End of 2006

I spent the last couple of months in 2006 working for See's once again. This time I worked at the Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville, Texas.  I stayed at the Sandy Lake RV park in Carrollton.  I planned my trip up to Carrollton for a Saturday thinking the traffic would not be so bad.  I did not take the direct route on I45 to I35.  I used  I20 over to 12 and then hit I35 north of Dallas.
I had no problems with heavy traffic until I hit I35.  I don't know where all those people came from but as I made the merge I was surrounded!  I only had to go a couple of miles before my exit and believe me I had a death grip on the wheel. The Sandy Lake RV park is in a fairly quite area.  About have of the park is mobile homes and the other half RV's.  While it was nothing fancy it served the purpose.  I was happy to be only 4 miles from the mall and the trip was an easy one on back streets.  One thing I really enjoyed about being at Sandy Lake is I got to visit a lot with Lisa's family.  I even got to keep the girls while Lisa and Butchie had a night out to go Christmas shopping.  Several times I met Lisa and the girls at the Grapevine mall which was almost half way between her house and my rv park.  They even met me and took me to Chuckie Cheese to celebrate my birthday.  We had a wonderful time....I really have not had to many chances to celebrate birthdays.  Well, I have had plenty of Birthdays just no celebrations.

I worked with Lois and Carroll that year.  A wonderful couple.  I had met Carroll at Adventureland but don't remember ever meeting Lois.  It was a pleasure working with them.  We had a really good kiosk location right in the middle of the mall.  The only downside to our location was that your store room was a good distance from the Kiosk. I discovered Panera Bread near our Kiosk.  I had a lot of wonderful Potato soup there!  All and all it was a wonderful season. 
We had Christmas at Lisa's house that year so I did not have to go far to be with my family.  It sure is nice to spend Christmas with everyone.
I planned my trip out of the Dallas area for New Years day.  One of the best days of the year to travel.  There was no one on the roads early on New Years day!  I spent the next couple of months sitting in Johnny & Carol's driveway.
Then it was on to Branson!

Vacation! Yellowstone to Texas

I consider myself on vacation when I am between workamper jobs.  The beauty of it is my "vacations" can last a lot longer than the typical persons vacation. 
As I left my season at Yellowstone it was a beautiful fall day, September 25, 2006.  I could not have asked for better weather to travel.  I was leaving the the same way as I had arrived by the south entrance.  I wanted to see the Tetons one more time!  I don't think I would ever get tired of looking at them.  I pulled off at the first pull off I could find to enjoy the sight one more time! 

The Aspen had turned a beautiful gold and the lake had a low hanging cloud over it. There was hardly any traffic on the road so I had plenty of time to meander and enjoy the trip.  When I reached Moran Junction I took a left toward my destination for the day of Riverton, Wyoming.  I was a little concerned as I would be going over Togwotee Pass a high of 9658 ft. It was a beautiful drive and the pass was easy!  I was in the Wind River range of the Rocky Mountains. After I went down the other side of the pass the road began to level off.  By the time I reached Dubois I was out of the mountains....it was kind of sad to leave them behind.  I had decided to stay a the Wind River RV park in Riverton.  This RV park is only 38 spaces but they are all pull thrus.  There are also storage units on the grounds.  When I told the man checking me in that I was coming from a season of working in Yellowstone he would not let me pay for my site!  He said if it were not for the tourist going and coming from Yellowstone and the Tetons he would not have any business.  It was his way of saying thanks by not charging workers going and coming from there!  Wow!  How blessed I was...I stayed 2 nights and he would not take any payment from me.  I made sure he knew how much I appreciated his generosity!  I did my laundry while I was there just to make sure I put at least a little something in his pocket!  It was a nice clean quite park and I would stay there again even if I had to pay! 

From there I took US 26 to Casper.  The weather was not as pretty on this day.  I ran into rain before I reached Casper.  I had no complaints about the road.  It was a good wide two lane for the most part with very little traffic.  I stopped and got gas in Casper.  At Casper I got onto I 25 the traffic was really heavy for awhile.  One of the reasons I don't like interstates is heavy traffic!  Once I got out of Casper the traffic thinned some.  I left the interstate at exit 92 and headed toward Scottsbluff on US 26 again.  The weather was still overcast and windy.  I decided to stop for the night at a Passport America park between Fort Laramie and Lingle.  It was the Pony Soldier RV park. Well, after talking to the lady who checked me in I decided to spend another night there so I could go see Ft Laramie!  I had not even realized there was an actual Fort in the area until I passed through town.  This was turning into a really neat trip!  Wow Ft Laramie is worth going to see!  I was amazed to learn how large it wasback in the day!

