Destin Army Infantry Recreation Campground (U.S. Military FamCamp) - Destin, Florida (September 2025)

Our first camping trip since the "bike accident" was a success. We decided we needed to go out again in Rosie, our Airstream trailer.

Becky wanted to see if we could get reservations in a campground along the Florida or Alabama Gulf Coast. Experienced campers know it is always difficult getting reservations in a prime park in that location. Starting the search less than two weeks before wanting to arrive is just about impossible to end successfully.

I had low expectations when I called Destin's Army Infantry Recreation Center. I was surprised when they said they had a "premium" site available for two weeks. Of course, I quickly grabbed that site. More than likely someone cancelled his or her reservations just before I called.

Welcome to Destin

We classify Destin as a top-tier military FamCamp. It is along the Bay in Destin and has the campground along with a hotel and cottages for guests. They also have a great swimming pool and splash pad setup for the children. The fishing pier in this park is well maintained and we enjoy walking out on it. This is a great park and it has some spectacular views of sunsets.

Entrance to the Destin Army Infantry Recreation Campground

We had a unique experience with our truck while we pulled Rosie to Destin. Our truck is equipped with the technology allowing it to drive itself. It is better at catching speed limit signs than me. Often times, I'm just another passenger in the truck. 

As we were approaching Fort Walton, I noticed that we were going very fast. We were at 75 mph and accelerating. 

It was easy to figure out what went wrong. The truck misread the sign for Florida Highway 85 as the speed limit and was dutifully trying to reach 85 mph while pulling Rosie when I took over the driving responsibilities from the truck. That was the first time the truck misread a highway sign for a speed limit.

Sites are assigned when you arrive at this FamCamp. By the luck of the draw, we were assigned a site on one of the campground’s curves. That made it easy for us to park Rosie.

Walking around the hotel section of the campground

Walking Suzy in a park near Watercolor, Florida

There was a new gadget in the office area. It was a coffee machine. We enjoyed getting a cup of coffee every morning.

A pirate ship sails past the campground 

Plants in the park 

We were not the only ones enjoying the sunset

We celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary while at this FamCamp. We went out for an authentic Gulf seafood dinner.

Enjoying lunch on our anniversary

A couple we talked to one evening during sunset recommended the Gulfarium, a marine life aquarium and show in Destin. We both enjoyed the exhibits and shows.

Enjoying the show at the Gulf Aquarium

There was a bumper crop of sandspurs in the campground area this time. We had to carefully check Suzy every time we took her out for a walk.

We always enjoyed riding our bikes at this campground on previous visits there. Since the bike accident, our bikes are staying at home. We discovered that we also enjoyed taking walks. Our watches told us we walked more than five miles a couple of days.

We constantly looked for dolphins in the bay or at the beach while at this FamCamp. We saw dolphins on our last day in the bay near the pier.

Rosie in the Destin Army FamCamp

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• We found one loop in this campground
• Our site was a back in
• Our site did not have any shade
• Typical of most FamCamps, most sites had very little space on both sides
• Our site was paved with asphalt and concrete
• Our site was level and we didn’t need use any leveling tools
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• The trash dumpster was at the entrance of the campground. It was easy to walk there with your trash
• There was a bathhouse in the campground. It was very clean 
• There was a laundry room in this campground 
• The park provide WiFi service. 
• AT&T provided 2 bars of 5G voice and data service over our campsite 
• We were able to watch PBS using Rosie’s TV antenna
• The FamCamp provided a cable TV connection with more than 80 channels we didn’t want to watch
• The park has a swimming pool and a splash pad for children. The splash pad was closed for repairs 
• This was a military FamCamp. You must have a military ID or a VA Health ID that states you have a service-connected disability to camp in this park
• There were restaurants and shopping nearby
• This was a pet friendly park 

Enjoying the beach

Another sunset at Destin

Solo pelican flyby 

R. Shaefer Heard COE Campground - West Point, Georgia (September 2025)

What happened? Why has it been 15 months since our last Rosie adventure? (Our Airstream trailer answers to the name Rosie.)

There was a clue in one of our last postings from more than a year ago. I briefly mentioned a bicycle accident at a campground last June. I wasn’t aware of how that statement would affect our camping plans for the remainder of the year. 

Yes, I injured my back in that bike accident. It turned out to be a compression fracture in my spine and it was very painful. That accident abruptly ended our camping season and we had to cancel our camping reservations in four different campgrounds so that I could have back surgery. 

While in the process of those medical treatments, my physician found a few more medical “surprises.” My fragile physical and emotional mental states were introduced to the “C” word. If there is a positive spin to this, the cancer was found early and the treatments  have been successful. There were other medical issues and we are dealing with them. 

