Fortunately, it didn't rain yesterday. So far we have non of the muddy mess we had on Memorial Day weekend. The day was super busy and probably will be the same for most of today. This is the first day we have run the resort with just the four of us - the two managers and Josie and I. We expect a lot of dumps and will probably will have to use one or more vacant pull thru RV site to help off set the dump station line. We expect to have to work most of the day and will be super tired by days end. This is the fourth day in a row that we've had to start at 7 AM, and we will be happy to see this day end.
We had hoped to be able to get together with Bob's brother George and his wife Cheryl, and close family friends Cot and Lois, but our schedule doesn't appear to have enough free time. They are all at Cot and Lois' cabin in Munds Park this weekend which is only about an hour or so away. We will somehow figure a way to get together before we leave Happy Jack.
We squeezed in another phone interview yesterday with a campground in San Marcos Texas. We can probably eliminate that one since they require a one year commitment and the money isn't quite there. We hear that San Marcos is one of the nicer areas of Texas - in the hill country - and is close to San Antonio and Austin. The area would probably work for us but not for one year. We have tentatively committed to return here next summer anyway. We'll keep shopping.
Later...
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Dreary, Rainy Day
Yesterday was the first day that we had overcast skies and rain for most of the day. Usually, we get a storm sometime during the afternoon on days we get rain, but yesterday was a steady, but slow rain. Our total rainfall for the day was only .24" but it seemed like more. The temperature range was 69 high and 50 low - a typical fall day.
The arrivals of the Labor Day crowd went smoothly and we're once again filled to capacity in the campground. There are still a few cabins available which surprised us for the holiday weekend. The store was busy non-stop most of the day. The concern now is that it may turn out be a repeat of the Memorial Day weekend where we also had rain and it created a situation of mud everywhere. We had to spend a lot of time heading off people with muddy boots and shoes that were using our restrooms and showers. The problem compounds itself with the hunting season being open now. There are several hunters that, even though they are staying in the woods, come into our place to shower and do laundry. Uhg!
Today is the last work day for Grayce, our co-worker in the store. She does not have a commitment for a winter Workamping job so she will use the time between now and her next job to go back to her native Wisconsin to have some surgery performed that she has been delaying. The folks here at the lodge have told her she could leave her rig here until that is over which would be about two weeks. That is a nice gesture.
We normally work the late shift on Sundays but today we were asked to switch with Chi Chi and Jamie because the bar and lounge (Jack's Place) will be open tonight for the holiday weekend and they wanted to work the afternoon shift to cover that tonight. So, today we are on from 7 to 1. Starting tomorrow, we will have to work the entire day on Mondays and Tuesdays since they are the days that Chi Chi and Jamie have off. We look forward to that challenge, so until tomorrow...
The arrivals of the Labor Day crowd went smoothly and we're once again filled to capacity in the campground. There are still a few cabins available which surprised us for the holiday weekend. The store was busy non-stop most of the day. The concern now is that it may turn out be a repeat of the Memorial Day weekend where we also had rain and it created a situation of mud everywhere. We had to spend a lot of time heading off people with muddy boots and shoes that were using our restrooms and showers. The problem compounds itself with the hunting season being open now. There are several hunters that, even though they are staying in the woods, come into our place to shower and do laundry. Uhg!
Today is the last work day for Grayce, our co-worker in the store. She does not have a commitment for a winter Workamping job so she will use the time between now and her next job to go back to her native Wisconsin to have some surgery performed that she has been delaying. The folks here at the lodge have told her she could leave her rig here until that is over which would be about two weeks. That is a nice gesture.
We normally work the late shift on Sundays but today we were asked to switch with Chi Chi and Jamie because the bar and lounge (Jack's Place) will be open tonight for the holiday weekend and they wanted to work the afternoon shift to cover that tonight. So, today we are on from 7 to 1. Starting tomorrow, we will have to work the entire day on Mondays and Tuesdays since they are the days that Chi Chi and Jamie have off. We look forward to that challenge, so until tomorrow...