 

The enlisted mens barracks!

Officers quarters.

Jail cell!  I wouldn't want to spend time here!

In my opinion Ft Laramie is one of the best of the forts I have seen....maybe I will have to try to see all the rest one of these days!  It is certainly worth a vist.  I was blessed with really beautiful weather on the day I visited the Fort.  I love traveling in the "off" season when the kids are back in school.  Most of the attractions are usually pretty quite!

The main reason I had decided to take this route home to Texas was I wanted to see Scottsbluff.  While I passed within 50 miles of it on my way to Yellowstone I did not think I had time to go there.  I had always wanted to see Scottsbluff.  It was one of the landmarks pioneers looked for as they traveled west.  I was a little concerned when I turned off Hwy 26 unto the road leading to the National Monument as there was road construction.  Pulling a trailer through road construction is not always easy and when it is on a fairly narrow 2 lane road it can be an adventure!  I was borrowing trouble as I turned before the road really narrowed down for the construction.  Wow Scottsbluff is really something to behold.  I could not get it all into one picture!

Okay this is still not all of it but I think you get the idea!  I wanted to go to the top but alas I was pulling the trailer and you can't go to the top with a tow.  I still had over a hundred miles to go so I decided not to take the time to drop the trailer and go to the top.  Hey you have to save something to see next time, right?  I got back on Hwy 26 and followed it all the way to North Platte.  I could have gotten on the Interstate at Ogallala but decided not to.  I enjoyed the drive through the little towns that you don't see from an interstate.  Once again I stayed at the Holiday RV Park in North Platte.  I called Dot and she and Katie decided to come up to see me the next day.  We enjoyed the visit once again.  So I ended up staying 2 nights in North Platte also. 

When I was breaking camp in North Platte I noticed an older couple in a class B motorhome getting ready to leave also.  Later that day I saw them pass me.  I pulled over at a roadside park but was not able to stop and noticed them again.  Between Kearney and Gibbon I ran across the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument.  Okay now this is just plain odd!

Never could figure out what the purpose was!

I tried for another roadside park as Ellie and I really needed a break. Well when we pulled in the only spot we could find was to parallel between a couple of eighteen wheelers!  Well there was no on there to tell me I couldn't do it so I put it in there between them!  Whew, we needed that break.

Shortly after getting back on the interstate that little Class B passed again.

I had planned to spend the night at the Double Nickel Campground, a Passport America park, near Waco, Nebraska. As I pulled in I discovered the little Class B there.  When I got in line behind the older couple at the desk the man turned to me and said "weren't you in the RV park we stayed in last night?"  I told him yes I was.  Well, it seems I really impressed him!  He went on an on about how well I handled my rig!  He wife finally pulled him out of the office.  This is a neat little park right off of a golf course!  I ended up spending 2 nights here also.  It sure is nice not to have a set schedule!  I was heading to Omaha to visit with a friend of mine from Adventureland days.  I was not enjoying Intestate 80 it very bumpy.  Well at least it seemed that way with my rig.  I went through road construction in Lincoln and after that some people pulled up next to me on the interstate and said I had a pipe hanging down on the rear of my trailer.  UH OH!  Well I don't usually stop on the side of the interstate but I could not see an exit in sight so I pulled over to the edge.  Well, when I got out and looked I discovered that the end cap to my sewer hose storage in the bumper had come off and my hose had dropped out and came loose as I stopped.  I had to walk back to get it...can't litter!  Kind of scary out there on the side of the interstate but I was glad it was just a hose and not really a pipe!  My destination on this day was Offut AFB famcamp.  As the ex spouse of a retired Air Force reservist I am entitled to use these.  Well I got to the camp ok but then I needed to go pay the fees on base....I could not go in the back gate because I did not have a sticker on my truck.  So I was told to go to the main gate on the other side of the base.  When I got there I was told I needed to go to a gate I had passed on the way to the main gate!  I was able to get a pass there and get to the Rec building to pay my camp fees!  Finally I was all set.  I asked if there was a short way back to the Famcamp and was told yes, take a right out of the parking lot.  Well, low and behold the back gate was only about 1/2 a mile away!  Gee, if I had known I could have walked that far! 

