Government Canyon Natural Area

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Iceman567

Iceman567

Active member
Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Posts
25
Location
Gulf Coast of Florida
We've still been searching since my last post for a workamper position. I came across this position doing a 'google' search.
Gov't Canyon is northwest of San Antonio,TX. Nearest town is Helotes, TX.
This is a volunteer position, 12.5 hrs each per week. FHU, wi-fi and laundry.
I did send the contact person a laundry list of questions that I had. Commitment, facilities, security, etc.
Anybody familiar with this area? Comments and advice are welcome.

L8R, Ted
 
I had never heard of Government Canyon Natural Area until now, but it looks like an interesting place.  Just a few miles outside of San Antonio so you'd have easy access to shopping, medical, etc.  From the topography, it appears to be the very edge of the Hill Country.

Here is a link to the state web site on the area.
 
Government Canyon is relatively new.  I think they opened sometime in 2005.  We used to live in Helotes.  I went out and hiked through Government Canyon a few times.  The trails there are relatively easy, though you can get some of the longer hikes that will take you into the hills.  It is pretty typical of the Hill Country, with scrub brush, Cedar trees, Live Oaks, etc., and lots and lots of rocks.  It tends to get very hot there, and as most of Texas, particularly the Hill Country is having one of their worst droughts in forever, it will also be very dry and dusty.  But it is a very beautiful place, and as Ned pointed out, it is just outside of San Antonio.  It was about 5 miles from where I lived there in Helotes.

Since there is no camping there (other than you, the camphost), it may get a bit lonely there.  But heck, I think it would be worth it anyway.  Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
 
I tried to get basic information from both their official contact and the person who was the current host.  I was very interested in the gig because it was only open to the public three days a week.

I both called and e-mailed several times and never received a call-back or return e-mail.  IMHO eeither would have been easy and a courtesy.  I decided that was God's way of telling me that wasn't the gig for me.  ;D

It may be right for you - just letting you know you may have communication issues with them.
 
We have been looking at the Workamper opportunities in several locations as well and have found that your communications
experience is not unique to your inquiry. 

Perhaps we need to get a Workamper job as Director of Communications for one of these place.

 
I've had the same problem. I send off my life history and an enthusiastic letter of interest, a long list of questions,  then get total silence in return. I've found you really have to work hard to track them down. Often whoever is handling the volunteers and workampers, is doing it in addition to their regular job duties, so it often takes a backseat. Some resent being handed this chore and take the path of least resistance.

I find it best to write with pure enthusiasm and NO questions.  THEN they tend to contact you right away. At that point you can begin to ask all the questions.

My thinking is, when they see the laundry list of questions, they feel like it's too much work to answer all that for someone only marginally interested when they only have 30 seconds to devote to your email. So try to the enthusiasm approach, then when you get a live one on the phone, ask all the questions.

My last two workamping assignments were very vague, and I just left them that way. It sounded good enough for me to commit, and work out the details later. Both turned out to be wonderful situations!  I really didn't want to volunteer for the type that stand guard over your every move, so both my "vague" situations turned out to be they wanted self-reliant folks who could handle the vague list of requirements on their own without direct supervision.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,049 (members: 27, guests: 1,022)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,924
Posts
1,387,517
Members
137,674
Latest member
SPK550
Back
Top Bottom