We've Arrived - Grand Teton National Park

Moose, WY (36 degrees, rain and sleet)

We've traveled over 2600 miles from Sanibel to the Grand Tetons National Park to begin our next adventure.  Our trip, except for one flat tire on our jeep and  high winds in Kansas, was very uneventful. There sure are a whole lot of miles between Florida and Wyoming.

Our route from Sanibel FL to Moose WY

We had to travel quickly to meet a deadline to start our next job with Grand Tetons Association. This is a non-profit association which run six book stores in the area. John will help receive all the inventory for the bookstores and take the items out to them.  I'll be working in administration and initially will help get all the new employees set up. We will be working full time until October 10th.  Traveling an average 400 mile a day is not really our style but it was worth it to take advantage of being able to be in this beautiful place. 

Kansas

Kansas was endless and very boring.  We  had to spend two nights in Russell waiting out the high 50 mph winds.  The Triple J RV park camp host was very friendly and our best meal was in nearby Hoyt at a unique brewery.  I use a Yelp app on my smartphone to help us find restaurants.  It really comes in handy and sometimes there are special offers through the app for the restaurant.  

Another handy guide book while traveling is Next Exit.  Do you have one?  It tells you what is located at each exit on your road.  For example, it lists the restaurants, gas stations which are big rig friendly, stores, and campgrounds. It is organized by state and major highways.  As John is driving I use it to plan ahead for a diesel gas station, rest stop, or place eat.  

Yes, ti's a reindeer at our campground

Some of the campgrounds were very bleak between Kansas and Wyoming.  Spring has not arrived yet and the fields are bare. The people we meet were very friendly.  

RV World, Rawlins, WY

RV World

Finally the mountains and something we have not seen for a long time, snow, appeared.  As we approached Jackson the views were spectacular despite the rainy weather.  

Our campground is within the Grand Teton National Park.  As we were driving down the road we saw five moose hanging out together.  They are huge and such a great welcoming committee.

Our campground is called Gros Ventre. This is a huge primitive campground for visitors and within it is a full hook up campground for employees.  This big moose was hanging out very near our site.

There are only a few other people staying here right now.  We arrived late in the afternoon and did not meet anyone. Our site was pre-assigned and is very small.  It's so small we had to park our motorhome sideways to avoid being out in the road.  We'll talk to our boss on Monday and see if an alternate site can be found.  

After setting up we went into Jackson for dinner.  During the early season many of the great restaurants offer a buy one, get one dinner free.  It was very chilly so we didn't spend much time there after dinner but saw these buffalo on the way back and if you look closely there were herds of elk everywhere..  

Buffalo

 I think we are going to like it here very much. 

THE END

Elk

On The Road Again - Westward Ho!

"Goin' place that I've never been,

Seein' things that I may never see again,

I can't wait to be on the road again. (Willie Nelson)

We are now back on the road again and heading to Wyoming for the spring, summer, and fall.  Over 1900 miles are ahead of us and we have to travel quicker than usual in order to arrive in time.  

Our resident volunteer friends at Ding Darling held a nice going away dinner for us at Grandma Dot's.  We will miss them very much and plan on keeping in touch.

We use Microsoft's Streets and Trips to help plan our route.  It's SO helpful.  In the route planner you can enter where you want to start and end.  Then you add start and stop time for each day, how often you want to stop for a rest/meals, mileage per gallon and it then shows you on your route where an estimated stopping point is for each day, mileage, and total cost for fuel for the trip.  I use these breaking points to help find nearby places to camp.  

Here is an outline of our trip and stops.  

What I really like is the ability to import pin sets for all types of options.  For instance, you can drop in a pin set which shows you where the nearby Passport America discount campgrounds are located.  Or, I can drop in Elks Lodges which offer camp sites at their lodge.  Some of the other options are Military Campgrounds, Walmarts, Escapee Parks, Casino's with RV parks. Flying J's, and all kinds of restaurants. The software comes with many campgrounds and National Parks already built in but the additional pin sets are easy to add on and so helpful.  

