We can check the Hot New Releases, Bestsellers, The New York Times Best Sellers and many other easy to use search tabs. Often we find the best way to search is to use the Most Wished For and Most Gifted search buttons to see what is the hot gift in those categories. If we draw a blank we’ll send a gift card.

Instead of running around looking for wrapping paper and a card, for a small fee, Amazon will even gift wrap and include a gift card printed with your personal message. Of course we don’t have to chase down a Post Office to mail the gifts, Amazon does that for us, and sometimes shipping is free!

Amazon is a resource we use to get information and pricing for items we are considering purchasing for our selves. Recently we were looking for an special software program for the computer. Amazon not only gave us a complete review of the product but their price was lower than the big box stores and the warehouse clubs.

Here are a couple of our favorites, to learn more click on any of the items.

One item that is high on our wish list is Kindle, no more carrying around a bunch of books, just down load books to your Kindle and start reading, or let Kindle read them to you. Super technology at it’s best. Click on the image below and watch the videos, you’ll be amazed at what Kindle can do.

Who started Watson Lake Signpost Forest and why?

Let’s see if we can answer the above questions. During our RV trip to Alaska, in the summer of 2006, we visited the Signpost Forest, Watson Lake, YT, Canada. The town is located at mile marker 635 of the Alaskan Highway.

The Signpost Forest was started in 1942 by a member of the U. S. Army Engineer, 341, Company “D” which was part of a large contingency sent to construct the Alaskan Highway. Bare in mind that in 1942 this area was a vast wilderness. There really wasn’t anything for the soldiers and engineers to do other than work.

Many became homesick. One such individual was Carl K. Lindley. He decided to post a sign showing the distance to his hometown of Danville, Illinois.
So the first sign posted was “Danville, Illinois” 2,835 miles. That started the tradition of adding one’s hometown sign to the forest.

The 10,000 sign was placed by folks from Byron, Ohio on July 20, 1990. In 1992 Carl Lindley and his wife were invited back to celebrate the 50th anniversary
of the forest, during which the 18,000 sign was placed. When our group of RVers visited the forest, 2006, it was estimated that over 60,000 signs had been
placed. Each year, between 2,500 and 4,000 are added.

The forest is located on several acres of land, snaking through the trees. You’re probably wondering where all the signs come from. Well, most of the signs
come from folks that are traveling on the Alaskan Highway. It really is a must stop for RVers. All of the RV caravan tour companies stop to post a sign or
signs at the Signpost Forest. As a matter of fact one member of our group posted an old pair of tennis shoes, which of course he autographed.
There are traffic related signs, left turn signs, license plates and handcrafted signs, including signs made from discarded items like pie tins, hubcaps
and even moose antlers.

While the predominance of signs are from the United States, there are signs from other parts of the world. One of the real mysteries is a 6 x 10′ sign from
the German autobahn. How in the world did they ever get that sign all the way from Germany to Watson Lake?

So, when you’re packing your RV for your Alaska journey be sure to include a sign that you can leave at Watson Lake

It all started in 2003 our first year of retirement. We were wintering in southern Texas, the Texans called us “Winter Texans”, that way there wasn’t any confusion with the “Snowbirds” that flock to Arizona and Florida. We found an announcement about a Job Fair for Workampers. We both wondered what a Workamper was, so we decided to go check it out. Folks that’s how we got our start workamping.

We were amazed at how many companies were in attendance and how many folks were attending. There were seminars about Workaming and Rving given by not only Employers but also by old timer Workampers. Of course there were a lot of RV Campground owners present seeking workers for their operations. What amazed us was the variety of work available for Workampers. Jobs selling aerial photos of homes in different areas of the country, doing site maps for RV Campgrounds, amusement park workers and many other positions. We decided than and there to become Workampers.

Our first position was in Branson, MO working at an amusement park. Wages weren’t great but you got to go to a lot of shows free or at little cost. By the time the season ended we were showed out.

Since than we have worked as wagon masters for a caravan company taking RVers to the Copper Canyon in Mexico, selling high-end chocolate truffles north of San Francisco, selling aerial photos, doing campground site maps, working in lodges in several locations, selling fire works, selling RV tours and rallies, and doing road shows in Costco and Sam’s Club for outside vendors. As a Workamper you aren’t limited to just working in RV campground and resorts. There are many Workampers making their living by writing about their adventure, how to articles regarding RVing as a matter of fact one of the best selling books is a list of Wal-Mart locations where Rvers can stay over night, written by an RVer.

Can you make money Workamping? Yes we have made as much as $25,000 in a month and we’ve worked for what could be considered less than minimum wage. Many Workampers hire on at RV campgrounds and resorts just to get their site free for the period of time they are there, others seek higher paying jobs.

How do we decide what Workamping job we want? Well the job isn’t always the deciding factor. We start by deciding where we want to go, Florida, Texas, Arizona, California or where ever. After picking a city or geographic location we look for a Workamping position and like magic it all comes together.

So to answer the question posed in the title yes you can make money Workamping, but more importantly it’s all the great friends you make while Workamping. Give it a try.

So how do you make a pearl? Mexican pearls are born out of two native pearl oysters, the “Panamic Black-Lipped Pearl Oyster and the “Rainbow-Lipped Pearl Oyster”. The recipient oyster is around 2 years old and usually larger and older than the donor oyster. The donor oyster is selected for pearl characteristics, such as color and luster. that they are likely to impart to the cultured pearl. Now the delicate work begins. Much like a surgeon performing delicate surgery a pearl technician begins the grafting process. This involves using an assortment of surgical tools. Tissue taken from the donor pearl oyster is cut into small pieces and grafted into several dozen recipient oysters. After receiving their “implants” the oysters are suspended at a depth of 6 to 7 feet from the water surface in pocket like nets or rope chaplets.

