CAROL SHETLER/The Luminary Yogi Bear watches over activities at Jellystone Park near Milton including the work of groundskeepers Bert and Dori Staman. While the couple long to travel and camp full time, they are realizing half their dream until Bert’s retirement.

MONTGOMERY – Bert and Dori Staman came up with a solution to temporarily satisfy their wanderlust for camping. “We love to travel around the country in our RV, but as we’re not yet retired could not afford to do so full time,” Bert said.

Thirteen years ago, Bert formerly of Montgomery and a 1981 graduate of its high school, along with wife Dori of Union County, came up with a solution. “We decided to look for employment at a campground, trying out the experience for one year to see if we’d like it. We went online at workamper.com looking for a location, Bert said.”

Now the couple serve as a landscaping team over the 58 acres at Jellystone Park south of Milton near the intersection of routes 405 and 147. Bert affirmed that, “Our job is to keep the park looking good. The golf cart holds everything needed, rakes, edgers, and shovels; space for buckets to collect debris from cutting and pruning shrubs and flowers; also a water tank not needed this year due to sufficient rainfall.

The rains however, added unexpected duties such as Dori removing 10 frogs from the pool, and rescuing ducklings trapped elsewhere. Another time they pulled boats away from the raising waters of the Chillisquaque Creek which meanders onward a bit before dumping into the Susquehanna.

Dori is credited with designing the landscape beneath signage posted at the parks entrance, “I propagate cuttings of mums which grow to as much as three feet across. Within the park there are several focal areas with flowers and foliage,” Dori said.

CAROL SHETLER/The Luminary Bert and Dori Staman, groundskeepers at Jellystone Park near Milton, sit among the landscape designed by Dori which the couple built around the identifying signage.

The park was recently purchased by a company identified as “Great Escapes RV Resorts.” The Staman’s reference the park as a destination, having been in residence long enough to see youngsters grow into adulthood now bringing their children. “We’re on a first name basis with most of them,” Bert said.

No park named Jelleystone would be complete without a couple of statues of Yogi Bear. There is a swimming pool with a large extended sun deck, three areas having playground equipment, a giant jumping pad, and an section where foam bubbles float away in globs.

The activity building hosts many forms of leisure such as painting, pumpkin carving, and such. Campers are encouraged to decorate their sites participating in weekly themes such as “Christmas in July,” pirate, dinosaur as well as “Under the Sea” week. Just now the emphasis is on Halloween, which will be the final theme for the season.

As the couple lives on site, they join in with the fun times including as members of the Country Twirlers Square Dance team. “Bert won a pie eating contest though most of it was on his beard,” Dori said.

Bert adds to the couples income as a seasonal driver for a local company. Soon they will head off on their annual trek to their home in Florida. Dori has retired however Bert will remain working for a while. After that, you can bet they will be off in their RV touring the country full time.