Here is an example of Passport America campgrounds near one of our stopping points.  You just pick one of the locations and  the software puts your route together.  It has helped us find so many great campgrounds.  I have found campground guidebooks to not be very helpful because they are organized by a city.  It's very hard to know the exact city where you want to stop and many great campgrounds might be nearby with a different city address.

I use Streets and Trips for planning only.  You can also buy it with GPS navigation, but I find the navigation with my Smartphone and paper maps are a better option.  

I keep a map of our route each year with all the campgrounds.  It's a great reference for finding a campground you really liked in the past.  There is a bit of learning curve involved with this program and I found Geeks on Tour tutorials to be very helpful.  Geeks on Tour offer quick 5-7 minute how to videos which walk you through how to use this program and add additional pin sets.  If you don't know about Geeks on Tour, be sure to click this link.  I have learned so much from them and it keeps me up to date on blogging, Picasa, cell phones, and technology of all kinds.  

Another great tool I use for planning and finding campgrounds is Allstays.  It's an app on my IPad and its has filters which help you find your favorite type of campground. We tend to like state parks, county parks, and Corp of Engineer Parks. How about you?  

Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway

We're the best of friends,

Insisting that the world keep turning our way.

Our first stop after leaving Sanibel was to have some RV repair done.  Our lock to our door was not working properly and was getting harder and harder to open.  John had looked at the mechanism and decided it was above his pay grade.  A mobile RV repair person recommended Alliance RV repair in Wildwood Florida.  They have a free campground in the back if you are having repairs completed.  They quickly diagnosed the problem and replaced the lock and cable.  We were very impressed with them and would stop there again if needed.  

This facility is outside a very famous retirement community called the Villages.  We drove through parts of it while we were waiting on our repairs.There is housing of all types and price range and it even has it's own zip code.  Golf carts were zipping around everywhere. and some of these were pretty amazing.  There were some beautiful golf courses and homes.  

Alliance RV Repair

Our next stop was in Ocala at the Cummins South facility.  We stop here every year to have routine maintenance for our diesel engine.  They also have a free campground in the back.  We met Leonard and Sondra who are considering the full timing lifestyle.  They had lots of questions and the time flew by quickly as we waited for our service to be completed. We wish them success in selling their home this year and getting on the road soon.  

Getting ready to leave Ocala

Georgia was our next stop.  Spring was in full tilt and the flowering dogwoods were lovely.  We stayed at a military campground called Navy Lake Site in Allatoona.  It was NOT big rig friendly.   I had read the reviews and website and John had talked to the staff.  No one mentioned how difficult it would be to stay here in a big rig.  The roads were very steep, windy, and there were lots of over hanging limbs.  John is a great driver but he found it very stressful.  The site we were assigned was basically along a steep hill and impossible to level. We did not extend our slides.  We arrived after the office was closed, however, there did not appear to be an alternate site which would have worked  It was a very pretty campground but not for rigs our size.  At least we were only there for one night.  Our usual length of stay is at least a week.  

Our site at Navy Lake

The next two nights were spent at Passport America campgrounds.  Do you use them?  We have found them to be great when you need a quick over night stay.  The price is reasonable (usually around $15-20/night) and the campgrounds are usually a nice place to stay.  

Little Grassy Lake Campground was located near Carbondale Illinois in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.  It was very nice and the campground host was so friendly after a long day of driving through four states.  We would have liked to have stayed longer due to great kayaking opportunities.  

Little Grassy Lake

Missouri was our next state and we stayed at Lake Paradise Resort in Lone Jack. It is a large campground with five lakes and the largest pool in Missouri.  It was pretty much empty this time of year but it looked very nice and well kept.  Our pull through site along one of the lakes was very pleasant.

We are making good time and on average have been driving about 400 miles a day.  We try to always be in a campground by 4pm.  Driving into a unknown campground at night is not a good idea.

