GRANITE FALLS, MINNESOTA

WE HAVE DRIVEN BY GRANITE FALLS SEVERAL TIMES AND I ALWAYS WANTED TO CHECK IT OUT. NOW, I HAD THE CHANCE, WE WOULD BE HERE A WEEK.

WE WERE GLAD WE "HAD ARRIVED". THE RV PARK WAS VERY NICE, CEMENT PADS, WIFI,  INDOOR SWIMMING POOL AND HOT TUB. WE WERE LIVING THE DREAM NOW!

WHEN WE CHECKED IN, SEAN ASSURED US THAT IF A FULL HOOK UP SITE OPENED UP THAT HE WOULD SAVE IT FOR US.

LOTS OF ROOM  TO WALK  MAGGIE AND MARLEE.

THIS WAS TUESDAY, WE COULD ONLY STAY IN THIS SPOT UNTIL FRIDAY, UNLESS A  FULL HOOK UP SITE OPENED UP, WE WOULD BE IN AN ELECTRIC ONLY SITE FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY.  THIS WAS THE NICEST CAMPGROUND WE HAVE STAYED IN FOR QUITE A WHILE AND WE WERE ENJOYING IT!  WE GOT SET UP AND DROVE INTO GRANITE FALLS AND SAW A FARMER'S MARKET SIGN. WE WENT TO CHECK IT OUT....NO TOMATOES OR CUCUMBERS YET! DARRELL NOTICED THESE PELICANS ON THE RIVER BEHIND THE FARMER'S MARKET.

PELICANS IN MINNESOTA!!

BIG WHITE PELICANS!!

THE NEXT MORNING WE DROVE OVER TO MONTIVIDEO TO BUY NEW BATTERIES FOR THE RV. WHILE WE WERE THERE, SEAN FROM THE CAMPGROUND  CALLED TO SAY THERE HAD BEEN A CANCELLATION  AND WE COULD MOVE TO A FULL HOOK UP SITE FRIDAY. THE SITE WE WERE ON  HAD BEEN RESERVED FOR THE WEEKEND, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE. WE WERE HAPPY CAMPERS!

THE HOT TUB WAS WONDERFUL, WE WERE IN IT ALMOST EVERY DAY.

ON FRIDAY, WE PACKED UP TO MOVE A FEW SITES DOWN FROM US. WE GOT TO THE SITE AND I HEARD A LOUD CRASH. DARRELL HAD UNHOOKED THE RV FROM THE TRUCK TOO SOON AND THE RV HAD FALLEN ON THE RAILS OF THE TRUCK.  WE WERE VERY LUCKY DARRELL WAS OUT OF THE WAY, HE COULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED. WE HAD DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK AND THE RV.

THE TRUCK RAILS WERE PRETTY BAD, BUT THE RV WAS HARDLY DAMAGED.

IT DIDN'T REALLY DENT THE RV JUST CRACKED THE FINISH. IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT, BUT WE WERE HAPPY WE HAVE INSURANCE. DARRELL CALLED GEICO RIGHT AWAY. THEY ASSURED US WE WERE COVERED AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AN ESTIMATE ON THE TRUCK ON JULY 30.
I HAD BEEN LOOKING ONLINE FOR US  JOBS  AFTER THE CHRISTMAS TREES, WE FOUND A VOLUNTEER JOB IN CALIFORNIA, BUT IT WAS 30 MILES FROM A TOWN AND NO CELL OR  INTERNET SERVICE. THAT WASN'T FOR US. I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE WORKAMPER MAGAZINE AND SAW AN AD FOR CAL-AM RESORTS. EVEN THOUGH THEY ADVERTISE  THAT THEY NEED WORKERS FROM OCTOBER TO APRIL, I DECIDED TO SEND IN OUR RESUME. CAL-AM IS THE LARGEST OWNER/OPERATOR OF 55+ RV RESORTS IN ARIZONA. THIS WAS SATURDAY EVENING, WHEN I TURNED ON MY COMPUTER ON SUNDAY MORNING, THERE WAS A REPLY. YES, THEY HAD JOBS AVAILABLE IN JANUARY. SHE OFFERED US JOBS WORKING IN THE OUTDOOR BISTRO BY THE POOL. DARRELL WASN'T INTERESTED IN WORKING IN FOODS, SO I EMAILED HER AND TOLD HER I WAS INTERESTED IN THE JOB AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE AVAILABLE FOR DARRELL. WITHIN A FEW HOURS SHE EMAILED ME BACK SAYING THEY ALWAYS NEED SOMEONE WITH DARRELL'S CARPENTRY SKILLS. WE ACCEPTED THE JOBS.

 WE WILL EACH  WORK TWELVE HOURS  FOR OUR FULL HOOK UP SITE. WE WILL WORK FROM JANUARY TO APRIL. WE WERE EXCITED TO BE WORKING AT SUCH A  BEAUTIFUL RESORT. I HAD A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH MIKKI BONNER, SHE TOLD ME TO LOOK ONLINE AT THE RV RESORTS IN  MESA AND CHOOSE WHICH ONE WE WANTED TO BE IN. THERE ARE FIVE IN MESA. WE CHOSE SUN LIFE, THE SMALLEST WITH 750 SITES.

I WAS RELIEVED TO KNOW WE HAD A PLACE TO GO AFTER THE CHRISTMAS TREES WHERE IT WILL BE WARM WITH LOTS TO DO.
WE LEFT GRANITE FALLS ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 TO GO TO SAULK RAPIDS TO VISIT JACOB AND FAMILY  FOR A MONTH. PLEASURELAND WILL  PUT IN THE NEW COOLING UNIT ON THE 30TH.  WE WILL ALSO  HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE ON THE TRUCK AND RV.