Solo RVers Workamp too!
Here's what two women RV friends are doing this summer.
Glacier National Park, MT
Betty Prange is in Glacier National Park and working as a "jammer." She's driving one of the Red Buses, giving tours of the park. Drivers are called "Jammers" by the locals, a name which carried over from the days when the buses had standard transmissions and the drivers could be heard "jammin" the gears as they drove up and down the rugged mountainous highway.
Glacier Park, Inc. is the concessionaire here. Betty first had two weeks of training in mid-June, where she learned how to drive a bus, got her CDL, and learned about the park so she could narrate the tours. When she sent this photo, she had already given two tours on the "Going-to-the-Sun" Road. They actually offer several different tours, but the "Going-to-the-Sun" tour is the most spectacular.
Glacier Park, Inc., provides employee dorm housing with a meal plan on both sides of the park and RV sites only on the east side. Employees get some discounts and can take other tours offered by the concessionaire at no charge on a space-available basis. Pay isn't terrific, though a good tour driver will receive tips from passengers. Each year you return, the cost for room and board decreases. After five years, the employee pays zero.
I'm a bit envious! Last summer we stopped in Glacier on our travels and took one the all-day tour. What fun we had and what fun Kathryn, our tour driver had. In fact, her photo is on the cover of my new edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle!
Ruby's Inn, UT
This is Susan Chittam's first year on the road and first year Workamping. Last winter she worked in California. This summer I met her at Ruby's Inn, just outside Bryce Canyon National Park. Susan is selling jewelry in the General Store.
Ruby's Inn includes a hotel, gas station, restaurants, an RV park, Old Bryce Town shops, plus excursions so they hire many people, including Workampers, to meet their employee needs. Employees can stay in one of two employee RV parks at $75/month or in dorms.
Ruby's offers a number of perks. Employees can purchase a meal card for meals that cost $1.02 each or eat at the buffet for 50% off on work days. They also get a generous discount in the store and discounts on horseback riding, the scenic helicopter ride and other tours that Ruby's offers.
Shopping isn't close
but Cedar City, about an hour away, has several festivals during the summer including a Shakespearean festival, a Renaissance Faire and the Neil Simon festival. Susan has seen several plays already. Plus she is right next door to the park and can take the free shuttle to various points in Bryce Canyon.
Finding a position
Many employers, especially those at RV parks, do like to hire couples. That way they can get two workers for one RV site. However, many are open to hiring solos. In fact, one employer told me he prefers solo workers (traveling by themselves or the only worker in the family) because there is less bickering. It never hurts to ask!
Some seasonal employers hire each person based on their merits and not as a couple. Concessionaires at national parks, employers in gateway cities outside parks or tourist area usually hire separately.
If you are not a subscriber of Workamper News, I highly recommend a Workamper Plus subscription. You'll get lots of job ideas plus openings in the print magazine. At the Web site, you can participate in the forums, including the Solo Forum, check ratings for employers and post your Resume in the Awesome Applicants searchable database.
Our eBook/CD, The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing can help you in making decisions on whether this is the lifestyle for you and help you get started.