So check back soon as we continue to travel  down the highway.  Thanks for stopping by.

and our way is on the road again!"

Last Day @ Ding & Upcoming Plans

Sanibel, FL (82 degrees, blue skies, humid)

Going Away Party for the Volunteer Residents

Our last day of volunteering at J.N. Ding Darling NWR was today. It was difficult to say goodbye to all our friends and staff. We have had such a wonderful experience and plan to return again next winter. When we first started full timing we decided to not return to the same destination, however, never say never. Sanibel and this refuge are very special and we are thrilled to be coming back again.

I gave my last Alligator/Crocodile talk today. I love doing this program and today a real alligator swam up behind the shelter to show off for the crowd. It's interesting doing talks which can be interrupted by nature. I've learned to be very flexible with these talks and having a real alligator nearby trumps a photograph or display anytime.

Crocodile skelaton

The skulls of the crocodile and alligator are a big hit. I use them to demonstrate the differences between them. I also have teeth, scutes, a hatchling in an egg, Caiman skin purse, photographs, and even a hair ball (big hit with kids). The rope is used to demonstrate the different lengths of these reptiles as they grow. So, if you have any questions about alligators just let me know.  Later in the day we stopped for lunch at a local deli and someone pointed at me and said "hey, there's the alligator lady".  Too funny. Who would have thought I'd be an expert in this topic.  Life as a refuge volunteer opens up some cool opportunities.  :)

Alligator skull

The resident volunteers have become such good friends. We have shared lots of meals, birding, kayaking, and so many laughs together. They are all very talented and generously volunteer their time to the refuge in many capacities.

Charlie and Lynda

Charlie and Lynda have volunteered at the refuge for three winter seasons. They volunteer with the education department and assist with the local school programs and community outreach.  Grade schools come to the refuge for a full day of learning about habitats.  Half of the day is spent at the refuge and the other half at the Shell Museum.  They sure have a lot of patience with all those little ones. They also do an interesting program for Elderhostel.

Linda and Allen 

Linda and Allen are interpretive volunteers and give a wide variety of free programs for visitors such as birding in the refuge, reptiles, raptors, and nature/plant walks.  They also help out in the visitor/education center.This is their fourth winter season and Jimmy has loved their dogs Phaedra and Zoe too.

Patsy and Bob

Patsy volunteers in the visitor center and assists the Refuge Volunteer Coordinator (Jeff)  in a myriad of duties. She sure stays calm in a very hectic enviorment.  Did you know the refuge has over 700,000 visitors a year? Many of them start at the visitor center and she helps coordinates with Jeff over 260 volunteers.  Most of them work at the information desk in the center.  Bob volunteers in maintenance department and works with John each week. He's a very handy guy.  Be sure to read our previous post about what it's like to be a maintenance volunteer.  

They will be volunteering for the Elk Refuge this summer in Jackson Wyoming. They helped us get our next "gig". More about this later in the post.

Patty, Jack, and John

Patty and Jack are interpretive volunteers too. They give some great programs including one about the Caloosa Indians. In addition, they assist in the visitor center and with the Duck Stamp program.

We also had two other resident volunteers, Ginny and Ken.  Ginny worked in administration and Ken worked in maintenance.  They left a few weeks ago and most everyone else leaves after the Easter holidays.  

Joyce, Toni, Allen, and Linda

The refuge held a fun going away luncheon for us. Joyce (Deputy Refuge Manager) pictured above is John's boss in the maintenance  department. Toni is the Lead Refuge Ranger, whose endless energy and enthusiasm for refuge is contagious.  

Becky and Jeff

Jeff is our amazing volunteer coordinator. He wears many hats at the refuge and is so knowledgeable. We really appreciate all he does for us. Becky is the Education Coordinator and  she is very busy with all the school programs and the Junior Duck Stamp Program.

Jimmy loves it here too. Catching a lizard is his life quest but to date he has not been successful. He is also very busy guarding our coach while we are working and taking lots of naps. Being a Parrothead, he thinks Florida is a perfect location.

