, the time came for us to leave Wisconsin Dells since we had fulfilled our commitment at the KOA. September 19 was our last day. On the 20th we finished cleaning the exterior of the motorhome and completed the job of putting things into travel position (storage). On Monday morning we disconnected from the electric, water, cable, and sewer services and pulled away after our final visit in the office to say “good-bye.”

From here we’ll head to the northwestern corner of Illinois, and area in which neither of us has spent any time. We plan to visit Galena, the home of U.S. Grant, and the surrounding area. After a few days we’ll head to the east central part of Illinois for a visit with friends near Danville. Next will be some time with a brother near Paducah, KY before returning to Byron’s hometown for a 50th high school reunion. After ten or eleven days in Louisville we’ll go through northeast Georgia for some time with Martha’s family. After that we will go to a full-timers rally in Florida and then, finally, to the winter home in Kissimmee.

Now, to answer the question of “was it worth it.” To that we’ll say a definite “yes” as we have enjoyed the whole experience. We have been allowed to meet a lot of nice people and worked along some fine ones, too. The beautiful surroundings of the Dells area, the activities to enjoy, and the generally pleasant weather have also provided an enhancement to the opportunity. And, we were always able to be in worship each Sunday morning. We feel we have been blessed and happy we made the choice.

Late Summer in Wisconsin - 7/19 to 8/20

As the end of August approaches we are completing our third month in Wisconsin Dells. Though we’ve had a few days of highs in the 90s and humidity nearly as high, the weather has been pleasant for the most part. However, in the last month the locals would have been happier with a bit more rain. It has been rather dry especially here at the KOA.

We have continued to take the opportunity to engage in some activity or short trip on a weekly basis. Sometimes we go by ourselves and sometimes the workers from China go with us.

Things we’ve done

We went to the Riverside and Great Northern Railroad to visit the grounds and ride the 1/4 scale train pulled by a live steam engine. The entrance to the R&GN property is about a mile from the KOA. The seven-mile roundtrip trip was interesting in cars that seat eight people.

The 4-4-2 steam locomotive at R&GN in Wisconsin Dells

Coco and Byron road together on the outbound portion of the excursion.

Later that afternoon we had a late lunch. We at the River’s Edge which sits on the banks of the Wisconsin River in the Lower Dells area. At that point the river is wider than the Upper Dells and not as deep.

Martha and Sunny walked along the beech. Sunny was

excited to put her feet in the river; a first for her.

One evening we had dinner and enjoyed a show at the Wisconsin Opry. There the owners serve as hosts for the meal and also do the entertaining. In addition to the meal and show, guests travel to and from the venue (a barn) on a hay wagon pulled by a tractor driven by “grandpa,” the patriarch of the family.

The Wisconsin Opry typically features two sisters and their

parents playing and singing a combination of Country & Western

music as well as some Gospel tunes.

We visited Devil’s Lake State Park south of Baraboo to go for a hike. What we thought would be a stress-free trek up to Balanced Rock turned out to be more of a challenge than we anticipated. The problem wasn’t getting to the peak of the climb, the issue was coming down through the boulder field. The large, natural lake is interesting in that there’s a beach at the north and south ends of the lake with a bolder field on either side. The boulder field rises around 250 above the lake surface.

The view of the north beech of Devil’s Lake from atop the

boulder field on the east side of the lake.

One Tuesday we took “the girls” for a horseback ride north of The Dells near Mauston at The Woodside Ranch and Resort. The trail ride was through the forest on the property so what could have been a day in the sun turned out to be a day in the shade. There was a threat of rain but we only received a sprinkle. Coco and Sunny had a good time. It was their first horseback riding experience.

Woodside Ranch states it is where the West begins. The dude ranch

has a conference center and restaurant on the property in addition

to the cabins and stables; not expected in Wisconsin.

We also did a Wisconsin Dells “must do” by going to a performance of the Paul Bunyan Northwoods Lumberjack Show. We say “must do” because Wisconsin Dells was near the center of the lumbering industry since it sits on the Wisconsin River where a dam was built. And, as a matter of fact, lumberjack sports are still popular today just like rodeo sports. Just because it’s regional doesn’t mean it isn’t popular.

