Category Archives: Camping Life

Back home to Atlanta and a new grandbaby!

April 24, 2017 suzy 9 Comments

We left Tucson in mid March and headed back to Atlanta, GA. The main reason? Well, we were expecting the arrival of our first grandchild! Our trek to Atlanta took us through some great stops and I will definitely take the time to share them with you here over the next few weeks.

When we travel long distances, we like to go with the 3-3-3 Rule. Basically, it means no more than 3 hours of driving per day; or 300 miles per day; or arrival at a campground no later than 3:00 PM. Following one of those options each day means that Dave doesn’t get too tired and at the same time, we both get to enjoy the sights along the way.

So the route home to Atlanta took about three weeks, and included stops in Alamogordo, NM; Carlsbad, NM; Galveston, TX; Mobile, AL; and Martin Lake, AL. Stay tuned for more posts about the sites that we visited along the way!

We parked our coach in my daughter’s driveway and began baby watch. Meet our daughter, Amanda and her husband, Daniel. This photo was taken about a week before Esme was born.

Our daughter went into labor on Wednesday and it was wonderful to be there with her for this amazing experience.

Esmeralda was born on April 20, 2017 at 8:35 AM after a long sleepless night. She weighed 6 lbs. 1 oz. A beautiful perfect little baby girl!

She looks like a little doll, doesn’t she? Me? Well, I look like I’ve been up all night. But it wasn’t nearly as exhausting for me as her mom!

Baby Esme is a beautiful addition to our family! She is the first grandchild on my family’s side, and the first girl grandchild on Daniels family’s side.

Did I mention before how excited we are to be here? That is one of the best advantages of full time RVing!

We will be in Atlanta until around the end of June when we will start our next campground job. I am currently working on making that one official and will let you know as soon as we have something on paper.

In the meantime, we are enjoying the Atlanta area, our wonderful family and our beautiful granddaughter!

Camping Life

5 Things to think about before becoming a Full Time RVer

April 8, 2017 suzy 10 Comments

Living in a 400 square foot motor home isn’t for everyone. When we made this decision about 2 years ago, we weren’t really sure what we were getting into. All the planning for years in advance does not totally prepare you for the reality. But we knew that any obstacles would be figured out on the fly. I mean, you only live once, right?

So we jumped into it with both feet. Now that two years are behind us, we are so glad we made this life-changing decision. In an effort to keep things real and help out anyone else who is considering this lifestyle, here are 5 things to think about before you hit the road.

Downsizing is pretty painful

In order to fit your life into 400 square feet, you have to decide which possessions you can and cannot live without. Unfortunately, many of them will have to go, especially if your are a full timer that also sells their home like we did. I have to say that many of our treasured belongings went to people that did not treasure them nearly as much as we did.

As I talked about in my earlier post “Never Say Free on Facebook“, the hardest thing about simpler living is learning to let go.

What can you live without? Well, sometimes it takes a little time to know. We packed the bottom of our coach with those things we could not part with such as vintage books, golf clubs, various craft supplies and fabric. We have reached the point now that we will be going through those things again. What we haven’t used in the two years on the road will find a new place to live. Downsizing is hard, but it really is freeing.

Choose a coach with an all-weather package

Coaches are rated for living and traveling in various types of weather. Unfortunately, that is something we did not know when we bought ours. Ours is a bit shy on insulation and it really hates cold weather. Which means that we spend a bit of time each year avoiding cold weather and just like the snowbirds, head south in the winter.

Even so, places such as Tucson can get cold in the winter. This year we purchased an electric radiator to help keep the chill out. But we still have to worry about pipes freezing.

It is best to choose an all weather unit to ensure that it will hold up to temperature differences and be comfortable no matter where you are.

Choose a RV that works for your lifestyle

I have to say that love our washer and dryer. I would never want to have to hang out at the laundromat once a week like many of our coworkers do. We also love the large storage area under the coach.

When planning to hit the road consider what is important to you. What conveniences you really would love to have. Because once you are out on the road, those things are not always as easy to come by.

Gadgets make life easier. Be sure to check out my list of 10 Great Gadgets for the RVer.