I stayed there several days and Margaret and I had a good time catching up!  Then it was back on the road heading to Texas.  I took US 75 out of Omaha and headed south.  I spent the night at the Crossroads RV park near Lyndon, Kansas.  It also was a Passport America park. When I checked in the man asked me if I was going to a womens rally as he had several other single ladies come through in the past week headed to a rally.  I discovered that my cell phone did not work in the area.  A little bit of a problem since I call one of my family members every evening to let them know I have arrived at my destination for the night.  I had Wifi service and was able to get in touch with Lisa so all was well!  It was really a nice campground if a little off the beaten path!  Ahhh the joys of traveling the back roads of America!  The next day was overcast and I ran into rain in Tulsa Oklahoma!  I managed to get lost there too!  There had been an accident and a truck was hanging off one of the bridges!  It was near where I needed to exit so I missed my turn.  I had a GPS on my computer and it was able to get me back on route.  For awhile I thought I was going to end up going to Oklahoma City!  Not where I wanted to go! I spent the night at McAlester, Oklahoma that the Super 8 & Valley Inn RV Park.  It is a nice enough park but I won't stay there again as there was a cattle barn right behind it!  Those cows bellowed all night!  The Indian Nation Turnpike is a great road if a little pricey!  I took it to Hugo and then 271 to Paris Texas.  Back in Texas at last!  From Paris I took Hwy 19 down to Athens then 31 to Corsicana and 35 down to Richland where I took 14 down to Mexia!  Then Back "home" to Johnny & Carol's driveway.  I had most of a month to visit before I had to be in Lewisville, Texas for my See's candy job.

More Later!

Yellowstone 2006

It was May 18, 2006 when I entered Yellowstone National Park from the south.  I got a giggle because the lady that check my pass looked at me and looked at my rig and said are you alone?  Well, Duh!  The south entrance into Yellowstone had only been open a few days so I guess she had not run across any other single ladies traveling alone yet. Wow, how gorgeous the views were.  I had to pull over the first chance I got to climb up on a snow bank and take a picture.

Well ok it was more than one picture!

Well, after all I am from Central Texas we just don't get snow like this!          

This was one of those times when I really wished I had someone with me!  A person to drive while I gawked would have been nice!  Besides these kinds of

adventures are always more fun with someone else to ooohh &  ahhh with.

Don't get me wrong I had FUN!  As I drove along I was able to go pretty slow because I had no one behind me.  Wow Yellowstone in any season is pretty awesome but when the snow is still on the ground it is spectacular!  I had to stop several times while driving from the south entrance to the west entrance.  I had planned to stay several days at West Yellowstone before going to work at Grants Village.  The second stop on my way through the park was at Lewis Falls....I just had to stop!

Then I came upon Lewis Lake and it was still frozen!  Wow!

Okay I admit it I love taking pictures and seeing new places.  I guess I have the right lifestyle for that.  Although I would like to travel even more!  Moving every 5 months or so is not a bad way to see the country.
As I was climbing the continential divide I was so enjoying the scenery.  It was a beautiful sunny day and hardly any traffic on the road.  So I was able to go slow and enjoy God's handiwork.  It seemed like around every curve there was a new vista to behold.  I had been to Yellowstone several times before but never at this time of the year.  I never got to drive there before either!  It was an adventure.  After I passed the old Faithful area I started seeing Buffalo (American Bison).  All of the rivers and streams were running high and the buffalo were crossing some of them.  It seemed that there were buffalo everywhere.  I later learned that the buffalo spend the spring in the west side of the park and migrate to the east later in the year. 

Look Twins!

I will never forget that trip into Yellowstone...how blessed I felt to experience it.  When I arrived at West Yellowstone I was charmed by this unique small town.  I pulled into the Grizzly RV Park and was made to feel welcome. My site was wonderful.

Got to love those pull thrus!   Ellie and I were pleased with a nice spot to stop for the night and a great area to walk her!  Never did have a picnic on the table but it was still too chilly!  The next day I got a call from Bob and Vicki, Adventureland friends) .   They were in the area and wanted to meet up with me.  I arranged for them to get the site right next door to me!  It was so nice to see them again.  They had their neighbors from Caldwell with them.  Well low and behold I knew him from our days of owning Whites Home and Auto in Hearne!  Small world huh? 

We all had a great time catching up!

In the workamping world you just never know when you will run into a friend.

We had a good time doing a little exploring in West Yellowstone and had a nice lunch together.

