Camp Host position at Moss Park.
Imagine my first day driving back into Orlando where I lived for over 35 years. Arriving via the Florida Turnpike and as well as a few more toll roads like the “Beach Line”, used to be called the Bee Line, before getting to my winter destination, Moss Park.
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| Front entrance to park, office |
I still consider Florida my adopted home. The gals up front at the park entrance were waiting for me and knew I was the new camp host even before I got to the gate. A welcome sign posted in the window. Big welcomes, quick introductions and then I drove back to the campground as it winds through a stand of scrub pines, spreading oak trees and palms. The road is white fine hard packed sand that at night glows with the light of the moon. I know because my first night in the campground, the electricity went out around 6:30 in the evening and didn’t come back on until about one-o-clock in the morning. When it’s pitch black inside and very warm, just looking outside into what I expected to be an ink black night as well, I instead saw a bright white roadway against a black backdrop of ghoulish looking trees. The white sugar sand actually glowing from a bright clear moon. We have no street lights in the camping area to ruin the effect of being in the woods.
So went my first night at Moss Park.
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| my current camp host site, I may move over one or two sites |
After meeting everyone the next day and getting a tour of all the restrooms, with keys to all the supply rooms and explanations as to which key unlocked which toilet paper holder, supply door, soap dispenser et-all, I was duly indoctrinated into camp hosting one-oh-one.
Eric the park manager assured me that I would be most helpful in monitoring the weekend campers and ensuring that the rowdy ones settled down after the 10pm quite hour. He hasn’t had a weekend off in months and I am to be his weekend backup, including having the authority to call the local police if any of the campers remain too rowdy from drinking and partying etc. I hope I’m able to convince any rowdies too ease up, lower their voices and chill out without having to call in the big guns.
It appears I’ll only have light clean-up duty in the bathrooms especially on weekends and will also pick up any trash left behind. This park is immaculate and I could only find two small cellophane wrappers on my first walk around the campsites today. The staff they have on board is definitely what they call a well oiled machine.
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| originally built about 12 years ago the two main restrooms/ bath houses cost a million dollars |
I understand for about 5 days before Christmas they will be putting on a light show at night in the front of the park and I’ve been asked to assist. Can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with. I did see them putting lots of lights on an old aluminum boat out back, so we’ll have to wait and see what other surprises they have in store, I’m sure it will be pretty cool.
I was informed that the Orange Country parks would be closed for two days over the Christmas holiday and would I have someplace to stay for those two days, as they would like even the camp hosts out of the parks. Not sure how that will play out, but I doubt they would actually force me off the property now that I’m here. Well, we’ll have to wait and see. It does sound a bit strange to me.
So, what are my duties as a camp host for this season?
1. Be a presence in the campground area.
2. Help out any campers who may have questions about locating a Laundromat, grocery store, emergency medical care, etc.
3. Spot clean the restrooms if needed since the regular cleaning is done by paid staff.
4. Pick up any trash as I make my rounds.
5. Enforce basic camping rules, especially quiet hours.
6. Verify campsite tags and remove expired tags after campers have left.
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| broken board on boat ramp |
Today I noticed a large tank/pressure washer at the restrooms near my campsite. It had been backed up to the entrance to the restrooms and a worker was power washing the restrooms. Now that’s the way to clean a restroom.
I dropped by the front office on my third day here and was told more about what they expected of me.
I had been handed a small clipboard the other day and was told that the previous camp host used it but I didn’t have too. Ohkkkkay. No explanation of what it was or how it was used in the past.
So I took it, looked it over and realized is was a check off list of who was on each campsite. Later in the day I had a meeting with the park manager again as he told me he wanted to go over a few things with me. Well that never really happened as he didn’t have anything for me, but I had a few questions for him. You know I would now didn’t you. One of them was that check off list regarding campsites. I asked him if he wanted me to do anything with it and he said, not really. Ok, I said if it was just busy work and didn’t need to be done, I wouldn’t waste my time on it.