The Lumberjack Show features events such as the standing block chop, axe throwing, pole climbing, two-man log sawing, log rolling, and others by championship lumberjacks that have appeared on ESPN’s Stihl Timbersports Series and Great Outdoor Games.

Guys in the Lumberjack Show actually engage in competition

pitting representing the red team and the blue team. The teams

are composed of two men who are in great physical condition.

Last year we visited with former GMC motorhome owners at their home in Mequon, Wisconsin. Since we are less than 130 miles from them, we decided to visit again this summer. The difference this time was taking Sunny and Coco with us. They both enjoyed the ride in the motorhome (we took it so our dogs could also go along and to exercise the coach). We all enjoyed the ride on the Milwaukee River on Marlys and Jim’s pontoon boat. While on the cruise we stopped at a Farmer’s Market. We also took Sunny and Coco to Cedarburg to see the historic settlement and the covered bridge.

Of course, Marlys had prepared a wonderful dinner for us. Our Chinese guests enjoyed the American cuisine featuring grilled chicken (which Jim did to perfection), corn on-the-cob, sliced tomatoes, potato salad, deviled eggs (explain that one to a foreigner), baked beans, and seasonal fruit. Since they ate everything the put on their plates (and had more), it was easy to tell they’d eat it again if given the opportunity.

Just before leaving Mequon after visiting with Marlys

and Jim Garman, friends who formerly lived near

Smiths Grove, Kentucky.

In addition to the short trips and activities, we also hosted a rally of the Diesel RV Club at the nearby Country Road RV and Motor Home Park in Lake Delton. Byron serves as an officer of the club which is affiliated with FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association).

While here our television habits have changed as well as our sleeping habits. Since we work from 1 pm to 10 pm we don’t watch prime time programming. We turn on the 10 o’clock news when we get home. We generally watch WISC in Madison over the cable feed from the kampground. At 10:30 we flip over to the local MeTV affiliate which is only available over-the-air to watch Perry Mason, the reruns from the late 1950s. To keep the dogs settled during the day the TV is tuned to TNT or CNN, which we get via the park’s cable.

We’re heading into our last month of work kamping here at Wisconsin Dells KOA. The trips and opportunities of eating in some very nice restaurants have certainly added to our experience and lightened the work opportunity.

Summer in The Dells - 6/21 to 7/18

Downtown Wisconsin Dells as photographed in the early evening.

The weekend brings many tourists to the area. It is better controlled

here than a weekend in Gatlinburg. One of the many roller coasters

at the theme parks can be seen on the horizon. The KOA is one

mile from the coaster pictured.

Our life as KOA work kampers continues to be interesting. We both enjoy meeting people and learning where they’re from or where they’re going. We’re amazed at how many stop at Wisconsin Dells on their way to Yellowstone National Park via Minneapolis from as far east as New Jersey as well as people from England and Germany who are driving across the US in rented motorhomes. We’ve  also encountered people from California, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, and Montana going eastward for family reunions. And, of course, there are those within 500 miles who are in The Dells just to enjoy the many entertainment venues in addition to the many water and theme parks.

Not all of the guests have a recreational vehicle or tent. Because our KOA has 15 cabins, we get a lot of customers, whether staying overnight or for several days, intentionally avoiding a hotel. Cabins can be as basic as bunk beds in one or two rooms (no bath or kitchen) and go all the way to ones like a small house with complete facilities. Guests provide their own linens, towels, and washcloths or use those that are supplied in the fully-furnished cabins. Regardless of the type of unit, the guests all enjoy the feeling of not being on a hall or in a row of rooms on a parking lot.

We primarily work a shift from 1 PM to 10 PM. We, of course, have separate responsibilities though we share the same work hours.

For the inside crew (the women), there is the constant dealing with people who are registering, handling sales from the store (groceries, camping items, ice, etc.), and taking reservations or answering questions on the telephone. It is not unusual for Martha to be registering a guest or be handling someone’s purchase from the store while being on the phone handling questions; multitasking at it’s finest.

For the outside crew (the men), the shift working from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM has the main responsibility of cleaning the campsites after guests leave. This means picking up litter, cleaning the fire pits, hauling away the bagged trash, taking the rental bikes from the garage to the office, and cleaning the gas grills (for sites so equipped). By 1 PM most of the cleanup is done and the focus is on escorting guests to their campsites, helping them get parked and connected, filling propane tanks, and delivering firewood to the sights. It can get hectic because people tend to arrive in clusters for some reason. In the midst of this activity the nightly movie is started at 8 PM and the rental bikes returned to storage. There is an intermediate shift that runs from 10 AM to 7 PM. Since it overlaps the focus of the morning and that of the evening it has the largest variety of tasks.

