Crazy Busy Memorial Day Weekend As Workampers

Watkins Glen KOA, NY (95 degrees, hot and humid)

Part of campground before Memorial Day Weekend

We went from having about 10-15 campers arrive each day at the campground to over 200 in one day.  Whew, it was a crazy and wild weekend.  By 9pm on Friday we were completely sold out except for a few primitive tent sites.  There were campers, tents, kids, and dogs everywhere. The indoor pool was a zoo. 

Same area during Memorial Day Weekend

The time just flew by on Friday as we registered the arriving campers  Many of the campers have been here before and  make their reservations for next Memorial Day before leaving.  All forms and campground maps had been made up in advance which cut down on registration time.  There were three of us at the desk and the owners and guys were out in the campground assisting campers and controlling traffic. It was nerve wracking and exhilarating all at the same time.  I’ve never been involved in anything quite like this before. 

Fun at the jumping pillow

The SummerShiners had lots of activities planned for the families.  They are the college students who live at the campground all summer and organize activities for the campers. We handed out a sheet detailing the  activities such as tie dying t-shirts, flashlight  candy hunts, laser tag, mini golf tournaments, movies in the woods, and much more.  A breakfast was also served on Saturday and Sunday morning which is cooked by two local ladies. They also clean all our cabins and cottages.

I spent Saturday and Sunday in the office mostly ringing up store sales, ice, and firewood.  Plus, I helped dip a whole lot of ice cream cones.  I’m still not very good at it but no one seems to notice. It was non stop action.  John picked up and hauled a whole lot of trash and helped lots of campers with minor issues and  repairs. 

John

There were a few glitches.  One girl had a severe sprain playing laser tag and an ambulance was called.  Another young man needed stitches after cutting his foot in the pool area.  There were a few electrical problems and our phone and computers went out for awhile. Oh, and the sewer backed up which required a back hoe.  I’m not sure the campers were aware of many of these challenges.  We just kept on smiling and then collapsed in our recliner chairs after getting back to the rig each evening. 

Running a big campground like this is a huge undertaking.  Until we worked for a campground we really thought owners only had to cut grass occasionally and collect fees.  Not!  There is much more involved with maintenance, crowd control, and problem solving then we ever were aware of prior to being workampers.  And, it takes a whole lot of cash outlay by the owners to keep everything  in good shape. 

Monday afternoon the campers were gone except for their trash.  Suddenly it was quiet again and sort of surreal. 

We are off today and decided to take it easy.  We tried a local restaurant for breakfast and  later we saw the fun movie– Men in Black 3.  It is hilarious. 

It’s going to be a very busy summer!



Visiting Another Finger Lake–Cayuga Lake

Ithaca, NY (68 degrees, rain on and off)

Cornell University Campus

Weather did not cooperate on our day off with our plans to go kayaking.  We have plans to attend the Ithaca Festival on June 2nd with John’s sister.  It’s a cool event held each year featuring 150 performing groups, crafts, and great food.  It’s sure to be crowded so we decided to drive to Ithaca and check out the city ahead of time. 

Herbert J. Johnson Museum of Art

Ithaca is a very hilly city on the south shore of Cayuga Lake and Cornell University is the centerpiece.  I could not get very many pictures due to the rainy weather.  On our next trip we plan to explore the campus more. 

John & Jimmy

We dropped our bikes off at the Bike Shop for a tune up.  They have certainly taken a beating spending most of their time on a bike rake at the rear of our motorcoach.  We also stopped at the visitor center and picked up some information and a map for the area.  Due to the hilly terrain navigating this city is not very easy and a map comes in very handy.  Plus, my Droid navigation is priceless.

The weather improved in the afternoon and we were able to check out two pretty waterfalls near the campus.  Across the street from the museum is a  suspension bridge overlooking Fall Creek Gorge.

Fall Creek Gorge

Overlooking south end of Cayuga Lake

This is the tributary which feeds the spectacular Ithaca Falls. We then drove down to the base of the falls to see it in all it’s splendor  It cascades over 100 feet and is 175 feet wide.

Ithaca Falls

Later in the afternoon we found The Commons, a  shopping area where the Ithaca Festival is going to be held.  Two days ago our manager of the KOA delivered a baby boy named Wesley.  We found some baby toys at a cute shop called Alphabet Soup  for the new arrival. 

Waterway leading to Cayuga Lake

We are also planning a kayaking trip in Ithaca and checked out a local livery called Puddledockers.   We made reservations for a kayak for next Sunday.  It looks like  a great place to paddle.  You can see  a lighthouse, bird sanctuary and  it’s possible to even pull up to some outdoor restaurants for lunch or “refreshments”.  The livery is located on a waterway which feeds into Cayuga Lake.

Maxie's Supper Club

We had dinner at Maxie’s Supper Club and Oyster Bar, a fun New Orleans style restaurant. Our meals were great and the prices were reasonable.  It was nice to eat out on their patio and there is live music on the weekends. 

On our way home we traveled along the west side of Cayuga Lake.  It is difficult to see much of the lake from the road.  There are houses all along the shore but it is heavily wooded.  We did get a brief look at the lake from one pull out. 

We are looking forward to next weekend and spending some time with Martha.  We’ll be busy at the campground the rest of this week.  It’s completely sold out for the weekend. 

On this Memorial Day weekend we wish to extend a specail tribute to all who have served, suffered, or died to protect us and our freedom.