live. work. dream.

I’ve always wondered about what it was like being a campground host. Then, over the weekend, a really nice host named Jim Wagner helped Jim and I back our RV into a tight spot at Silver Lake, off Hwy. 88 near South Tahoe. He seemed to be really seasoned at being a host, and with RVing in general, so I asked him if he would tell me a little bit about how he got to be a host and what it was like.

About 18 years ago, Jim retired from the CA Department of Forestry. He ended his CDF career as Deputy Chief in charge of Conservation Program, after working there for 36 years. While living and raising kids in the Sierra Foothills, he and his wife Jo have been RVing with their family since 1964, making the outdoors a central part of their lives.

Two years ago, Jim and Jo were happily going along enjoying their retirement together, when a close friend told them about the job opening at Silver Lake Campground West, operated by the Eldorado Irrigation District. At first, they wanted nothing to do with the job.

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