On Monday morning I went to orientation for my job with the Yellowstone General Stores and they set out to explore the park.  Around noon we were released to go to our homes for the season.  I had been assigned to Grants village mainly because they had an abundance of campsites for employees.  When I got there I was a little nervous about backing into my site.  The man that directed me to my sight was nice but had no experience helping back a travel trailer.  Well it was a little tight...a beautiful site but not easy to get into.  I did a fair job of getting backed in...did not hit anything.  When I got out of my truck....there were my friends. They said they were in the area and just happened to see me come by.  They were a great helping me get all straight and settled!

Wow, how awesome...God put them right where I needed them!

I must say it was a pretty place to park.   I did have to go back to West Yellowstone to the RV park and buy and extenstion cord for my electrical hookup..  I thought 30 feet would be enough cord but alas it was not!

While working in Yellowstone I worked in the store at Grants village in the Grill area.  I must say working a fast food counter is not high on my list of fun jobs.  I would much rather have been out in the gift shop.  I did survive and now if I ever need a job at McDonalds I have a good reference.  The work was not really hard but I found the split shifts we worked tiring.  One week we worked the early shift and the next week the late shift. Both shifts had about a 3 hour break in the middle!  The wierd shifts are the main reason I don't plan to work for Yellowstone General stores again.  I did make some neat friends there and have fond memories of our time together. 

At Yellowstone the staff was about half workampers and the other half was foreign College Students.  I nearly always took some of the students with me when I went sight seeing.  It was nice to have someone to run around with.

They really appreciate someone taking them around the park as they had no transportation of their own.  They all flew in to Bozeman and then were picked up and brought to Yellowstone by a company employee.

In July, Johnny, Carol, Lisa, Butchie, Bethany and Sarah came to visit me.  Carol did not want to stay in the park because she was sure a bear would get them.  But alas money talks and I was able to get them a really good rate in the employee campground!  Besides they would be close by and not have to drive 50 miles one way to a campground outside the park. 

I sure did enjoy their visit.  We had a good time touring the park as a bonus!

Awww aren't they a cute family?

Johnny & Carol at a table in the Grill.

I had fun being everyones tour guide. It sure was hard to see them go.  The picture on the front of my book Yes, You Can Full-time RVing for the Single Person was taken as they were leaving.  I did nothing to doctor the picture It really looked like that!

I hurried ahead so I could take their picture as they made the turn out of Grants Village.  Johnny & Carol are in the lead.

Over the Summer I had a number of visitors to my campsite that were not of the 2 legged variety.  I really learned to look before I came walking up or out the door!

I had a pretty good bunch of Elk that loved my yard!  The year before some of the workers were chased by elk so I was pretty cautious around them.

This one wanted to say hello!

I will always have fond memories of my summer in Yellowstone.  I made more new friends and had a great time in an awesome park.  Everyone should take the time to visit this National treasure.  I could write another book just on my time there but I won't!

My next blog will be about my trip to Texas from Yellowstone. 

God bless and take care!