Rosie, our Airstream trailer, in storage for more than a year

Then there is Rosie. Rosie sat idle for more than a year while I was being treated by an army of doctors. We knew that health reasons kept us home during prime camping season, but we were not prepared for how much we missed our Rosie adventures. We were not ready to give up camping in our Airstream trailer. 

After several encouraging medical appointments, we started looking at the calendar to see if we could squeeze in a potential Rosie trip. Our target date was after Labor Day because we knew the number of families camping would dip then.  To be practical, we wanted to find a campsite no more than 100 miles away. That way we could be home in a flash if I had a problem. 

There were several campground candidates, but we were able to reserve 10 days in R. Shaefer Heard Corp of Engineers Campground near LaGrange, Georgia. We camped in this park several times before and always enjoyed being there. 

The sign at R. Shaefer Heard COE Campground

We noticed a problem while loading Rosie. We filled the fresh water tank and turned on the pump to make sure it worked. Becky noticed that the shower head was leaking water even when it was off. 

From past experience, I knew the shower water cartridge needed to be replaced. I had to go to three stores before I found the correct cartridge and that put us behind schedule. We decided to replace the cartridge at the campground. 

Rosie in our site at R Shaefer Heard COE Campground

We found our site and setup before sunset. Yes, it was great to be back camping in Rosie. 

We always enjoyed riding our bikes in this and most campgrounds we visited. After my accident last year, the bikes were left home. We still enjoyed walking around this campground. In fact, I think we wore our dog out taking so many walks. 

We decided to work on replacing the shower cartridge our first day in the park. We quickly realized we were in over our heads and drove up to talk to the camp hosts. They recommended a couple of Mobile RV Repair people, but both were on vacation and couldn’t help. We finally found a service that could help us in three days, but he wanted $300 just to show up. Repairs were in addition to that fee. 

Changing Rosie's shower cartridge

We decided to tackle the shower problem again and were able to successfully fix it. I think the camp host was surprised and impressed that we did it. By the way, the camp hosts were very friendly and helpful during our time there. 

We did have a unique problem while camping at R Shaefer Heard COE Campground. Wasps were very insistent on building nests by one window and in the ball-hitch receiver area of Rosie. I don’t think any of our neighbors had that problem. We now carry wasp spray along with ant insecticide. 

Rosie's site in R Shaefer Heard COE Campground

We have to rate this adventure as a success. The ten days flew by and we started talking about going out again in a few weeks. 

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• There were multiple loops in the campground
• Our site was a back in. It had a moderate access slope, but the parking pad for Rosie was level 
• Our site had shade
• Most sites had some space on both sides
• Our site was paved with asphalt and the actual RV pad was concrete. Out site was level and we did not need to use any leveling tools
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service. The entire campground lost power for two hours one day
• Our site had a water connection
• Our site did not have a sewer connection 
• There was a dump station in this park 
• There were several trash dumpsters in this campground. The one closest to our site was a long walk away
• There were multiple heated bathhouses in the campground 
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T provided 3 bars of 5G voice and data service over our campsite 
• We were able to watch CBS using Rosie’s TV antenna. Digital channels seen were ION, Laff and an all crime channel we were not paranoid enough to watch. 
• There were restaurants and shopping within 10 miles of the campground 
• This was a pet friendly park 

Just prior to sunset

Suzy posing for this photo

A family of deer visited our site daily

Rosie from the bathhouse path

Suzy on a walk

Sunset

Cypress tree with knees

Becky's watercolor interpretation of Cypress tree with knees

Sitting at the picnic table outside Rosie

Sunset at the campground

Breakfast at a nearby restaurant

Sunset

Another sunset

Maxwell Air Force Base FamCamp (U.S. Military FamCamp) - Montgomery, Alabama (June 2024)

It was easy to tell that we left the cool and tree lined hills of Tennessee and were back in Alabama. Our tire monitors were reporting Rosie's tires were hotter than 120 degrees and our truck was saying that it was 106 degrees outside. (Rosie is our Airstream trailer.) When we stopped for gas and opened the truck’s doors, we felt the oppressive humidity and heat. We knew we were back in Alabama during summer. 

We also knew that it would be midafternoon when we arrived home and we would have to unload Rosie in 100+ degree heat. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. Luckily, there was an easy solution. We could spend the night in Maxwell Air Force Base's FamCamp. We called and reserved a site for the night. 

Our hearts sunk when we pulled up to the gate for ID checks. The barriers were up. That meant we had to navigate around the barriers while towing Rosie. We took it very slow and the collision alarm on our truck kept going off, but we managed to snake through the barriers and head to the campground. 