Keep the clutter down to a roar

Living in tight quarters involves a bit of organization. We have two people and two dogs in our coach. Everything has a place. Otherwise craziness will ensue. I’m lying if I say that my RV is always organized, but each day I put in an effort to keep things down to a roar.

I am a professional crafter, and about half of the cabinets in our coach are designated for supplies. Keeping things organized helps keep us both sane.

What is great is the fact that there is always that amazingly beautiful place right outside our front door to enjoy when things get a little tight inside.

Keeping in touch with the rest of the world

I’ll tell you now, most campground wifi is not worth the effort. Occasionally, you will find a good one, but for the most part, there are too many people trying to access it, too many people trying to stream videos and not enough signal to compensate.

We use our own data most commonly, but that involves having a decent phone signal. We have actually turned down jobs where a phone signal was not existent. Because of my websites, this is one area where I cannot compromise.

While life on the road full time can be a major adjustment, we took the chance and have never looked back!

Camping Life

12 Great ways to make a living on the road!

March 24, 2017 suzy 3 Comments

We often get asked how we support ourselves on the road. Our answer up until now has been work camping and my website income. I wanted to show you 12 more ways to make a living on the road.

Of course, we have cut our living expenses down simply by not owning a home any more. Traveling as we do, our expenses include lot rent, insurance, our rv payment, food and spending.

You can lower your expenses even more by not having a rv payment, staying longer in one place, cooking at home and even boondocking (camping for free without water, electric or sewer connections) when you can. You really have a surprising control over your overhead.

But there will be overhead.

We chose this life to get away from the stress of a 40+ hour a week workweek. We wanted to get away from the traffic, the crowds, the chaos and the strict time schedules and wanted to be healthy and stress-free.

Having the freedom to decide how much you want to work and how much free time you want is one of the biggest advantages of living the RV lifestyle. And there are so many opportunities out there to take advantage of! I have talked a bit about work camping (working in campgrounds in exchange for a site and/or pay), but let’s talk about some of the other things out there!

Our main sources of seasonal employment opportunities are websites such as:

Work at KOA
Workamper News
Coolworks
Workers on Wheels

There are jobs to be found everywhere. You won’t get rich, but you should be able to support yourself and your lifestyle on the road. Seasonal and work from home positions are readily available if you look for them.

Here are some of the positions that we are considering for future:

Make a living as Guest services and maintenance at a resort ranch

Most resort ranches offer accommodations, hiking, water activities, horse back riding, fly fishing and often a full service restaurant. Positions available are usually seasonal, but offer a full range of interesting opportunities depending upon where your interests may lie. Often resorts will offer you pay along with room and board. In some instances, they have their own mini rv parks to house some of their employees.

Make a living Working at a lighthouse

Often this is a volunteer position, but there are instances where you can get paid as a park ranger. As a lighthouse worker, you would be responsible for overseeing the lighthouse and keeping it secure during off season. This job usually offers a place to stay on site (sometimes even a place for your coach).

Click here for more!

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Camping Life

A Review of 2016 on the Road

December 31, 2016 suzy 5 Comments

We left Atlanta in April of 2015 for a life on the road. Over the past nearly 2 years, we have enjoyed lots of great sights, met lots of fun people and experienced living in a 400 square foot “tiny home” with 2 dogs and one bathroom.

And this is just the beginning!

We get asked a lot if we will ever settle down again in a regular home. At this point in time, we have no plans for that. We have absolutely no regrets. We love our new roaming lifestyle and the fact that as we work-camp across the country, we get to actually experience each area as the locals do.

traveling in amarillo texas — Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, TX

With the year 2017 on the horizon, I wanted to do a review of the past year on the road along with some of the trials and tribulations that went along with it.

Many ask about our financials, so I will go into that a bit, along with a few things we have learned and experienced as we traveled this year.

Total Mileage this year

We began our year working in St. Petersburg, FL at the St. Petersburg KOA. Our job ended there near the end of March. Our next job would begin around May 1 in Williams, AZ, but we needed to make an extended stop in Atlanta due to health issues with our dog, Ralph.

Our route took us to Orlando, a short pit stop in our favorite campground on Tybee Island, then onto Atlanta for a total of 633 miles.