The campground was full for Memorial Day weekend. Occupancy ran about 35 percent from then to Father’s Day weekend when it was full. When occupancy is less than 55 percent we all work on other projects around the KOA. From Father’s Day on the campground has been full each weekend with the majority of guests being from around Wisconsin, the northern portion Illinois, or the eastern portion of Minnesota. The kids enjoy the sandy playground, the heated swimming pool and splash pad, and the rental bikes. During the day a majority of the guests are away at one of the water parks though several remain on the grounds to relax by the pool.

Interestingly, Martha received a text message from a friend from Louisville. She and her family were taking Amtrak to Glacier National Park. She asked if we were at the KOA by the railroad tracks in Wisconsin Dells. Of course, the answer Martha provided was that we were at that location.

Martha and Denise work at hanging bunting and other decorations

for July 4th weekend. The bunting is on the fence surrounding

the pool and splash pad.

We’ve enjoyed the company of two students from China while being in Wisconsin Dells. The Dells area has a program that brings foreign students to the area for summer work. In addition to the Chinese students, we also have a young adult from Ecuador though her days off don’t coincide with ours. Almost every Tuesday the girls go with us on an outing. In addition to a Duck tour we have gone to a cheese factory together and attended a water show (see photo at end).

One, additional activity for this month was hosting a rally of the Diesel RV Club. DRVC is an affiliate club of FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association). There were 33 units registered with an attendance of 63. Byron led a worship service on Sunday and presented two seminars. Martha made some jewelry at the women’s craft times. We traveled from the KOA to another campground in the area where the rally was held. We were not positively impressed by the facilities or service at that campground. It made us realize we are fortunate to be where we are. Though some RVers think KOA is pricey, it is worth it. You get what you pay for.

This post is closed with a few photos of the off-time activities we get to enjoy. One of the benefits of working in Wisconsin Dells is a pass that provides us with free entry to many attractions as well as 20% off select restaurants. The restaurants are all locally owned or are of regional chains. The food has been great.

Group selfie: This was taken while waiting for our ride on one of

the Original Wisconsin Ducks. Sonny is on the left and Coco

is on the right. They are from different areas of China

so speak different dialects. Sonny is inquisitive and wants

to see and experience as much as she can while

Coco would rather shop or look for boys.

A cruise on the Original Wisconsin Ducks takes travelers on the

Wisconsin River below the dam. The same rock cliffs

appear along the Lower Dells as the Upper Dells. Our

trip on the Upper Dells was by boat.

Once a traveling road show, the Tommy Bartlett Show

has made Wisconsin Dells its home for the past 60 years.
We attended one show with two of the Chinese students
working at the KOA for the summer.

Two restored and operational cars originally used on

The Milwaukee Road are occasionally pulled behind

an AmTrak train between Chicago and Minneapolis.

Here they are caught as they sit on the bridge over

the Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Dells. The rail

cars are used for charter trips.

On Wisconsin - 5/21 to 6/20

Our mission from May 21 through September 20 is to do work camping, or as KOA calls it, work kamping. The basic concept is that an person or couple works a certain number of hours in exchange for a campsite with certain amenities. The typical “rate” is 15 hours per person as a couple for a site with full hookups (water, electric, and sewer). A bulk of the KOA locations, however, pay a competitive rate for 40 hours of work and charge a minimal amount for a site. Our site just happens to have water, electric, sewer, WiFi, and cable (27 channels).

The street view of the KOA; swimming pool and office can be

seen in the distance.

When we arrived at the Wisconsin Dells KOA we found that another couple had been here for nearly three weeks and another couple was scheduled to arrive on June 1. It looked promising that there would be two other couples working with us to greet guests, register them for staying, escort them to their site, and do “other things as assigned” on a full-time schedule.

Martha stands by our motorhome at our campsite for four months.