Ok so now you have the background. Come to find out the front office does like to have the camp host check on sites periodically to see who’s on each site and does the site have a tag on the post if occupied. You see, some campers sign up up front and then go pick out a site. If they don’t check back with the front office, the front office has no idea which site they’ve taken. Which of course can be a problem if someone calls to make a reservation and the office doesn’t know what sites are open or filled.
It was apparent that a periodic check of campsites was in order especially on weekends. Though, a quick call to me at my campsite and I can go check any site in question as well. Which I’ve had the opportunity to do today a couple of times. So with that cleared up, I’ll be doing regular “compliancy” checks. That’s what we called it at other campgrounds I’ve been in. I’ve also noticed that if I don’t remove those expired tags from a campsite, most incoming campers don’t know that the site is now available. Something else I will need to do, remove old tags from camp posts.
note: a couple days later and we're still attempting to sort out the "compliance" procedure at this park. With little to no guidance, I'm picking up tips only when it isn't done their way. I keep getting, George didn't do it that way, or that's how George did it, but no real guidance. I finally asked, how did George do it? Would you believe, I finally got the answer and it pretty much followed the way I've done it at other parks. But who knew?
News from around the park:
Dozens of wild hogs have been entering the park. I saw them haul one away in a trap today. The hog was huge. You know they can have 5 or 6 babies 1 1/2 times a year so I’m told. A couple days ago they caught 3 small ones and six adult hogs shortly after putting down the traps. 3 were pregnant. Hogs can tear up a campground in no time. They’re very destructive. They estimate that over 500 feral hogs are in the area.
Raccoons have been a nuisance as well. Many of our newer campers have experienced the loss of food goods from their coolers. They quickly learn to protect food by keeping coolers in their vehicles.
We have a dozen or more sand hill cranes in residence. They stay all year long and stand at each site hoping for a hand out. Very polite, but will squawk in frustration when no food is forthcoming. One camper said they kept her company and even listened to her music.
A marshy island is just off the main shoreline on Lake Mary Jane and is a bird rookery. During the winter, migrating birds fill the island and have their babies in relative safety, it’s like a big nursery for birds.
About a half dozen deer wander around the campsites outer edges in the evening. The sand hill cranes don’t like them and will complain loudly. The deer ignore them. They are very tame and will often stop to let you take pictures of them.
400 girl scouts are here this weekend. They’ve taken up residence filling up all of the group camping sites. Should be an interesting weekend.
Only 6 people are permitted on each campsite. Yesterday, cars kept arriving and dropping off kids for a birthday party. I counted 12 kids at the campsite this morning having breakfast. I’d say they more than likely stayed overnight, along with at least two adults on one campsite. The office personnel were not happy and intended on going to the site and charging them for the additional people and of course giving them a scolding along the way. Later in the day I was asked to check on a double family site which ended up having 35 eagle scouts and parents on the sites. They ended up paying for a third family site.
My first weekend here in the park has gone by very smoothly. The campground has been pretty full from Thursday thru Sunday including all the group camping sites (400+) and family campsites (18+). At the front office they informed me that all the picnic pavilions up front are rented out on Saturday. Fortunately since the park is so large, they can handle those big crowds and the average person would not even know that the park as so filled with day use folks and campers.
Saturday night I did have to mention to one camper that their music was not too loud, but their kids while playing had voices that could wake the dead. It was well after the 10pm quiet hour and the kids were still playing hide and seek. Screeching each time they found the one hiding. They were directly across from the Camp Host. Don't mess with the Camp Host. (grin)
Temperatures after my first day in the campground dropped down to wonderful fall type weather for Florida anyway. That means low humidity, day temperatures around 80 degrees and evenings around 58. A very light breeze during the day and sunny blue skies, not a cloud in the sky. In between my camp host duties which gives me lots of exercise walking around the campground 3-4 and 5 times a day, I’ve enjoyed talking to the weekend campers and just hanging around the campsite reading an Agatha Christie book.
Not a bad way to start out my first week as camp host at Moss Park.