Looking forward to Summer 2006

I had a little trouble finding a job for my second summer of workamping.  I had learned my lesson during the summer and knew better than to put a situation wanted ad in Workamper news.  I put an ad in the magazine for a winter position. This may work well for couples but not for single females.   I was really kind of mad and disappointed that what I got was responses from single men...and they were not offering work!  I did not have a lot of workamping experience.  I did respond to several ads in Workamper News and was excited to hear back from the Teton National Park Association.  They said they would be calling me about a position working in one of their bookstores.  I could not even dream of not getting the position with my years in retail and as a Librarian!  What a perfect fit that job would be.  Well....long story short they hired a couple instead!  Bummer!  I still would love to work there but until there are two working people in my RV it is just not going to happen.  Then I applied to work at a store in West Yellowstone.  The guy seemed really interested in hiring me,we talked on the phone several times, but I could never get a definite decision out of him.  So I decided to apply with the Yellowstone General Stores.  They responded quickly and hired me right away.  Then almost immediately I got a phone call from someone in Colorado with a job offer...wouldn't you know it right after I committed to work in Yellowstone!  That Awesome Applicant on Workamper News does work. 
I must say it was a relief to finally have a position secured for the summer.  I was also beginning to get excited about the trip.  It is always fun to plan the trip from one job location to the next.  One of the good things is I am usually traveling in the "off" season.  That can also be bad because not all the campgrounds are open. 
I planned this trip so I could go up through McCook Nebraska.  My sister-in-law Dot was living there at the time.  I hoped to stop in for a visit...I don't see her and her family nearly often enough. One other thing I had to do was go by the Ford dealership in Granbury.  I had discovered that I did not have the "key" to unlock my spare on the truck.  When I called them they said they would remove the locking device for me if I would bring it in.  Well I arrived with trailer in tow and my dog.  They were super nice after I went and got the used car salesman and he explained that he had promised they would fix the problem.....he had forgotten to tell the service department I was coming.  I asked them if they wanted me to drop the trailer in the parking lot.  They said no that it would fit in their shop.  Cool that saved me some work!  Everyone in the dealership made a fuss over Ellie.  She loved the attention.  Within an hour we were back on the road!  I had a good day on the road with no problems.  I spent the night at a little campground at the Best Western in Childress, Texas.  I never seem to get out of Texas on the first day!
My second day on the road I went up US highway 83.  It is a really good 2 lane road. I went through the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma and into Kansas.  I spent the night at the High Plains RV park in Oakley Kansas.  When I was setting up I discovered I could not get my electrical cord out more than a couple of feet.  I finally went up to the office and asked if they knew anyone that could help me.  The nice lady behind the desk said yes let me give Bill a call.  He said sure after he got off work he would be over to help me.  So since I had some time to kill I walked over to the antique store nearby to browse.  That little place is cram packed with goodies but alas I have no place to put any of it!  I got back to my trailer shortly before 5 and a few minutes later here comes Bill....he was the guy running the antique store!  He managed to pull the cord out of the back of the wooden box that housed it.  Then we were able to pull it out the side of the trailer.  Well, I learned a new trick and the nice man would not even accept any payment!  I was thrilled to be able to plug in.  That evening I walked the RV park and discovered water running out of a motorhome.  I went up to the office and reported it.  I am sure the motorhome owners were not going to be happy when they got back to a swamp!  I highly recommend the High Plains RV park to anyone traveling through the area. 
The next day I made it to McCook before noon.  I was able to park my rig in the Dollar General parking lot.  Dot and C.D. came and picked me up and we had a nice visit.  After I left I went up US 83 to North Platte and spent the night at the Holiday RV Park and Campground.  The next day I spent driving on I 80 to Rawlings where I spent the night in a Passport America park.

Then it was on to Jackson.  I went I 80 to Rock Springs then took US 191 up to Jackson.  I had to stop at Farson for an ice cream break.  I had stopped at the Wyoming Visitors Center in Cheyenne and the man behind the counter said they had the worlds best ice cream in Farson.  Okay...I can't say it is better than BlueBell but I had to give it a try didn't I?  I spent the next several days at the Jackson South KOA.  I had a spectacular view of the Tetons from my site!

WOW the Tetons are beautiful.  I had a wonderful few days visiting the park and enjoying Jackson.  There was still snow piled up around the Jenny Lake store and the creeks and rivers were running pretty full.  What a beautiful time of the year to travel through the area.   

                           

You just can't find prettier country than this!  I also saw lots of elk and moose in the area! 

My next blog will be about my time in Yellowstone!

"New" truck

Well, I had survived my first year of traveling alone! Wow, how blessed I was with new friends and experiences.  My only regret is that I did not hit the road years earlier!  I started off the year by giving myself a month off.  After working a Christmas season for See's I was pretty tired!  I decided to go down and spend a month in the Texas Hill Country.  So I made a reservation at the Pioneer River Resort in Bandera. http://www.pioneerriverresort.com/ Bandera is not a large town, but then I had just spent a couple of months living and working in a big city.  So I was ready for a little more slow pace!
On my way down there when I stopped on a hill my trailer tried to slide around.  Well....it was not real bad but I did feel it try to take control.  I had been thinking about upgrading my truck to an F250 so I decided to spend my time looking.  I ended up purchasing a 2002 F250 diesel.  Well...boy was that a mistake!

It was pretty to look at!  I was told it had been through over a hundered point inspection and that it was in great shape.  It even still had some warranty left!  I paid cash for  the difference between it and my 1999 F 150.  I think they saw me coming!  I purchased it in Marble falls and before I got back to Bandera I discovered the windshield wipers were rotten...Uh Oh!  I pulled into the Napa store parking lot and a really nice sales clerk changed them for me!