We got started within 36 hours of our arrival; KOA shirts on and can-do attitude, too. In the KOA work kamper tradition, Martha will work in the office/store behind the counter welcoming and registering guests as well as doing some light housekeeping. Byron will work outside escorting guests to their sites, assisting them in parking, and helping with general maintenance. We were separately shown around the facilities separately by owners, Jill and Ed Brennan, who have owned the campground for 23 years. We also met the couple that arrived before us as well as the local employees, Heather and Jon. Yet to arrive was another work kamping couple and three students from foreign countries.

United Presbyterian Church of Wisconsin Dells; where we

are attending worship services each Sunday morning.

On our first Sunday we attended the United Presbyterian Church in town. We found the service to be based on a relaxed and casual sense of liturgy. It is made that by the way the minister conducts the service. The music is a somewhat traditional in that they do use a hymnal and have avoided the use of computer-based projection.

Ten days after we started work the third couple arrived. They, too, have a diesel motorhome for full-time use. The couple had work experience past the typical age of retirement and they, themselves, had been formally retired for ten years. However, after a week or so of employment it was determined they were a poor fit and moved on. A week later another couple with KOA experience (name tags and shirts) came in after an urgent request was posted. This “third couple” was 20 year younger than the previous with real experience. As it has turned out, the “senior” couple decided they could no longer take the physical nature of the tasks and left moments after giving notice to the owners. We are grateful the other couple is ten years our junior and have the energy to show for it. Now we are back to two couples handling the work load of three. However, since we are all committed to our jobs, we’ll make it work until another couple is employed.

One of the perks of working in the Dells is getting to have community card that allows us a discount at most of the restaurants and free admission to most of the attractions here. Thus far we’ve eaten at a few restaurants, taken an Upper Dells boat cruise, and went to Circus World at Baraboo. We’ll begin taking in some of the shows such as the Tommy Bartlett Ski Show and the Rick Willcox Magic Theater.

After looking over the grounds at Circus World we went to the

one-hour performance under the “big top” where we were

entertained for an hour with some quality circus acts.

We are enjoying our time here. We like the owners and enjoy meeting the variety of guests. There are times we are very busy and times when we have the opportunity to do those other things “as assigned.” It’s all a part of making the Wisconsin Dells KOA a great place to stay and work.

Leisure Time - 4/16 to 5/20

One of the nice things about traveling by motorhome and not having a work commitment is that there is no rush to get from point A to point B. In this case, our objective is to get from Kissimmee to Louisville where we would spend two and one-half weeks before getting back in the grind of a work commitment. Of course, the best thing of traveling by motorhome is having your own pillow to sleep with on your own bed and having your own bathroom to use without wonder who was here before you and how well did the help clean things.

Our first segment took us to Coastal Georgia RV Resort in Brunswick, Georgia. We were familiar with it since we had attended a Diesel RV Club rally there in March of 2014. It is a very nice campground that was built by a man who owned a motorhome and knew how he wanted it to be from the aspect of being a customer. The streets and pads are concrete with shrubbery between each site and well manicured grass.

The entrance to Coastal Georgia in Brunswick does not give a false

impression. The campground is as well kept as this sign

and office building.

We celebrated Byron’s birthday by having his favorite cake, German Chocolate, baked from scratch by Martha. That’s eating at its finest.

From Brunswick we went to Barnyard RV Park in Lexington, South Carolina. The biggest thing we noticed was the change in temperature. It was time to turn on the heat. Barnyard isn’t as it sounds. It is, however, a better name than Flea Market Campground which is actually what it is. The property is flat for this part of South Carolina and that was about the only thing going for this place other than the full hookup. But, since we were spending only one night, it wasn’t an issue.

Our next stop was in Jonesboro, Tennessee. This is near Lewis and Marcia Songer’s home in Johnson City where we spent the weekend visiting with Byron’s brother and sister-in-law.

Riverpark Campground sits on the Nolichucky River. Rafters are welcome

to use the campground as a place of getting in or out after an

afternoon of dealing with the rapids.

While in the area we drove to Greeneville to visit the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site which is, of course, maintained by the National Park Service. It was established to honor Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States, who became president after Abraham Lincoln’s death. The site includes two of Johnson’s homes, his tailor shop, and his grave site. At the Visitor Center there is a brief video that briefly covers Johnson’s life before, during, and after the presidency. For instance, we learned that he was a taylor by trade and was never considered wealthy. Though he did eventually have two slaves, he was sympathetic with the abolitionist movement and a proponent of keeping the Union together. His humble beginnings are similar to Lincoln’s. Lincoln, by contrast, married into a family of substance and Johnson did not. Johnson got involved in politics by not being afraid to speak out at public meetings. He was very “electable” while Lincoln lost more elections than he won.