We then traveled westward through Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and finally Williams, AZ, right near the Grand Canyon. This was a total of 1,798 miles.

Our job in Williams ended on October 31 and our job in Tucson began on November 15. We took the long way with a detour through Laughlin, NV and Lake Havasu City, AZ, adding another 520 miles.

Grand total miles on the coach for 2016 was 2,951 miles.

Click here for more!

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Camping Life

Life in Tucson

December 8, 2016 suzy 9 Comments

As full time RVers and work campers, we find ourselves moving with the seasons. Most campgrounds hire for a six month long season. You can work longer if you’d like as long as the campground is open all year. Unfortunately, in the wintertime, most of the campgrounds in the northern section of the United States close due to inclement weather.

And not to mention, our coach has issues with below freezing temperatures. In the future, we have learned that when buying a coach, you need to get what they call a “Polar Package”. This includes not only heated floors, but extra insulation and a heated undercarriage. These were things we didn’t think about at the time, and as usual, we learn the hard way.

With that said, we move to warmer weather just as the snowbirds do. In fact, I guess that makes us snowbirds too! LOL!

We find the majority of our work camping jobs on the internet and in May, we ran across an opening at the Lazy Days Tucson KOA for kitchen staff. After several seasons of working the front desk, reservations and check ins, we decided we would love to have a small break. So we applied. I figured we would either love it or hate it, but either way- we only will be there through the winter.

Why stay in Arizona? Northern Arizona was absolutely beautiful with its pine forests and high mountains. We wanted to also experience the desert of Arizona. Tucson is located in southern Arizona very near the Mexico border. Here we can experience the local desert, beautiful Saguaro forests, local Indian and Mexican influences, and much more.

We arrived here in the middle of November and enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving celebration with everyone on the campground.

Tucson KOA is a huge campground with around 500 sites. Every site is gravel, with a poured concrete patio and and a small asphalt driveway for your vehicle. And every single site has at least one fruit tree.

Click here for more!

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Camping Life

Autumn in Northern Arizona

November 3, 2016 suzy 4 Comments

We we planned our move to Arizona for the summer, the last thing I was expecting was to see beautiful leaves in the fall! It’s a desert, right?

Wrong.

Depending upon the altitude, Northern Arizona is a mix of tall pines and hardwoods such as Aspens. So with Fall in full bloom, we took advantage of a few days off and checked out the local foliage at the San Francisco Peaks.

A perfect way to say goodbye to this beautiful part of the country.

You see, we will be heading out of Williams this week and on to our next destination. Time flies when you are having fun, right?

And there appears to be bears in the vicinity! Who knew?

All this time we have been here, the only wildlife that we have come across besides those animals at Bearizona and the petting zoo was the occasional Abert Squirrel!

Luck was with us and we actually got photo bombed!

But seriously. It has been an amazing experience here.

Lot’s of things are happening at the Circle Pines KOA as we finish out the season. They erected a new huge sign for the entranceway. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?

We spent this past week telling all of our friends and coworkers goodbye. Starting a season can be exciting, but finishing one out can be sad. We may run into some of our friends again along the road. It is a small world after all.

But part of being a seasonal worker is making new friends along the way.

So what have we been doing these past few weeks besides checking out leaves and saying goodbye to our friends?

Well, there were plumbing issues. Seems that we should have named our coach “Always Something”. Fortunately, Dave and Ralph had it handled in no time.

And speaking of Ralph. His diabetes has not been under control. About 3 months ago, he suddenly lost his vision. The local vet recommended a specialist down in Phoenix. We had to mull it over a bit as the cost was pretty high.

One of Ralph’s favorite past times is sitting in the window watching the squirrels. When his eyesight deteriorated, not only was he running into things, but his demeanor changed. He became depressed and not his normal self.

We were told that we had to get the diabetes in check before they could do anything about his eyes. So, we spent the last few months keeping him on a strict prescription diet and having his glucose levels checked weekly.

On October 5, we finally were able to get the surgery done. Ralph had two new lenses put in his eyes.

Yep. We bit the bullet and spent the money. Ralph is one of the family after all.

Recovery from the surgery takes about 6 weeks total. And for many of those weeks, we had to keep him in the “cone of shame” full time. This meant that I had to hand feed him. And he had to learn how to get around with that huge cone on his head.