Since we wanted to leave the campground and head for home no later than 6 the next morning, we left Rosie hooked up to the truck. We quickly connected the electric and turned on both air conditioner units. The thermostat inside Rosie read 100 degrees, so we sat inside the truck for about 15 minutes allowing Rosie to cool off. 

Rosie in this FamCamp

As expected, we were able to cut back to one air conditioner unit after an hour. We spent a relaxing evening in Rosie preparing to unload her the next morning. 

It was much cooler the next morning and we were able to unload Rosie without overheating. 

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• There were multiple loops in the campground
• Our site was a pull-through 
• Most sites could be classified as "full sun" as trees were few and far apart
• Most sites had very little space on both sides
• Our site was paved with asphalt and had a concrete pad for Rosie 
• Our site was level
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection
• Our site had a sewer connection 
• The trash dumpsters were near the bathhouses 
• There were two bathhouses in the campground 
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T provided 2 bars of 5G voice and data service over our campsite 
• We were able to watch ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC and PBS using Rosie’s TV antenna. Digital channels seen were Antenna-TV, Bounce, Buzzr, Charge, Comet, Grit, H&I, LAFF, ME-TV, Movies and Outlaw
• There were restaurants and shopping nearby
• This was a pet friendly park 

Poole Knobs COE Campground - Nashville, Tennessee (June 2024)

It is easy to see when a campground was well thought out and designed to enhance your camping experience. Many Corps of Engineers (COE) easily fit the “ Well Designed” label, but not all. 

Poole Knobs COE Campground had us scratching our heads as to its design. People from the region love this campground and it is full every weekend during camping season. Still, Poole Knobs campground defied typical design principles and left us wondering if the designer ever visited any campgrounds. 

For example, our site was across the road from the water front.  It could also be described as the “hilly” side of the street. How hilly was our site? According to the Compass app on our iPhones, our site was 20 feet higher than the road. Our site was a pull-through and the entrance had a six degree slope. The exit had a scary 14 degree slope. Add to this mix that the entire site was loose gravel and you have a fair picture of our site. 

Yes, that was a steep hill going into our site

Our site wasn’t unique. We saw a handful of sites that were as steep or worse.

How were the restrooms/bathhouses? Again, we need to talk about the park's design. There were three restrooms in this park. Interestingly, all three were not close to any RV camping sites and were uphill walks from the camping loop. There was a scary 20 degree slope on gravel to one restroom. The camp host suggested we simply drive to the restrooms. Since the road in the camping loop was one-way, that meant you had drive around the entire campground to get to the main restroom. On the positive side, the restrooms were clean and maintained. 

We had to take it easy at this campground because of my back issues. That was OK because this was a great park for hikes. 

We watched as the campground mostly cleared out on Sunday morning. As we drove around the camping loop headed to the restroom, we wondered if a better campsite was open for the remainder of our time there. The camp host gave us a choice of two sites. We choose a somewhat flat site across the street from our first site. 

New site across the street from the old one

We had not planned to switch sites during our visit, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. We quickly hitched-up Rosie, our Airstream trailer, and prepared for the move. We talked about a strategy of using Rosie's breaks to halt a slide on the gravel slope if needed. It was time to test the theory. 

Becky went down to the road to stop any traffic. We used radios to communicate that the road was clear. I very slowly started down the hill and the truck started to slide on the gravel surprisingly fast. I was able to manually apply Rosie's breaks to stop the slide. That happened twice. I turned wide onto the road as I left our old site to avoid the ditch. We were glad that we safely exited our first site. 

This was another park with an amazing amount of bird activity. It was fun to use our Merlin Bird App from Cornell University to identify the many bird calls. 

There was also no shortage of mosquitoes in this park. We had to remember to dress appropriately to fight off the mosquitoes. 

After thinking about the problems with the design of this park, it is fair to ask why is it a popular park with locals?  First, they know which side of the street to reserve. In fact, they know the best sites and would never be caught on the wrong side of the street. Second, we noticed that most people stay in this park less than a week. Most RV holding tanks can store a weeks worth of waste. Third, the park was wonderfully cool from all of the shade trees. If we return to this park, we will follow the lead of the locals and choose a better site. 

