Camp Hosting

[John&Vicki]

Come on by Dennis - and everyone else!

Here's another place where you can visit us as well: San Juan Island National Historic Park - San Juan Island National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) - site of the no shots fired Pig War that ultimately decided whether the San Juans would be owned by Britain or the United States. The San Juans are such a mellow place that the two sides ended up socializing and drinking together instead of shooting each other.

My wife and are volunteering there as Interpretive Hosts from March 15 to May 15. Then on the ferry to Orcas Island for the spot atop Mt. Constitution to the end of June.

Cheers,
John

[StrmyWeather]

John,
Thanks for starting up this up again. Volunteering/Hosting sounds like a great way to see some different areas and something my wife and I may try when we get our trailer. Please let us know how your stint at Moran and the San Juans goes. We attended Trawlerfest a couple of years ago in Anacortes and it was beautiful. We drove south from Seattle through the Olympic Peninsula, Victoria, a ferry from Sidney (if I remember correctly) to Anacortes. It was sunny and you could see for miles. Just a beautiful area. Of course, my quest for a trawler has been nixed for an Airstream... I will get to keep my dinghy! Safe travels and best wishes for your trip. Richard

[John&Vicki]

Hi Richard...

Thanks for the good wishes. This promises to be an interesting experience.

We have accepted another position as Lighthouse Hosts at the Cape Meares Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast for the month of October next year. I'm working on February and August and if we fill those we will be pretty well booked for several months. We're seriously considering doing this full-time for a few years if it works out.

Cheers,
John

[Deb Trimble]

We had a wonderful experience volunteering at Cape Perpetua Scenic Area near Yachats, OR in 2012. We worked at the Booth at Devil's Churn on Hwy 101 on the ocean and worked at the Visitor Center 1 day a week. We worked 4 days and had 3 days off in a row. Our site was at a Forest Work Site. It was private and quiet with the washer and dryer right next door.

You guys in the West really need to check it out. We are from Texas. We seriously considered returning this year if it was only closer. It is 2,250 from Plano so it takes us a week to get there and back.

The Ranger in charge of volunteers is Lori Robertson. She is great to work with at Cape Perpetua. The other rangers and volunteers were gems, too.

We also have talked with the people at Bonneville Dam near Portland, Or. You worked three days in the VC and had 4 days off. We thought that would be great for having a chance to see more things. We have have not yet volunteered there.

Out there on the West Coast there seem to be a lot of great possibilities.

Debbie

[John&Vicki]

I'm still discoverinng places to volunteer. Here's a list of what I've found so far:

• National Park System
• Bureau of Land Management
• National Forest Service
• State Parks
• Fish & Wildlife Service
• Army Corp of Engineers
• Local Cultural and Historical Societies

Sometimes you have to dig a little. For example, volunteer programs at the six lighthouses on the Oregon Coast are managed by four different entities. And some of the application processes are more rigorous than others. But the main qualification appears to be enthusiasm and a willingness to put in the time.

John

[John&Vicki]

There are many types of jobs available. The title of this thread, "Camp Hosting", might be a little misleading as that is just one of them. My specific interest, having worked as a California State Park Ranger in a previous life, and having spent my business career mostly in sales and marketing, is interpretive work. It's really an art form with the goal of getting visitors to form an emotional connection with the resource.

Prior to applying for positions I completed a number of online courses in Interpretation at the Eppley Institute, an organization that works closely with the NPS. My goal has been to fill interpretive positions as I'm not too keen on cleaning restrooms and fire rings, tasks that camp hosts typically perform. My wife is an educator so she's a natural for working with children.

One interesting aspect of volunteering is that you are often in parks with no campgrounds - they just have a small number of RV pads for volunteers. For example, at San Juan National Historical Park there are only four sites for volunteers.

I'm thinking of starting a blog to track our volunteer experiences for friends and family. I'll post the information here if I do.

John

[jimmini]

Have only seen one other Airstream camp hosting in all my travels.
Thought I was only Airstreamer camp hosting.BUT then I am a Squarestreamer and we are differant.
Me I have to have a reason to get up in the morrning even if it is to clean a toilet.
I only work small CG where I am it, no one to blame if s--- hit the fan.
The CG I have liked best only have 26 sites and one set of toilets
I like it.
Come see me at Rim CG in the Rim Recreation Area,Black Mesa Ranger District AZ.Will be here till 26 Oct unless we get realy snow and have to close.

[John&Vicki]

Well, we just filled our last open month for 2015. We will be volunteering as interpretive hosts at Heceta Head Lighthouse in August, 2015. Many call it the Queen of the Oregon Coast and we're excited to be spending time there.

John