A few weeks ago, we finally got to see his big brown eyes again. I think he is really enjoying the fact that he can see his old nemesis the Abert Squirrel.

He has a few more weeks of recovery, but he can already see better than I can.

So that has been our last month in Williams. Saying goodbye, fixing problems with the coach and helping Ralph recover from surgery. Oh, and I’m putting together a video of our season here. I should have it ready this week. So stay tuned.

We will be leaving the area this week and heading onto Laughlin, NV and Lake Havasu City for a short break before we go to our next job in Tucson, AZ. I have to say that we will both miss the Williams area.

And who knows, maybe we will come back one day! It totally could happen.

Camping Life

Of hail storms, tumbleweeds and crazy looking squirrels…

August 10, 2016 suzy 22 Comments

We have been here in the high desert about three months now. Time is certainly flying by! We are half way through our season at the Circle Pines KOA in Williams, AZ already.

I want to talk about a few unusual things that we have discovered here in this beautiful place. Things like extreme weather, tumbleweeds and funky squirrels.

Oh my!

Northern Arizona was really not what we were expecting. Having never been to Arizona before, I figured we would be living in a desert. And true to form, much of Arizona is just that. But the towns of Williams and the Flagstaff area sit at about 7300 feet above sea level.

And that makes all the difference in the world!

At such high altitude, we often have folks showing up at the campground with altitude sickness. It takes at least three days for your body to adjust.

You also have to think about things such as adding flour to your baking recipes and the fact that water boils much slower.

But I’d have to say that the biggest thing to get used to was the quick and dramatic changes of weather that are so common here in the high desert.

Monsoon Season

When visiting the town of Sedona a few weeks ago, we took a bunch of photos of the beautiful rock formations and the gathering clouds behind them. It was in the 80’s that day. Sunny and warm.

And then we went into a restaurant to have lunch.

We came out to several inches of pea sized hail and temperatures in the 60’s! Freak storm? Hardly.

It seems that at this altitude, these types of storms are quite common.

Especially during the Monsoon season of mid July through August. Most days are sunny and temperate. Most afternoons are full of interesting surprises.

We are right in the clouds. Thunderstorms can be very dangerous. The weather here can kill those that do not properly respect it.

Click here for more!

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Camping Life

Work Camping : The good, the bad and the ugly…

July 13, 2016 suzy 27 Comments

When we originally decided that we wanted to become full time RVers, we weren’t exactly sure how to go about it financially. You see, we were both working for huge corporations in Atlanta, making good money, living in a big house with lots of big bills.

We knew what we wanted to do, but it looked like it would take years of saving to get there.

Then one day I ran across information on work camping on the internet. Apparently, you could work for a campground, making an hourly wage and even get a free spot to stay while you are there! It seemed like the answer.

With the income from my websites, and the campground supplying a spot to stay and spending money too, it made it possible for our dreams to come true even earlier than we expected.

We sold our home and most everything we owned last April and hit the road in our RV.

Our expenses at the start included a RV payment, health insurance, vehicle insurance, phone/internet bill, approximately $500 per month in overhead for my websites, and of course food and spending money.

We have been on the road for nearly a year and a half now, and we are successfully living on the income from my websites and the income from the campgrounds that we have worked at.

So, let’s take a look at this phenomenon called work camping.

As an insider, I would love to share with you some of the truths about this way to make a living.

Click here to read about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

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Camping Life

An insiders look at Campground Etiquette

June 5, 2016 suzy 6 Comments

As full time campers and work campers, we have come to the conclusion that for the most part, other campers are awesome! We all have so much in common. We love the outdoors, we enjoy cooking on the grill, we enjoy the stars at night.

But there is always one bad apple in the barrel. Isn’t there?

rv life camping etiquette — Circle Pines KOA, Williams, AZ

The problem is that most campgrounds this time of year become very full. A larger campground such as the one we worked in St. Petersburg, Florida has nearly 500 campsites.

Filled to capacity, you are looking at the very least, 1000 people crammed into one campground! St. Petersburg KOA was full to capacity the entire winter season that we were there.