I told the dealership about it but all I got was "those are not covered under warranty"! Well duh but what about that 100 point inspection!   Now folks this was not a little used car lot it was the Ford dealer!  So much for customer service!  I should have known I was in trouble with this truck when I left the dealership after giving them the check!  The fuel gauge read empty and starting pinging as I turned out of the lot!  I hate purchasing vehicles!!  I always do my research so I know what is best for my needs and I know what the price should be but I expect other people to be honest! 

Well I enjoyed my month in Bandera.  Before I purchased the truck I made a trip to my cousin Nancy's house in Round Rock for a weekend.  Her husband Bob even took me truck shopping one day.  We really had fun running around Austin.  Then I spent a day visiting my cousin Bennie in New Brunsfelds.  He is a car guy!  After taking me to lunch he took me to check out some trucks too.  Unfortunately neither of these nice guys were able to find me a truck. 

Well Big Bend Motor Inn had called and pleaded with me to come back.  So after a little arm twisting and some rest I decided to go waitress again for February and March.  I was able to go a different way than I had ever been before.  Since I was south of I 10 I decided to go down 173  to US 90 and then across. Well I must say there is not a whole lot to see through there but it was interesting.  It got really interesting after I left Del Rio!  The truck started over heating.  Hmmmm  I was out in the middle of no where!  I made a stop when I got a cell signal.  I called Ford and they said I would have to take it to a Ford Dealer.  I asked where the nearest dealer was.  Well it was about 150 miles to Ft Stockton!   Believe me I was praying big time.  I called the Ford dealer in Ft Stockton.  He said it would be several days before he could get it in his shop. I asked if  he had any advice and he suggested I take it slow and watch my gauge! Then as needed add water! He said as long as I could keep the temp out of the red I should be fine. Well wasn't that a fun day. Out on the road alone pulling a trailer and watching a temp gauge! I stopped at Sanderson for the night.  I sure was glad to get into a campground and off the road.  After the truck cooled I added water as suggested. I had decided to go ahead and try for Big Bend after talking to the Ford service guy in Ft Stockton.  Well I made it by babying that truck.  When I arrived at the Big Bend Motor Inn & RV park I was unhooking my trailer and discovered a nail in the sidewall of one of the trailer tires!  Enough to make a person wonder what they were doing!  I called my roadside assistance and told them my problem.  They were really helpful and said they would send someone right out even though I told them the next day would be okay.  A few minutes after I hung up the phone it rang.  It was the roadside assistance lady.  She said she could not figure out where I was.  I explained to her again that I was just outside of Big Bend at the intersection of 118 & 170.  She still could not find me.  So I said look on your map and find Alpine, Texas.  Now look straight south about 78 miles!  Eureka she found me!  I assured her again that I was off the road and could wait until the next morning to have the tire changed.  She insisted on sending someone right on out.  Well about 3 hours later the guy showed up from Alpine.  It took him about 10 minutes to change the tire and get back on the road!  I had to sign the bill....it was $150. Sure glad I have roadside assistance! 

I did not have any trouble with the truck running hot again until my friend Margaret came by to see me.  We decided to go into Big Bend for the day.  When we arrived back at the campground there was steam coming out from under the hood.  Uh oh again!  I already had an appointment to get it worked on in Ft Stockton so I justed added water.  When I took it to get it worked on they said it could be one of 2 things and they had a new fan but not a new water pump.  So they put the new fan on and told me if it ran hot when I hooked up to haul out again they would work me in to put a water pump on. It was over one hundred miles to the dealership from the campground so it should overheat if it was going to before i reached Ft Stockton.  Well it did fine for the next month and a half....I thought the problem was solved.  After I left Study Butte headed to Mexia every thing seemed fine.  I even pulled the mountain out side of Alpine with no problem.  Well about 50 miles east of Ft Stockton oops!  Temp gauge nearly in the red again!  I debated going back but decided to continue at a slow pace.  I figured it would be easier to get it worked on in Mexia.  Besides I really don't like going back....I want to go forward.  I also knew once I hit Junction I would be close to Ford dealers all along my route.  Well it did fine the rest of the way with a little TLC. 

After I got to Mexia I asked my brother's advice.  He said it was 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other as to wither I would be better off to fix it or trade it in. I decided to do some internet searches and see if I could find another F250 that would not cost me too much more.  That was to be the deciding factor.

Well I found a 2005 F250 in Granbury, Texas.  After much praying and fretting I decided to go see it.  Well it was beautiful and only had a few miles on it.  The man that purchased it in October had decided he did not need a truck and so traded it back in.  It had only been used 5 months.  It was a little more than I had orginally wanted to spend but I decided to go for it.  It had a big gas engine and was rated to pull over 12,000 lbs!  I knew it could handle my trailer with no problem. 