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Beginning to Say Good Byes
This is the time of year when staffers begin to load up and head out to their next destinations. We had dinner at the Lodge last night and exchanged addresses and emails with the Chef and his wife who are leaving for Memphis on Tuesday to do a pumpkin patch in November and then manage a campground in central Tennessee. We also spoke with Rick, the entertainer in Jack's Place, and he and his wife Judy (the bartender in Jack's Place) are leaving for Monument Valley in Arizona next week and then on to California for some vacation time. Tomorrow is Grayce's last day also. She is our co-worker in the store and is a single woman in her early sixties. She is a very nice lady that has been Workamping for many years. Her background also includes driving a Greyhound bus around the country for about 12 years. It's hard to imagine this little lady driving a bus, but she does have grit. It's been a lot of fun working with her as she has been about everyplace in the country and can give information on about anyplace you might consider for Workamping.
So, after the Labor Day weekend it will be just Chi Chi and Jamie and us to run the resort. We think we will be here until at least the second week in October. Chi Chi and Jamie are going to a rally in Las Vegas the early part of October and we will be the only ones to run the resort. It will really get quiet after about the middle of September and the hours of the resort will change to probably 9 to 4 everyday. The General Manager and his wife are checking to see if any of their other properties can use us for the winter season since that would keep us close for a return here next summer. Our plans right now call for us to return next summer, unless there is an offer we can't refuse somewhere else. That is a possibility since some of the winter options we are looking at require a one year commitment.
Our plans will begin to firm up over the next couple weeks. We definitely plan to visit Patty (our oldest daughter) and our grand kids in the Chicago area sometime in October before our next job.
It is fun looking at different opportunities in different areas. There is so much to see and do that it makes these decisions difficult.
Today is an early day, 7 to 3, so we are getting ready to go. Until tomorrow...
So, after the Labor Day weekend it will be just Chi Chi and Jamie and us to run the resort. We think we will be here until at least the second week in October. Chi Chi and Jamie are going to a rally in Las Vegas the early part of October and we will be the only ones to run the resort. It will really get quiet after about the middle of September and the hours of the resort will change to probably 9 to 4 everyday. The General Manager and his wife are checking to see if any of their other properties can use us for the winter season since that would keep us close for a return here next summer. Our plans right now call for us to return next summer, unless there is an offer we can't refuse somewhere else. That is a possibility since some of the winter options we are looking at require a one year commitment.
Our plans will begin to firm up over the next couple weeks. We definitely plan to visit Patty (our oldest daughter) and our grand kids in the Chicago area sometime in October before our next job.
It is fun looking at different opportunities in different areas. There is so much to see and do that it makes these decisions difficult.
Today is an early day, 7 to 3, so we are getting ready to go. Until tomorrow...
Friday, September 4, 2009
End of Laughlin Trip
After having our last buffet breakfast at the Aquarius Hotel, we left at about 9 AM and made a stop at the Davis Camp, which is a campground at the northern edge of Bullhead City. This wasn't on our list on Wednesday because we knew we had to pass it on the way out of town. This place always looked inviting to us because it was right on the river and looked like a huge place. It is huge. The campground is at the base of Davis Dam. It is made up of several areas, including two large day use areas on the water and several areas for camp sites including full hookups, partial hookups and no hookups, which included tent sites. Below is a picture of one of the day use areas on the river:
This shot was taken looking north on the river. The following shot was taken looking south where you can see the bridge connecting Bullhead City to Laughlin. It also shows the casino strip behind the bridge:
Of course, Josie had to test the water. You can see how crystal clear the water is:
This is a state park campground so any Workamping positions are volunteer -that means no pay. The advantage to working in these places though is you get your site for free, so it does pay that much. The normal rates for staying are fairly reasonable although the maximum stay is two weeks for paying customers. This would be a great place to stay if you wanted to stay in Laughlin for two weeks or less.
We headed home and stopped in Flagstaff so Josie could get her nails done before the holiday weekend. It was about 3:30 by the time we pulled into our site at Happy Jack Resort. We stopped in the store to pick up the computer that arrived on Wednesday and talked a little bit with Chi Chi and Jamie about what we missed while we were gone. It seemed like it was business as usual.
Today it's back to work - 7 to 3 - and the check ins begin for the busy weekend. There are several changes that will take place at the Lodge after the Labor Day weekend and we will discuss those tomorrow...
Thursday, September 3, 2009
A Nice Full Day
Our day started yesterday with the excellent buffet breakfast at our hotel. The rest of the morning we decided we were going to check out all the campgrounds that were in Bullhead City, and also check the Riverside Campground that is part of the Riverside Hotel and Resort in Laughlin. Counting the Riverside, we had a list of 10 campgrounds. It was about 9:30 when we started. Our first stop was the Riverside up the street. It is a very nice, tiered campground, where every space has a great view of the river and the casinos. We found out that all of the campground workers were part of the hotel staff and you had to be hired by the Human Resource staff in the main hotel. We did pick up applications there but will likely not submit one. Also, we thought the rates were a little steep for a casino campground.