Jimmy Doodle

Today we said goodbye and packed up all our stuff. Getting ready to leave always takes several days of prep after you've been in one place for an extended time. 

We are excited to be heading west over 1900 miles and are planning on spending five months in the Grand Tetons National Park area in Wyoming. We will be working for the Grand Teton Association. This is a non- profit organization which operate six book stores in the area. All the profits go to the National Park and supply the brochure you receive upon entering and other programs the Federal Government cannot provide. Ding Darling has a similar Friends Group called the Ding Darling Society. Our beautiful sites at the refuge were built with some of these funds. Over five million dollars was raised to build the visitor center at the refuge. These Friends Groups fund a wide variety of projects and services and are so valuable.

John will be working in the warehouse organizing bookstore items which comes in and delivering them to the bookstores. I'll be working in administration answering phones, filing, helping with fund raisers and "other duties as assigned". Check back soon for all the details and by all means stop by and see us if you are in the area. Yellowstone National Park is a close neighbor. 

Oh, did I mention its snowing in the Tetons right now.  After being in Florida for a year and a half it's going to be shock. Stay tuned.  

Grand Teton National Park

The Day In The LIfe of a Resident Refuge Maintenance Volunteer

J.N. Ding Darling NWR (Sanibel, FL)  82 degrees, blue skies

We will soon be finishing up our winter volunteer assignment at J.N. Ding Darling NWR. I thought it might be fun to let you know how John spends a typical day volunteering at this beautiful refuge.  John works three, eight shifts per week, and this is how he spent last Friday.

His day starts very early at 6:30 a.m before the refuge is open.  Dawn is breaking and the no-see-ums can be fierce if there is not a breeze.  Sometimes a little bit of "sanibel aftershave" is needed (aka bug spray).

Dawn at the refuge

First task of the day is blowing the parking lot, sidewalks, and ramp leading up to the visitor center removing debris and leaves.  Trash is also picked up from several areas and taken to the main dumpster.

Blowing the sidewalk and parking lot outside of the refuge

Afterwards there is a meeting with the maintenance refuge staff and tentative plans are made for the day.  John says it's always tentative because "stuff" happens. Today a boat motor had stopped working on the biology boat and their next stop after the meeting was to  check it out. On Friday John worked with Toby, an employee whose position is shared with the refuge and SCCF (Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation).  

Biology Boat

After examining the motor it was  determined the boat needed to be taken to the marina for more extensive repairs and it was towed.

Working tow boat (John & Toby(

Getting ready to tow the biology boat

Mission accomplished, now on to the next task.  A sign in  Tarpon Bay needed a small repair.

It was a nice day out on the water.  It's a tough job, but someone has to volunteer.  :)

Upon return to the refuge, the boat was dropped off and washed down.  Equipment is kept in good working order on the refuge.  The maintenance department has some some very nice equipment.  We have worked for campgrounds in the past and having good, well maintained equipment, to use is not always the case.  

Next stop is out to one of the trails to do a little bit of maintenance.  

Look who is peaking out beneath the brush.  Can you see him?

Here is a closer view.  It's a huge gopher tortoise.  Pretty cool!  Being surrounded by nature is such an added benefit.

Part of the day is spent driving to all the locations needing some maintenance or going out ot get supplies. A truck is provided for use while you are working.

Next stop...a bathroom toilet is leaking in the administration office.  Toilets are always a one or two "tripper" to fix.  Usually some parts are necessary and these have to be picked up at a local hardware store if not in stock.  

The last job involved a little bit of mowing.  Let's just say there is a lot of grass to mow on this island and it grows very fast in Florida.

Well, the day is now over.  A maintenance volunteers job is really never done.  There is always a very long "honey do" list.  John has really enjoyed this volunteering job very much. Everyday is different and there is a lot of variety. He feels his skills are valued and appreciated and he has learned a lot too. Life is good!