BOONDOCKING...vs. CAMP HOST JOBS

Honestly...it takes a LOT of faith to get a great camp host job or to otherwise find  your perfect "free spot".  We lucked onto a terrific ebook on free camping sites at:  www. frugal-rv-travel.com, "A Frugal Shunpiker's Guide" by Marianne Edwards.  It cost a few dollars, but was so worth it.  [Click on our Amazon link at the top-right and get your own boondocking books.]  True to Marianne's word, she sends detailed updates and/or corrections.  We have also tried our luck by "surfing the web" for free spots...and the truth is, even web pages where the author seemed quite knowledgeable and the information very detailed, we'd be off on a wild goose chase most often.  BLM camping spots would have new development, if they were close to "civilization"; and roads to some destinations were mere figments of some one's imagination (or poor memory).  We learned the hard way its best to talk with someone who has camped-4-free very recently and can give you reliable information.  Let's give you a recent example of one of our "goofs":

First, we went on internet info on a road west of Tucson that went from rough to sandy dirt and then to desolation.  We felt we needed "protection", especially after reading the "welcome" sign below.  Bob had never fired his bit of a gun, so he decided to see if it actually worked.  It did, and I took a bit of film to prove it.  Then check out the last photo of our actual camp site.  Seriously...what is there to do at this spot?  It was coming into focus:  These spots are free because that's what they are worth.  We locked ourselves into the RV and waited for first light.  It was the very next day, in the nearby Arizona Sonora-Desert Museum, we happened to run into an officer who did border patrol in the area.  He told us we were crazy to have camped where we did....that there were regular shootings in the area as it's a hotly contested drug trafficking route.  The sign with the bullet holes was not even close to being a sufficient warning for the risks involved in being alone at night (anywhere) in the area.  Ahhhh.....crap!

The above shadows belong to two lonely, nervous campers.

So....what about free camping as a camp host?  We got a job offer at St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, a preserve for open grassy forests of longleaf pine that were once commonplace throughout Florida. Their brochure reads, "The pine flatwoods form a backdrop for other biological communities, including cypress domes, scrubby flatwoods, sandhills, a beautiful strand swamp, and over 50 protected species.  Photographers, bird-watchers, and nature enthusiasts can explore miles of trails on foot, bicycle, or horseback. Canoeing, boating, and fishing on the St. Sebastian River are popular activities. "

The job offer came with the following attachment explaining the cost of a "free" camping spot.
Responsibilities of camp Volunteers
In exchange for a free campsite, volunteers are expected to perform 20 hours of service every week per Camp site [that's 20 hours for each of us, 40 hours total]

Duties include:

• Open gate every day at 8am. (Rotational with other volunteers as available)
• Close gate every night at sunset, check trash at spillway.
• Respond to visitor questions regarding the preserve.
• Work the Visitor Center as per scheduling (Fri – Sat, 10 to 4:30, Sun 12 to 4:30)
• Clean Visitor Center and North office each week   (take trash to dumpster)
• Clean bunkhouse    
• Check shop (sweep and take out trash)
• Check camp sites     (clean out fire pits and pick up trash)
• Pick up trash along roadways.
• Mow and weed eat: Parking lots, shop compounds, camp sites and camp host areas.
• Trail maintenance (may require operation of heavy machinery)
• Miscellaneous projects to be assigned

We came close to taking this job, as the preserve was not far from Miami beaches, but isolated and "wild"...actually too wild, as we couldn't get the internet there...and there was no church or grocery store close by.  As much as we love camp hosting, there is no such thing as a FREE SITE.  Nope...you pay, but almost to a person we hosts love the work and would do it for free.

If you have your mind made up you must have a free site, then just park on the road in front of a good friend's house.  That's just what we're doing in the following pictures:

Now...because I need the money, please notice my gorgeous stone necklace and then get curious enough to look me up on ebay.  Just click "Advanced" to the right of the search box and then go almost to the bottom of the page and type in my seller name:  RunningHorse48 ... and then you can see all of my astoundingly gorgeous diamond polished stones set in hand-crocheted adjustable necklace bands.  I'll give you a 20% discount if you mention you visited my blog.  Appreciate you!....and thanks, sincerely.

Balboa Park at its BEST

Balboa Park was more of a park when I was a kid.  Now it's a fascinating maze of shops and museums and developed gardens...and so of course we lost Arden right off the bat.   Upon finding him, we decided to confine his explorations to a museum.

San Diego Natural History Museum - Manatee Section

What's better than doing Science with Beatrix and Arden?

 

We were excited to find a mini version of the giant sculptures that greet you at the Birch Aquarium.  Tabitha missed getting in the photo, so we took another.  What kind of whale is it? ....a gray.  We decided to try the movies in the 3D theater.  "Ocean Oasis" turned out to be a gem, as it showed aerials of where we were headed next:  The BAJA!  It explained why The Sea of Cortés is so rich with life and the Baja California desert struggles to support life.  We also watched "Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World"...which was a bit tedious after the brilliant photography of  "Ocean Oasis". 

“The Sea of Cortez is a marine aquarium with the largest diversity of life we can find on earth.” -- Jacques Cousteau  

This sea is considered to be the richest body of water on Earth.   So why is it such a highly productive ecosystem?  One reason you would not guess is the softer, more porous rocks such as Coquina limestone, rhyolites, granite, or diorite (igneous rocks) support sea life.  But the big reason is the geology of the past 5 million years, which has resulted in the upwelling of cold, nutrient rich waters.  Nerd Stuff:  The Sea of Cortés is too small to have much of a real lunar tide of it's own. Even though it has no tides the sea does produce a very strong tidal flow. The lunar tides of the Pacific cause strong currents in the sea which actually occur as a lifting motion. The speed of these currents is determined in part by the width of the shore, the depth of the water and the contour of the bottom. 