We then went across the river into Bullhead City to see the rest. Some of these campgrounds - most, in fact - were pretty old and were full of old rigs and not very modern. In those cases, we just went in, turned around and came right back out. These campgrounds were almost all filled with permanent residents. There were a few really nice ones though. The picture below is a view from the spaces that are at the edge of a hill at the Silverview RV park:
All of the spaces along this hillside had great views of the casinos and the river. That is Bullhead City on the right across the river from the casinos. The rates were very reasonable - $375 per month - and included all utilities. They do have Workampers but had no openings at this time. We decided that this would be the likely place for us to pursue, if we decided to spend a winter here. After talking about places to spend a winter, this would be nice, but we felt that, except for the casinos and the river, there was not a whole lot to do or see within a short distance. We are trying to select places that offer a variety of new things to see and do. Plus - it gets pretty darn hot here.
We then went across the river into Bullhead City to see the rest. Some of these campgrounds - most, in fact - were pretty old and were full of old rigs and not very modern. In those cases, we just went in, turned around and came right back out. These campgrounds were almost all filled with permanent residents. There were a few really nice ones though. The picture below is a view from the spaces that are at the edge of a hill at the Silverview RV park:
All of the spaces along this hillside had great views of the casinos and the river. That is Bullhead City on the right across the river from the casinos. The rates were very reasonable - $375 per month - and included all utilities. They do have Workampers but had no openings at this time. We decided that this would be the likely place for us to pursue, if we decided to spend a winter here. After talking about places to spend a winter, this would be nice, but we felt that, except for the casinos and the river, there was not a whole lot to do or see within a short distance. We are trying to select places that offer a variety of new things to see and do. Plus - it gets pretty darn hot here.We finished our campground tours at 2 PM and came back to the hotel to spend some time at the pool. The pictures below are taken from our room and, although they have some glare from the windows, you can see that it was a good deal for $29 a night:
We had a room on the fifth floor which was a little lower than we were used to at this hotel. We have always gotten a room though with this view. The first picture is of the very nice pool area and tennis courts. The second, of course, is of the river itself.
After a couple hours at the pool, it was time to "hit the slots". We decided to walk down the river-walk to the Colorado Belle, another of our favorites, to check out the changes since we were last there about a year ago. We didn't see anything that jumped out at us to say "play me", so we went next door to the Pioneer Hotel and Casino. Bob won a decent jackpot to keep both of us playing for a while longer. As we were both near zero for our budgeted gambling money, we started back to our hotel at about 9 PM. While walking through the Colorado Belle again on the way back, Josie put a $5 bill in a quarter machine and won a jackpot large enough to pay for the whole trip. Way to go Josie! Our room and gambling money were covered!
It was hard to go to sleep when we got back to the room at 10:30 because of the excitement of winning the jackpot. It doesn't always happen, but it sure is nice to have the trip paid for once in a while.
We had our last breakfast at the buffet and are now getting packed to return to Happy Jack. It's always sad to leave here after such a fun - and rewarding -time. Tomorrow is the start of the last big weekend crowd at the resort and we are prepared.
A side note- the computer was delivered to the Lodge yesterday - all fixed and ready to go...
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Laughlin and Sleeping In
Our workday was uneventful and we were anxious to get a head start for Laughlin after we got off at 2 PM. Just about everything was set out on the bed before we left for work in the morning so all we had to do was pack it and get the cooler ready when we got off. We finally left at 3 PM and headed toward Flagstaff where we would pick up I-40 West to Laughlin. We received a call about halfway to Flagstaff from a prospective employer in Palm Springs. Because the signals are erratic in this area, we pulled off the road in order to keep the signal and spent about 20 minutes talking to this individual. We probably would not consider this job though as it sounds too much like a corporate environment which we will avoid at all costs.
