Sugarloaf Key / Key West KOA

Sugarloaf Key / Key West KOA

We worked 3 winter seasons at Sugarloaf Key KOA on Sugarloaf Key in the Florida Keys.  We were hired as cafe managers responsible for Cafe operations, serving breakfast, and Dinner 5 days a week as well as preparing and serving food for special occasions.  The campground was located at mile marker 20 in the Florida Keys.  This was by far our favorite workamping job.  We were living and working on an island in paradise, working for management that we could call family.  There were boat rentals, pool, hot tub, and a pub.  Everything you need for fun was on site.  There was also the lower keys shuttle that would take you to Key West and back for only 4.00.  Working here we now know we will work to retire and spend many living in the KEYS. Unfortunately, hurricane Irma destroyed this campground and it has yet to be rebuilt.

The Lazy Lizard Cafe was our home for 3 winters.  Dodi would cook breakfast and dinner.  I took orders and made specialty coffees.  We serve Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner with all the fixings, as well as New Years Snacks.  Valentine's dinners were served in the pub with white tablecloths and the whole staff turned out to be servers.  We had a gas grill on the deck and on big band nights, we would do burgers and dogs with sides and almost always sell out. These photos are the last to be seen as this building was removed by Irma.  

This was a wonderful experience for 3 seasons.  It would not have been the same without the leadership of Jeff and Gloria Goins and Rachel and Stevo, Scooter and  Phyllis. and all the work campers friends we made.  This property will be rebuilt but will never be the same.

Boston / Cape Cod KOA

Boston / Cape Cod KOA

We worked here for one season.  I was the Maintenance Supervisor and Dodi was in housekeeping.  The campground a mix of deluxe cabins and camping cabins.  The sites consisted of full hook up pull through sites to water electric back-in sites and tent sites.  There is an upper level called the Highlands that has some deluxe cabins and full hookup pull through sites.  This area has no bathhouse is was primarily used for couples in self-contained units.  This is a wonderful campground in the woods with easy access and a pool, pavillion, and mini golf.

This campground is located close to Boston, Cape Cod, Historic Plymouth, and Newport RI.  There are many cranberry bogs in the area and cranberry harvest is a sight to see.

These are pictures of our site for the season.  This was a fenced area in the back corner of the Highlands section.  It was the former manager's site.  We were lucky to have such a wonderful place to call home.

Click on the map to go to Google maps

Exeter Elms Family Campground

Exeter Elms Family Campground

Exeter Elms Family Campground is a campground located on the Exeter River in Exeter NH.  We were hired there after answering an add on Workamper.com.  At that time Audra Andersen was operating the campground.  We had a free site and paid electric and cable and were paid for all hours worked.  The campground was half seasonals and half transient tent and RV sites.  We were responsible for bath house cleaning and checks throughout the day.  We also were in charge of cleaning and maintaining the inground pool.  There were also common areas where entertainment, bingo, and dinners happened.  We also were tasked with security which included quiet time, late arrivals,  and rule enforcement.   The town of Exeter is a beautiful old NH city, It's only a 30-minute drive to the NH coast,  1.5 hours to Boston MA, and just down the road from New England Dragway. We can not recommend the campground at the time as we worked there a long time ago. Dana Anderson now runs the campground.  

Our Tiffin Allegro Bus

Our 2006 Tiffin Allegro Bus 42QDP

As our career with COP KOA progressed we planned on a possible management position.  We figured we would be traveling a lot and working long hours so we decided to have some comfort.  After some searching, we found our Tiffin Bus.  Even though this is a 2006 it is pure luxury.  We have heated tile floors, a dishwasher, Washer dryer, king size sleep number bed, 3 air conditioners, 3 flat screen TVs, Hydrohot hot water and heat, and a 12,500 kw diesel generator,  and 4 slide outs.  It is 43 feet long with a Cummings 400 isl engine.  

We purchased this from Optimum Rv in Ocala Florida.  I would not recommend anyone make an RV purchase here.

Our motor homes through the years

Our Motor Homes 

When we started we purchased a 1996 Newport by Cobra that was 34'  long with no slide outs. It was powered by a Ford 460

We purchased this from City Auto sales in Newport NH.  We towed a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Blue OX tow bar.  This motorhome took us to Florida and back to NH 2 years in a row.  We sold it for the same price we paid for it.  