After about two years the oysters are harvested. Will all of the implants produce pearls?
No, only about 20% will produce salable cultured pearls. Various estimates put the yearly production of cultured pearls from this factory at around 10,000. No wonder Mexican pearls are the rarest in the world.

Let’s talk about the various types of pearls that the farm produces:

Mabe or Half Pearl. This kind of pearl is formed when one (or more) nucleus is attached between the oysters shell and its mantle. The oyster reacts to this “intruder” by coating it with nacre, the substance that makes up the pearl. The shell is cut from the pearl and replaced with a backing made of mother of pearl. Mabe comes in a wide verity of unique shapes resulting in some unique jewelry creations.

Loose Pearls. These are the pearls most people instantly identify with the word pearl. However they are not perfectly round but are in many other shapes. The reason for this is that without the use of a round shell nucleus bead, it is virtually impossible to obtain a fully round pearl.

Keshi Pearls. “Keshi” in Japanese means “poppy seed”. They come in different size, shape and coloration. They are highly sought after by designers seeking a new and refreshing look in their jewelry designs.

While the tour is free a stop in the gift shop could result in a thinner wallet.

Peter Loewen’s family cooked us a Mennonite dinner. Who would have thought that instead of Mexican food we would enjoy smoked pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, soup and home made bread and butter. While we enjoyed our pie and coffee Peter enlighten us regarding the Mennonites religious beliefs and their culture.

Their lives are structured around their religious beliefs, the freedom to organize their own education system, not participating in government and not serving in the armed forces. The Mennonites believe in following Jesus in their daily lives. Mennonite Churches are actually plain, oblong wooden buildings called meeting houses. During services the women set on one side of the hall and the men on the other.

They tried to fulfill a Christan life with out going to high schools and universities. They built their own schools. Teachers had no formal training, farmers taught part time, reading only the Bible, speaking in German. Illustrative materials were not allowed, and one instructor schooled all ages, with as many as 75 students per class. Schooling ended at age 13 for boys and 12 for girls. Times have changed and now their schools are fully accredited by Mexico, and teachers are college trained either in North America or Mexico.

They still farm much like they did when the Mennonites first immigrated to Mexico. The family garden plot includes vegetables and herbs for their use and to sell to sell outside of the community. The Mennonites farming skills are very apparent when you observe how they turned what was barren land into magnificent apple orchards growing the famous Chihuahua apples. I stocked up for the four day Piggy Back Train ride with the fine cheeses they produce, the homemade garlic beef sausage, and their oven fresh bread and pastries.

Change has been slow for some inhabitants of Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico, but it is coming evidenced by a few automobiles, electricity and yes even television sprinkled around the city.

When in the area take your RV to Loewen’s RV Park and enjoy a wonderful Mennonite family style dinner.

There are a wide variety of clubs that one might join. There are clubs that center around an RVers hobbies, his type of coach or manufacturer, travel clubs, local club chapters and the list goes on and on. If you have that joining syndrome you might soon be in the market for an larger purse or wallet to carry all those membership cards around.

My suggestion is to take a note pad and list what you are looking to derive from joining a club. Are you looking for discounts when staying at a campground, discounts on fuel, trip planning, show and rallies where you can attend seminars and learn more about the RV Life Style, an magazine packed with information about RVing, so on and so forth. When you finish your list will more than likely be rather long.

Well the solution to that long list just might be The Good Sam Club.
The Good Sam Club began in 1966 when a group of RV owners put Good Samaritan bumper stickers on their rigs so fellow members would know they could get help on the road.

In the early days, Good Sams Members spread the word at RV parks and other Club events. Soon everyone wanted to know how to get a Good Sam “smiling face” decal. The Club grew and grew.

Today, the goal remains the same as from those days: to make RVing safer and more enjoyable, and save members money through Club-endorsed benefits and services. The Good Sam Club is now over 1 million RVing families strong and growing! Members have fun, stop to help one another and meet our responsibilities to the environment, highways and parks.

I’ve listed below some of the benefits derived from belonging to Good Sam. Click on the image to learn more:

Yes Allegrobusman is a Good Sam Club member!

Many times I’ve found myself in need of an item and the location I’m in doesn’t have a Camping World out-let. Well thanks to their excellent Web site I can find what I need and get hassle free ordering and shipment. Click on the image below to view their Web site.

Camping World Inc was founded in 1966 and is America’s largest direct marketer and specialty retailer of RV and outdoor camping accessories and services. Over 8,000 quality products are available through nationwide SuperCenters, a well-established catalog call center and an award-winning Web site. The company has grown from a single store in Bowling Green, KY to more than 75 SuperCenters with more than 500 service bays. Camping World also provides expanded products and services to enhance and protect the RV lifestyle including: the President’s Club customer loyalty program; in-store Resource and Performance through the Tow Center of America; Camping World RV Institute technical certification/training program; Goodwill Ambassador program; campground reservations powered by Reserve America; Banking and Insurance, RV tours, Service and Collision centers; Detail and Refurbishment centers known as the RV SPA, and RV View Magazine.
Given the current economic times Camping World has responded to RVers by:
Lowering Prices on thousands of items!
Expanded categories of items under $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100!
Implemented EZ Pay making it simple to budget purchased over 12 months!
Partnered with Good Sam VISA® with REC Rewards so you can earn Free gear and more with every purchase!
Added MORE Members-Only benefits and savings to increase the value of your Presidents Club membership!
Shielded you against unexpected repair or replacement costs with a Product Protection Plan!
Workmanship Guarantee for as long as you own your RV on any Installation or Collision Repair!