The closer people camp together, the grouchier they become. It’s just a fact.

That is why campgrounds have the need to post rules. Usually you will receive a pamphlet of rules along with a map of the campground upon arrival. Some of those rules may seem a tad restrictive, but I have to tell you that there is a reason for every one of them.

As campground workers, we are more than aware of some of the biggest pet peeves of those that camp around us. Here is our list of the top 10 complaints that we receive at the campground and how to avoid being the bad apple.

Top Ten Rules of Campground Etiquette

life at the campground — Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA, Maine

10. Quiet time is not just a suggestion

Many of the campgrounds that we have worked at post quiet time as 10:00 PM at night until 7:00 AM. Why? Well, some folks want to sleep at night. Common courtesy is at play here.

Yes, we are all on vacation, but do respect your neighbors and keep the noise down after 10:00 PM. Most campgrounds try to enforce quiet time as best as possible, but we cannot be at all places at all times.

Click here for the rest of the list!

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Camping Life

Our experience dealing with Canine Diabetes

April 22, 2016 suzy 10 Comments

We are finally back on the road, heading to our summer destination, Williams, AZ. I wanted to talk a bit about some of the things that have been going on behind the scenes. Traveling with animals is a joy, but keeping them healthy while doing so can sometimes be a challenge.

I firmly believe that if we hadn’t been traveling that I would not have noticed Ralph’s symptoms so quickly.

You see, one of the things about the RV lifestyle is that we are all well aware of each other’s daily routines. Walking the dogs three times a day, along with extra potty breaks here and there had become routine after a year on the road.

We knew what was normal.

And then suddenly, Ralph couldn’t hold it any more. He was dribbling everywhere. He had to go every 2 hours, day or night. We were alarmed at the change.

At the time, we were in St. Petersburg, FL, so we inquired about a good vet in the area and then took him for an exam.

He was diagnosed with bladder stones and Diabetes. They preformed emergency surgery to remove the stones blocking his urethra and those in his bladder.

After recovery, they put him on insulin. Two shots a day. And I’m the chosen one to give them to him. Me. The person who has never given a shot before.

But I drew short straw because neither has Dave and he doesn’t do poop, yak, or apparently shots either.

The vet says it’s easy! (As he pokes Ralph with a needle numerous times while Ralph just sits there looking like he’s thinking about his next milk bone).

So that evening, with our new supply of syringes and insulin, I made my first attempt at giving Ralph his shot. Dave held him, I grabbed a fold of skin and injected him.

Ralph screamed.

I screamed.

Ralph very nearly bit Dave.

OMG. I don’t think we can do this! I turned into a blubbering idiot, while Ralph hid under the table. I didn’t want my dog to be afraid of me. But twice a day for the rest of his life, I was going to have to do this.

I called my oldest daughter, who just happens to draw blood for a living. She talked me through how to hold the needle and give the shot quickly.

It would take some practice. Lots of practice.

I’m a night owl, and can go back to sleep in a heartbeat, so I ended up with night shift duties. Ralph still was dribbling, was drinking tons of water, and losing weight.

Consistently for 6 weeks, Ralph had to go out every two hours. He was now down nearly 5 pounds. His ribs were showing. Despite increasing the insulin dosage about every week under the vet’s direction, Ralph’s health was deteriorating.

Click here to continue reading…

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The Traveling Sitcom

Category Archives: Camping Life

Back home to Atlanta and a new grandbaby!

5 Things to think about before becoming a Full Time RVer

Downsizing is pretty painful

Choose a coach with an all-weather package

Choose a RV that works for your lifestyle

Keep the clutter down to a roar

Keeping in touch with the rest of the world

12 Great ways to make a living on the road!

Make a living as Guest services and maintenance at a resort ranch

Make a living Working at a lighthouse

A Review of 2016 on the Road

Total Mileage this year

Life in Tucson

Autumn in Northern Arizona

Of hail storms, tumbleweeds and crazy looking squirrels…

Monsoon Season

Work Camping : The good, the bad and the ugly…

An insiders look at Campground Etiquette

Top Ten Rules of Campground Etiquette

10. Quiet time is not just a suggestion

Our experience dealing with Canine Diabetes

RV Camping and Travel