The second house owned by Andrew Johnson in Greeneville. The house,

when originally constructed, was of the typical Federalist design

with two stories across the front and one level in the rear

plus a cellar. It was occupied by Confederate forces during

the Civil War. Before returning to it from Washington, the

house was added to making it two floors throughout.

The maid and house servant also lived in the house

along with the Johnson family.

On Saturday night we attended a fund-raising event for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra with Lewis and Marcia held at a country club. Lewis, who has been the principle horn player for many years, is retiring from that position and was elected to become the President of the Board of Directors. On Sunday we attended church with them at Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church in Johnson City.

On Monday we headed to Crossville, Tennessee to spend a few days before moving on to Barren River State Resort Park between Scottsville and Glasgow in south central Kentucky. We spent the weekend there with friends who are members of Scottsville Baptist Church, the first church Byron served from 1971 to 1975. You can imagine the good fun we had with five other couples on Saturday night. By the way, the current Minister of Music at Scottsville was in the youth choir when Byron was there. After worship on Sunday morning we drove to Bowling Green for a concert by the Kentucky Baptist Children’s Choir.

Becky Boling, Byron, and Paula Oliver – close in age and close in

interests (music) – outside the sanctuary of First Baptist Church

in Bowling Green, KY.

On Monday the 27th we went on to the Mammoth Cave area and spent the night at a Thousand Trails campground near Park City. That afternoon we went to the Visitor Center which, according to Byron, has changed vastly over the last 40 years. We didn’t have time to take a tour but did enjoy the springtime air.

A relaxing visit to the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center above the world’s

longest cave system and one of the older national parks in the US.

On Tuesday we took off for the Louisville area where we’d spend the next 20 days “at home” while staying at Add-More RV Park in Clarksville, Indiana. We were here in August of 2014 and found it to be quite handy for getting things done in Louisville. We each had appointments plus friends and family to visit and favorite places to eat.

Spring and the hatching of goslings on the lake out our front window

at Add-More RV Park – a joyous view.

Our first Sunday we attended St. Matthews Baptist Church where we have been members for nearly eleven years. On the next two Sundays we attended Highland Baptist Church where the pastor that performed our marriage is still the pastor, Joe Phelps.

This was the scene eleven years ago in the sanctuary of

Highland Baptist Church when we formally

joined our futures in a simple and private ceremony.

On Monday, May 18, we pointed our motorhome northward to travel to Wisconsin Dells where we would become “work kampers” at the KOA (Kampground of America) until September 20. Along the way we had dinner with Stan and Judy Bierce on Monday night and lunch, the following day, with Larry and Peggy Stahl.

On the next report we’ll cover our initial experiences at Wisconsin Dells KOA. Until then, enjoy a safe, fun, and healthy summer.

Transition Time - 3/18 to 4/15

Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant in Magic Kingdom

Our time in Kissimmee as “snowbirds” came to and end in a rather busy flurry of activity. Since the spring break season was in full gear, Byron worked six days per week in Tomorrowland Terrace, a restaurant that is open seasonally. His last day was April 9. During this period he also substituted in an adult class at the First United Methodist Church where we’ve been attending regularly. Martha continued to enjoy card games and pool time with others in the park in addition to staying as busy as possible with her online medical transcription work; right up to the end.

What? The end? Yes. On April 10 Martha received an email stating that her contract was being terminated. The company had lost a major account and was releasing 20 contractors and/or employees due to the loss. She was among the unfortunate ones. That message, by the way, came when we were driving back to the resort after having our anniversary lunch.

After some brief discussion, we began the search for other opportunities knowing that the loss of income would negatively impact our situation. We both felt it was time she pull away from the demising opportunities as a medical transcriptionist (being replaced by new technologies in healthcare documentation) and take advantage of the opportunity to begin a new phase of our lives as work campers (called “workamping” by some people).