Near the Midriff islands, in very deep water this lifting action creates vertical currents know as upwellings. A funnel like effect can be caused also, depending on the bottom and the currents. Because of severe changes in the bottom contour there can be an upwelling and a whirlpool very close together. These radical movements move fish, plankton and other nutriments around as if in a washing machine. The nutriments are affected by different currents and movements throughout the sea, keeping the fish population very well fed and very happy to be in the Sea of Cortés. Happy fish make for happy fishermen!    The fish stories that have come from this sea often seem unbelievable, when in fact, most are true.
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15-foot Oar Fish, taken Sea of Cortés

Back to the Museum....please.   Sorry...Geology is such a favorite topic for me.  We went outside for lunch, and then dived back in for more. 

Arden simply loves bugs, so we had to have a picture of him impaled by a giant rhino beetle.  And Beatrix wanted the above picture of an ice-aged giant beaver skull (Castoroides) that was probably once as big as Paka!
Kristen found her "best spot" at the Spanish Village Art Center.  Craftsmen had made the perfect jewelry for her of Brecciated Jasper...and each shop had even more artistically presented gems.  There was even a pure gem shop.  The kids took off and enjoyed the mini-railroad so we could concentrate on shopping.  Delicious!

Look on the bench for a hint of what the rest of the team was up to during our art appreciation time.  Newel has actually gotten very good at making raps with his new i-Pod ap. 

Ohhhhhh, yah.....   

Then we remembered the old Balboa Park Carousel with its original military band music.   This 1910 hand-carved example of European craftsmanship had a brass ring you could grab for.  Arden tried!  ...and he tried...!!!  It is one of the few in the world still offering the brass ring game for everyone taking the 5-minute ride.

Arden was a good sport about almost getting the ring...and it was time to say "Good-Bye".  (If you catch the ring you get another ride.)  We wandered through the main avenue of architectural wonders, and stopped to see the performers (juggling, joking and amazing all)...and sad, sad, sadly said farewell to half of our contingent.  I think they were somewhere amonst the tons of travel necessities in that van!

Hasta la Vista...vaya con Dios

Camp Hosts - Is there such a thing as a bad one?

Are you kidding? Camp Hosts are the hardest working, friendliest, most giving people we have ever worked with. And we've had a TON of jobs. (Just look at our business card collection some time.) Here at Bahia Honda they work until they are soaked in sweat or rain (or both) despite ravenous, agressive mosquitoes, plastic-eating rats, scorpions and never-ending beach garbage that washes in from ??? (We don't know where from, or we could send it back.) Above Thel is happily greeting visitors from all over the world in the Nature Center, and Theresa has just ended a tough shift of cleaning bathrooms, shower houses, emptying garbage, picking up trash, etc., and she's still here with her generous smile...ready to give you a hug, if you're needing one.

The EZ-Go electric vehicles cost thousands of dollars per year to maintain. The high UV index, coral dust and gusting salty sea winds keep the repairs coming. The keys are made of the remains of an ancient coral reef, so the tires don't have a chance running over cutting coral chunks. We know! Our first day on the job we had a huge "firecracker" thrown under our EZ-Go, and we came to a sudden halt....only to discover a front tire had blown out (with a BOOM) after its coral encounter.

So...did I answer the question? Are there bad hosts? NO, emphatically, "no"....we have never found a bad camp host...after a life time of camping. My hypothesis: They don't exist, so the question was not necessary.

Job Duties of a Camp Host

First, saturate yourself with the beauty.  This is the entrance view for Redman Campground.

  
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Keep a clean host site.  It's so tempting to pile up your "tools

of the trade" under and around your RV or trailer.  Don't do it!

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Learn all you can about your inventory--know which sites would match a given camper's specific needs.  This site is a double (for groups of up to 16 people) with an extensive trail system behind it....leading to magical forest, stream and meadow adventures.  You also need to know it has great parking for a large RV or trailer.

  

Taking photos of Camp Sites

Site 25 - All-time favorite, by the Creek



You also will probably paint tables, clean out fire pits, remove ashes and garbage from stoves and/or grills and pick up all trash (anything not "natural")...oh, and of course clean the Potties.

A fun job is taking photos for Recreation.com and ReserveAmerica.com so they can post them online to inform campers of what they are reserving.  The best duty, though is to meet and greet campers.  They are so very enjoyable!  In the above picture I'm sharing some of my favorite necklaces with our wonderful campers.  We're grateful for every visitor!  Please stop by our host site and chat.    :]

Finally, no matter how trashed someone leaves their camp site....don't forget to smell the roses. 

(These are at our entrance gate....totally natural, of course.)

Quartzite, Arizona, was a BUST

Here's our 2011 Four Winds Chateau 31K at its first camp site.

We only stayed one glorious night. It really was free, fairly pretty, and had interesting (and quiet) neighbors. I did see a bunny and I loved the BLM land with its posted gold claims and mineral treasures...but the town was not to our liking. The wares being offered ranged from China's worst to trash that needed recycling rather than selling. We had brought silver, cool fossils and handmade jewelry with fascinating gems...all to sell. But the campers were all hanging out in their rigs, watching the big flat screens. We were told February was too late for the bustle...which supposedly occurred in January. We raced on to other adventures...not knowing where we were going, other than out of town.