WORKING ON THE ROAD - GRAND CANYON

For seven straight summers (2002 -2008), after selling our interest in Jamestown Harley-Davidson, we traveled somewhere in our motor home, working seasonal jobs,  then going back to being retired in the winter months.  During the summer of 2009, we decided not to work, but rather take a clockwise loop around the U.S. and part of Canada.  That journey took us to the Pacific Northwest, across the top of the country to the New England States, and the Maritime Provinces of Canada.  When we had explored part of the Northeast, we traveled down the Atlantic coast to Florida, then back across the Southern States to our home in Arizona.  When the wheels stopped rolling, we had covered a little over 12,000 miles.  In 2010, we again decided not to work, staying in Oregon & Washington near the coast for most of that summer.

For several years, an advertisement for bus drivers at Grand Canyon National Park would periodically appear on some of the seasonal job websites.  It always caught my attention, primarily because the pay was higher than normal for that type of job.  For several years, the ad always required an A Commercial Drivers License (CDL), disqualifying me because my CDL was a B license.  A year or so before 2011, the job qualifications changed from an A license to a B, and I decided to apply.

I was hired to drive one of the Parks 40' shuttle buses, and Patty was hired to work in the General Store during the summer of 2011.  Both of our employers were concessionaires, and we didn't actually work for the National Park Service.  The company that had the Park contract for the transit system was Paul Revere Transportation, and Patty worked for Delaware North, the company that ran the store.   We were provided a full hookup RV site in Trailer Village, which was only a 10 minute walk for Patty to her job.  We paid $90 a month rent, and the electricity was pretty close to the same.  My hourly compensation was just under $21, and Patty was paid minimum wage.  Our weekly take home pay averaged about $1,000, and we worked from late May to early Sep.  Considering expenses, and compensation, working at the Grand Canyon was our best experience.  Dealing with visitors from around the world in a fast paced environment was probably our worst experience.  I'll sum that up by saying that patience was definitely a virtue!

We returned to work the same jobs during the summer of 2012, but by the end of that season, I was ready to call it quits.  Lets just say that the patience tank was about to go dry, and labor day was a welcome sight.  Like living in Skagway, Alaska, living at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon was another highlight for both of us.  During the first summer, we didn't have the same days off, but in 2012, we had one day off together, enjoying much of what was offered by this amazing place that is one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Both summers, I was offered an extension to my contract, and I could have continued driving one of the buses through November.  Needless to say, I declined, but left with a good review, and could go back if there were any openings.  I never say never, but I think my workamping days are about done.  We have mostly enjoyed our experiences, working and living in some pretty amazing places.  But, as was the case in the beginning, we didn't have to work, it was just the vehicle we choose in order to travel, and experience living in different parts of the U.S.  The jobs payed our expenses, and their was usually some extra to stash in the bank account.

 A few days ago, I got tired of looking at the scrap pile of wood, left over from the garage construction.  Here's the before and after pictures.

Due to off and on rain for most of the day yesterday, I cancelled the concrete delivery.  It's scheduled to arrive at noon today.