After looking for some open positions with Working Couples and Workamper News, we applied for positions at two campgrounds in Wisconsin. Within 24 hours we had heard from one, a KOA in Wisconsin Dells, and had communication from the other. We selected the KOA campground feeling that it would be a good fit for us and the employers.

Some of you may be asking: What is work camping all about? Well, not to bore you with the details, here are the basics. In some situations, couples may work about 15 hours each per week in exchange for a campsite at a state park and at some commercial campgrounds. In others, the couple works 40 hours each, with pay, and receive a reduced rate for the campsite. There are work camping organizations, as mentioned above that serve as clearing houses for positions. Couples post resumés and organizations post opening. The National Park Service hires retired personnel for a variety of positions at peak seasons. So does the Army Corps of Engineers as well as state park systems and, of course, KOA. In addition, Amazon has what they call Camperforce though they require 10 hours-per-day for five-days-per week. We have heard that many couples start but don’t complete a season so they don’t receive a bonus at the end of the work period (such as the Christmas shipping season). Duties vary from job to job and may include janitorial work, general maintenance and repair, camper registration and store operations, directing campers to their sites, delivering firewood, lawn maintenance, swimming pool maintenance, etc. In the case of Amazon package order assembly, packaging and shipping are involved. Pay goes from pure volunteer work to around $12 per hour. So, as you can see, it’s mainly for those who are fully or semi-retired with other sources of income. For standard camp hosting the season, of course, is generally from Memorial Day to Labor Day but can be up to six months in some locations. Amazon usually wants a 10-week commitment.

KOA Work Kamping gives us the opportunity to continue supplementing my retirement income while giving Martha an opportunity to continue working toward retirement. We’ll both be interacting with people which is one of the things we enjoy. At the same time, we’ll get to travel between locations and still get through our home base of Louisville where Jeremy and Candice live.

Now, for the rest of the story…

We enjoyed an anniversary lunch at Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World. Cast members receive a 40% discount so we took advantage of the opportunity to make a reservation, have some great food, and enjoy more of what Disney has to offer. In case you’re not aware, we married eleven years ago after meeting on eHarmony and celebrating each anniversary is a true blessing for many reasons.

Our eleventh anniversary celebration was lunch at a Disney resort lodge.

Since it was out anniversary, a cast member presented us with

a celebration button. Martha had a salad with shrimp while

Byron had the all-you-can eat meal of BBQ (ribs, chicken,

sausage link, and pulled pork).

The entrance to Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Lodge at Fort Wilderness Campground and Resort. The interior of the rustic-looking lodge is very similar to the lodge at Old Faithful in Yellowstone.

By the way, if you’ve never been to Walt Disney World (of even if you have), you may not be aware that only one-third of the property has been fully developed (resorts, parks, parking lots, golf courses, etc). Disney has a commitment with Florida to leave one-third undeveloped and in native condition. For the other one-third Disney has instituted a wilderness management program to aid in the control of the system of creeks and lakes which promotes wildlife habitat and the continued growth of native vegetation in spite of the roadways that link the various resorts and parks. In fact, one can travel by boat from many of the resorts and parks through the extensive system of canals and lakes.

On Sunday, April 12, our Sunday School class had a brunch hosted in the home of one of the members. It was an enjoyable time though it served as a reminder that we would be leaving our Christian friends for several months. We look forward to returning in the fall and picking up where we left off, as friends are known to do. We have counted it a joy to affiliate with members of First United Methodist Church in Kissimmee.

After getting things cleaned up, checked out, packed away, and taxes filed electronically, we pulled out Wednesday morning shortly after 9 AM and headed for Coastal Georgia RV Resort in Brunswick. We attended a rally there last year and are looking forward to spending the night there before heading on through the Carolinas to East Tennessee. We will be slowly making our way back to Louisville after visiting a brother in Johnson City, TN and friends in Scottsville, KY.

Entrance to Coastal Georgia RV Resort. The office is in the background.

By the way, the Honda Element we bought in Florida and equipped for towing followed along just fine. The Accord, which we once had, was easy to tow if we remembered to put it in neutral (it had a manual transmission), release the parking brake, and turn the key to the first position. The Element with  all-wheel drive and automatic transmission is a bit different and we were concerned that we had followed the correct procedure to prepare it for 250 miles of travel. We did OK because it made a trip to Winn-Dixie and back after parking at Coastal Georgia RV Resort.