Next came our beloved Fleetwood Bounder 34J with a Chevrolet 454 with Banks power system and no slide outs.  We purchased in Massachusetts from an add on craigslist.

 

This was an awesome home.  The Banks Power System sent us down the road with 11 miles per gallon towing our Jeep Grand Cherokee.  It had a Washer/Dryer. Queen bed. and Progressive industries power controller.  

Unfortunately, we lost it to a woman on her phone in Richmond Virginia.  She hit us in the right front 3 times.  We were towed to McGorges RV in Ashland VA where it was deemed a total loss.  They set us up with water and electric until we could work out something with insurance.

This is a trying time when you are in a closed RV shop parking lot on Sunday morning with your house totaled.   Like most fulltime rvers we are not wealthy,  and had a job we had were committed to be at in 8 days. Monday comes and our insurance company is sending us a check for our total loss.  

Along comes our next home a 2000 Holiday Rambler  36 with 2 slides powered by a Ford V-10.

The previous owner that traded it in were chain smokers and had many dogs.  We bought it as is and they cut the price down to match our check but we had to clean it  We spent 2 days cleaning and moving in.  They ran it through service and filled the gas and propane and we were off.  What a stressful week. This rv served us well with trips to and Maine and Florida.  She took us on a trip across the USA and back with only a few tire issues.  

Covered Bridge Campground Albany NH

Our First Work Camping Job

We started looking for our first workamping job at workamper news.  We decided to stay near NH as we still had our home.  We were contacted by Jan Berthiaume who was the manager for Pro Sports INC. a concessioner that operates the campgrounds in the White Mountain National Forest in Albany NH.

Covered Bridge Campground

Covered Bridge Campground

Covered Bridge Campground

After a telephone interview, we accepted a job as the lead couple at the Covered Bridge Campground in Albany NH.  Our campground has 49 sites.   We have vault toilets and hand water pumps and no hookups.  Our rule sheet has 17 rules provided by the US Forest Service.  Our job is to collect money, remind campers of the rules, clean sites, bathrooms, and assist and educate campers. We also had firewood for sale.  Sometimes there may have been a bear to chase.

We hauled our water from a spring in the golf cart.  They provided a 150 lb propane tank for cooking, heat, and Refrigeration.  We used a Honda 2000 generator for electricity and dumped our sewer into the vault toilets.  We had an endless supply of firewood and spent most nights sitting and cooking at our campfire.  It was just a short walk to the swift river for fresh trout and an afternoon swim.  This was one of the best times of our lifestyle.

Swift River Covered Bridge

Burger on cherry wood and dutch oven apple pie

Swift River, Albany, NH

We were located off the Kancamagus highway across the covered bridge on Passoconoway road.  We still have many good friends we met in our 3 years here.   Over the years here we would arrive in April and help open the 5 campgrounds on the Conway side.   This would involve removing hazard trees, clearing and chipping down limbs, and blowing roads and sites and cleaning bathrooms.  This was hard work but very rewarding. When we would first arrive we would stay at Blackberry Crossing Campground on the Kanck and sometimes we got snow.

Blackberry Crossing Campground

Here is the link https://workamper.com/ for a small fee there is access for many jobs. www.goggle.com

Our story from the Beginning

As we get ready to start year 12 of our fulltime RV life and I feel we need to start at the beginning.


Dodi and I met, wed and brought up our family in Claremont, NH where we owned an 1849 farmhouse.  Our daughters,  Ashley who lives in Montana and Stephanie who lives in New Hampshire with her husband Ryan and daughter Taya are the lights of our life.  The kids left to start their own lives, we sold off the bike shop and started shopping for our home on wheels.

We had some great times in Claremont NH and worked some different jobs before we became self-employed.  We owned an Independent Harley Shop (K.H.D. Cycle Parts) and were very much a part of our community.  The New England winters were not fun when trying to heat a 200-year-old farmhouse,  and run a business that was mainly a summer business

 Our winter work was at Mcgees Resturant and bar.  We had many good times there where I was head of security and Dodi a bartender and cook.  It was a rainy day in October when I came home and told Dodi that I wanted to close the bike shop and move on.  I spent the next 2 years starting and running an eBay business from our home.  I sold off the bike shop inventory and tools, as well as items others had me sell for them.  

Dodi then says to me what are you going to do now. I replied we will buy a motorhome and tour the USA. She laughed.