Our plan was to stop in Flagstaff at the bank to get some cash (can't go to Laughlin without it) and go to the grocery store to get some "fattening goodies" to snack on and keep in the room. By the time we got all this done and back on the road, we didn't arrive in Laughlin until 7 PM. After checking in and freshening up, we hit the slots. It's important to budget your money when you're in a place like this and we always try to do this, regardless of the temptation. We did pretty well though and managed to leave the casino at 10 PM with about 1/3 of our budget gone. The first day though is always spent trying to find a good machine that will allow you to play for a long time. We stumbled on the only nickel machines in the casino as we were ready to take the elevator back to the room so we stayed and played a long while on those.
Today we will have our breakfast at the hotel buffet which we always look forward to at the Aquarius. Already, we slept in which was real nice. We got up at 7:30 - late for us. We brought reading material so we will spend some time poolside and then take a drive around Bullhead City at the campgrounds to check out Workamping opportunities. There are several, including a nice one on the top of the hill with drop-dead views of the Laughlin strip. It would be nice to get a job in this area for the winter but we don't hold out much chance since they are always in demand. We'll give it a shot though.
After our drive, we plan to check out the other casinos that we like to see if there are any changes to them as far as new slots. We also enjoy the walk down the river - the walking path connects all the casinos on the river and is very pretty. Besides, we can use the exercise.
Let's hope we can fight the temptation, or hit some jackpots so we can play some more tonight and tomorrow morning. Stay tuned...
Our plan was to stop in Flagstaff at the bank to get some cash (can't go to Laughlin without it) and go to the grocery store to get some "fattening goodies" to snack on and keep in the room. By the time we got all this done and back on the road, we didn't arrive in Laughlin until 7 PM. After checking in and freshening up, we hit the slots. It's important to budget your money when you're in a place like this and we always try to do this, regardless of the temptation. We did pretty well though and managed to leave the casino at 10 PM with about 1/3 of our budget gone. The first day though is always spent trying to find a good machine that will allow you to play for a long time. We stumbled on the only nickel machines in the casino as we were ready to take the elevator back to the room so we stayed and played a long while on those.
Today we will have our breakfast at the hotel buffet which we always look forward to at the Aquarius. Already, we slept in which was real nice. We got up at 7:30 - late for us. We brought reading material so we will spend some time poolside and then take a drive around Bullhead City at the campgrounds to check out Workamping opportunities. There are several, including a nice one on the top of the hill with drop-dead views of the Laughlin strip. It would be nice to get a job in this area for the winter but we don't hold out much chance since they are always in demand. We'll give it a shot though.
After our drive, we plan to check out the other casinos that we like to see if there are any changes to them as far as new slots. We also enjoy the walk down the river - the walking path connects all the casinos on the river and is very pretty. Besides, we can use the exercise.
Let's hope we can fight the temptation, or hit some jackpots so we can play some more tonight and tomorrow morning. Stay tuned...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Big Storm
The big event yesterday was the storm we got that lasted about an hour. It started with some thunder and lightening at 4:15 and came full force by 4:30 with lots of lightening and thunder. We didn't get a lot of wind but the total rainfall we received was just over 1" in an hour. That more than doubled the total rainfall we've received all summer here. It looked like a pond outside our rig and it looked like creeks flowing throughout the campground. We desperately needed the rain.
We received a lot of phone calls yesterday from people wanting to know about the latest fire in the area - The Water Wheel fire as the media calls it. It is just north of Payson and really is not a threat to us - it's about 35 miles east of us - but some of roads around Payson were closed for a time yesterday and the day before. That affects the visitors coming up from the West Valley and we get a lot of those.
Today is our last work day until Friday. We start at 8 and work until 2 and we are getting everything ready to go to Laughlin before we go to work. Josie had a few laundry items to do for the trip so she was up real early to get it done. We're looking forward to the trip. It should take us about 3 hrs to get to Laughlin from here. It always took us about 3 1/2 hours from the Valley and we may be about 1/2 hour closer. More tomorrow...
We received a lot of phone calls yesterday from people wanting to know about the latest fire in the area - The Water Wheel fire as the media calls it. It is just north of Payson and really is not a threat to us - it's about 35 miles east of us - but some of roads around Payson were closed for a time yesterday and the day before. That affects the visitors coming up from the West Valley and we get a lot of those.
Today is our last work day until Friday. We start at 8 and work until 2 and we are getting everything ready to go to Laughlin before we go to work. Josie had a few laundry items to do for the trip so she was up real early to get it done. We're looking forward to the trip. It should take us about 3 hrs to get to Laughlin from here. It always took us about 3 1/2 hours from the Valley and we may be about 1/2 hour closer. More tomorrow...
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