 

Finally I found a keeper!

Fall 2005

It was hard to believe my first summer workamping was coming to a close.  I will always have fond memories of my days at Adventureland.
As September arrived I decided to purchase a new "home". The little 25 foot Jayco was okay but pretty small to live in full time.  Since I had the means I decided to go shopping for a new home.  I considered purchasing a fifth wheel but could not find one with all the things I wanted that I could tow with my 1/2 ton truck.  I found a Sunnybrook that I really, really liked but the dealer was not willing to deal with me!  He thought I would pay full price!  Duh everyone knows not to pay full price!   I had done a lot of research so I knew what was reasonable.  I continued to shop and found a Jayco 28FKS that I liked almost as well.  That dealer made me a good price and even threw in a power jack!  So I made the deal and returned in a couple of days to pick it up.  I packed all my belongings as best I could into garbage bags.  Then the day I was to move I put all my glassware and small appliances out on my picnic table and covered it with a tarp.  Off I went to sign the papers and  swap homes.

I had Adventureland friends arrive at the dealership to help.  The dealer pulled the two trailers door to door to make the move easy.  While I was signing the paperwork and writing the check my friends were moving my stuff!  Wow, you can't beat friends like those!  By the time I had the papers signed they had me moved!  All that was left was hooking up and hitting the street! 

I have to say I made a wish choice.  I lived in this trailer for three years and was very comfortable in it. Sometimes I wish I had it back!  The Sunnybrook dealer called me after I got the new Jayco to pressure me to take his!  I told him sorry I had purchased from a dealer that was willing to work with me!  Inside my new home!

One thing I really liked about my new trailer was all the windows!  When you live in a small space you appreciate windows.

As the season at Adventureland was winding down I was concerned that I was not finding winter employment.  I had been praying and searching for a job but had not had any luck.  One day I had gone over to tell Margaret B. goodbye and watch here leave.  She was heading out to her homebase of Omaha Nebraska.

A car pulled up as I was telling Margaret goodbye.  I thought the people had also come by to wish her well and tell her bye.  Wrong , they had come to see me!  Gary and Margaret S. were looking for help for the See's kiosk they would be managing in a mall for the Holiday season.  Some mutual friends had suggested they hire me!  Even better is the place they would be working.  The mall was in White Settlement Texas a suburb of Ft. Worth.  I can not tell you how happy I was to have a job offer.  The job did not start until November so I was going to have an opportunity to vacation! 

When I left Adventureland I caravaned over to Omaha Nebraska with some of my Advertureland buddies.  We stayed at the Offitt Air Force Base FAM camp.  While there we reconnected with Margaret and she took us on a tour of her City.  We visited the beautiful batonical gardens and the Omaha Zoo.

Alex, Don, Margaret, Dan & Rita

We really had a wonderful time visiting.  Margaret was a great tour guide.

When we left there we went our seperate ways...it sure was hard to say goodbye to the last of my Adventureland family.  It was really windy that day and before the day was over most of them called to make sure I made my destination okay. 

I headed off to Branson Missouri where I was to meet up with Johnny and Carol.  I arrived a few days before they did and set up in America's Best Campground.  Little did I know that in a few years I would work there.  The weekend before Johnny & Carol arrived I was able to spend a day at Silver Dollar City with Lisa, Butchie, Bethany & Sarah.  They had been visiting Butchie's family in Arkansas and came up to spend the day with me.

Me, Lisa and Sarah at Silver Dollar City

I guess I did not take my camera with me!  This is the only picture I can find of our day.  But hey I have memories! 

Johnny, Carol and I had a good time in Branson after they arrived.  We took in several shows and did some shopping.  Then I followed them back to Texas.  We stopped in Tyler and visited with Lori, Brad and Garrett on our way to Mexia.  It was the first chance I had to hold little Garrett.  It sure was good to see him. 

After arriving back in Mexia I took  a  day to go to Fort Worth to find a place to park my trailer when I went up there to work.  I could not stay in the same park as the rest of the Workampers because I have a dog.  I was able to find a park not far from the mall in White Settlement.  As a matter of fact it was also close to where my step dad Jack was living!  I sure enjoyed working in White Settlement and getting to visit with all my relatives in the Ft Worth area.  Working for See's is not really hard but wearing the funny uniform dress is uncomfortable!

