Hi! Jan & Gary here…(with our handsome “client”/ buddy, Charlie Brown)
We LOVE Vermont! Now in our 6th year of retirement, we are implementing our plan to live on LESS than our retirement income. Our first 3 summers were spent volunteering as Camp Hosts at a Vermont State Park. Our first (and then recurring) assignment: Button Bay State Park on Lake Champlain. We lived in our 26′ “Born Free” RV on the Host site with full hookups and a spectacular view of the bay! We each put in 15 hours a week helping out around the park. Before the Memorial Day opening our days were spent mowing acres and acres of deep grass, as well as sprucing up the restrooms and cleaning out & stocking the storage rooms. Once the park opened we kept the restrooms sparkling clean and mowed the open areas and campsites as they were vacated. We worked with an amazing Park Staff as part of the team and enjoyed assisting campers and visitors as needed. Many friendships were made along the way…some of which will last a lifetime!
Our free time was spent biking, hiking, kayaking, eating Maple Creemees (ice cream!) and enjoying the great state of Vermont. Volunteers receive a free VIP pass to all the State Parks (including camping!), as well as many museums and attractions.
During the winter months, using Trustedhousesitters.com, we found wonderful folks in need of pet sitters. Some sits were long-term & others just a week or two. In each case we fell in love with these special fur babies and came to love them as our own.
In the closing months of the 2018 summer season we came to the realization that, given our extended winter pet-sitting plans, it was time to downsize from our beloved Born Free motor home. The “Universe lined up” with a wonderful buyer, and we found the travel trailer of our dreams…a 13’ Scamp just a week later!
Now we are on the road full time / year ’round…caring for wonderful pets along the way! Life is good…