While I was working for See's we had a pretty good ice event. Gary called me and told me not to come in one evening and then not to open up that he would.  Margaret and Gary were very considerate to work for.

This was my first year to work for See's but I worked 2 more seasons for them.  I worked in Lewisville, Texas in 2006 and Baton Rouge Lousiana in 2007.  Then I decided that was enough...I really don't like being in big cities and not being able to walk to work....what can I say I am spoiled!

We had Christmas that year at Lisa's home.  It was only about 20 minutes away.  It was sure nice to be with my family.  I sure miss them when I am traveling.

My Season at Adventureland

I had arrived at The Adventureland Campground safe and Sound.  I was a little nervous about working in an amusement park.  But hey it sounded like fun and all the things I had read about it were positive.  The day after my arrival I had a breakfast meeting at the human resources department.

This was the employee entrance!

At the meeting we were given 2 uniforms and our name tags after filling out the employment forms.  They had also asked about our pets.  They wanted to know who had pets so if there was a power outage they could send us home to tend to them.  Now that is thoughtful!

The amusement park has a Canteena attached to the employment office where we could eat inexpensively when we were on duty.  I must say for the most part the food was really good.  I loved chicken days!

We were informed of a staff meeting that would take place in a couple of days and sent on our way to enjoy the rest of the day. 

The park entrance for employees is on the opposite side of the park from the campground.  On days when the weather is not so nice it is a long walk.  There is some limited employee parking nearer the entrance but I figured by the time I got in the truck and drove around there and found a parking spot I might as well walk.  I can only remember driving a couple of times all summer.

The next day I got out and found Wal Mart.  It is just down the street from the Adventureland offices.  I really liked the little town of Altoona.  It pretty much had everything I needed.  It was nice working at Adventureland until Memorial day and after Labor day we only worked on the weekend. 

The day of the staff meeting we had a group meeting with most of the workampers.  Adventureland hires hundreds every year so there are lots of people with common lifestyles.  We all love our lives living in an RV and workamping.  After the group meeting we broke into smaller groups to meet with our direct surpervisors.  The people that were hired to work in the games department reported to the Bingo hall.  There we received our handbooks and were able to ask questions.  There are 3 games areas in Adventureland.  I asked our surpervisor after the meeting if it would be okay to walk around the park.  He said yes and 2 couples and another single lady joined me.  One of the couples had worked there the year before so were great guides.  In each of the 3 areas there are about a dozen games.  It was neat to rotate between the 3 areas and work different games.  By the end of the season I had worked all of the games at least once.  Some were more fun to work than others..but hey it was called work! 

My first day at work it was windy and cold.  The next day was even worse as it we had snow flurries!  I was lucky the second day as I was inside the arcade for all my shift.  I found the hardest part of working games was standing inside the little areas in one place most of the day.  I loved interacting with the guest. 

In the first few days my new friends Dan & Rita asked me to go out with a group for supper.  We went to a Mexican food place nearby.  I was blessed to meet Bob & Vicki there.  It was a neat group of people that seemed fascinated by the fact I was doing this alone.  That year there were several of us single ladies there.  I made friends that summer that will be friends for life.  I still keep in touch with a bunch of them.  This past year I have managed to even see Rosalie & Larry, Margaret and Bob and Vicki.  Since we are all mobile we seem to cross paths occasionally.  We keep in touch with phone calls and email that way we can plan our routes to include friends.

My summer in Iowa will always be a fond memory.  Other than the great friends I made visiting some of the sights in the area was fun.  I saw the Pella Tulip festival and even went back in September to visit the unique little town. 

The Pella Windmill.

I also visited the Bridges of Madison County and John Wayne's birthplace in Winterset Iowa.

One of the Bridges of Madison County

John Wayne's Birthplace.

Did you know that John Wayne weighed 13 lbs when he was born?  They lived in this small three room house at the time.  It was really cute but tiny!

In the fall I road the Boone Valley Railroad with a group of Adventureland buddies.

Inside the train!

A group of us were some of the last people of the season to float down the Iowa River on tubes! 

Ready to ride the river!

This was a fun group of people!  Rita and Margaret were great at planning things for us to do together!  All summer long we had pot lucks and pool parties.  Sometimes it was this group of people and sometimes it included way more.  Everyone was always welcome! 

While Iowa can be hot and humid and sometimes stormy it was still overall a great summer.  I will always be thankful to all the fine folks I met at Adventureland for making my first summer workamping experience the best!