The lake

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• There were multiple loops in the campground
• We found one loop in this campground
• Both of our sites were a pull-throughs
• Both of our sites had shade
• While there are some closely spaced sites in this park, both of out sites had some space on both sides
• Both of our sites were paved with dirt and loose gravel. We needed to use leveling tools to correct a side-to-side lean in Rosie in both sites
• Our sites had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our sites had water connections
• Our sites did not have sewer connections
• There was a dump station in this park. It was a challenge to pull your sewage tote to it
• The trash dumpsters were at the entrance of the campground
• There was a bathhouse in the campground 
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T provided 2 bars of 5G voice and data service over our campsite 
• We were able to watch ABC, CBS, CW, FOX and NBC using Rosie’s TV antenna. Digital channels seen were Antenna-TV, Bounce, Catchy, Charge, Comet, Court-TV, Cozi, Dabl, Get, Grit, H&I, ION, LAFF, MeTV, MeTV+, MeTV Toons, MY-TV, Movies, Outlaw, Retro and Start
• There were restaurants and shopping nearby
• This was a pet friendly park 

The old site showing the 14 degree gravel slope

Selfie in this park

Tree covered roads in this park

Daily visitor

Rosie in our new site

Cumberland Mountain State Park - Crossville, Tennessee (June 2024)

We had a first at this campground. Our assigned campsite was paved with asphalt, but it was difficult to back into. The site was narrow and had deep drop offs on both sides. When we extended the steps, there was less than six inches of pavement to step onto. We worried about safety exiting Rosie, our Airstream trailer, without twisting an ankle or breaking a leg. 

Sign at entrance to Cumberland Mountain State Park

Then we looked at the leveling bubble we use to help us decide which leveling tools to use. The bubble was all the way to one side meaning we had a very pronounced side-to-side lean. 

We were able to safely raise one side of Rosie six inches. Unfortunately, the level bubble didn’t move. We looked at the trailers on either side of Rosie and they appeared to be leaning also.

We felt the site was unsafe because it was too narrow and the slope was unacceptable. We called the office and as soon as we told them our assigned site number, the park staff person said she would find us a better one. 

She did! Our new site was at the end of a loop and backed into the woods. It was a significantly better site! The new site's pad was wider so we didn’t worry about injuries when exiting our trailer and we were able to level Rosie. Plus, it had a great view. Yes, it was a better site. 

New site in Cumberland Mountain State Park

We saw the loop's Camp Host while moving and explained what we were doing. When we told her the site we were moving from, she volunteered that was one of two sites in the park that was nearly impossible to level and people reserving those sites frequently asked to move sites. 

Our site was surrounded with woods

While setting up in our improved second site, we watched a trailer attempt to park in the second site mentioned by the camp host as impossible to level. It didn’t take long for that trailer to move to another site. 

A two year-old toddler in a site near Rosie fell in love with Suzy, our Yorkie dog. She was able to pet Suzy when we passed her site on a walk. Her grandmother said the little girl kept saying she loved Suzy and spent the day looking out their trailer's window calling for Suzy.  I think Suzy liked her, too. 

We found a walk around the lake. That walk became part of our morning routine while in the campground. 

Selfie along the walk around the lake

Another morning routine at this park was looking for the trash cans the raccoons visited during the night. There was a trash can at every site. The lids were held on with bungee cords to keep the raccoons out, but some people failed to secure their trash cans at night. Somehow the raccoons were always able to find the unsecured trash cans and scattered the contents on the ground. It always reassured us to double check the bungee cord on our trash can every night. 

We were awakened in the middle of a night by what sounded like gunfire. It didn’t take long to determine that we were hearing fireworks. We asked the camp host the next morning if she knew why we heard fireworks during the park’s quiet hours. She said that there was a farm near the park that frequently used fireworks late at night. Then she added that the farmer also had a cannon that he was fond of shooting at 3 a.m.

I had an accident while in this park. We were riding our bikes one morning, as we normally did. I turned too quickly onto too steep a hill while in too high a gear. My bike came to a sudden stop and started tumbling over. I was able to catch myself before hitting the pavement, but I injured my back. I ended up having to be very careful after that. 

We enjoyed listening to the many birds in this park. We have an app on our iPhones that identified the birds around us by their calls. 

Becky's watercolor sketchbook painting of Rosie's site

Becky's watercolor sketchbook painting of the bridge in this park

Here are some specifics about this campground:

• There were multiple loops in the campground
• Our site was a back in
• Our site had shade
• Most sites had some space on both sides
• Our site was paved with asphalt and we needed to use leveling tools to correct a side-to-side lean 
• Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
• Our site had a water connection
• Our site did not have a sewer connection 
• There was a dump station in this park
• There were trash cans at every campsite in this park. Bungee cords were used to hold on the lids and keep raccoons out of the trash 
• There was a bathhouse in our camping loop 
• The park did not provide WiFi service 
• AT&T provided 2 bars of 5G voice and data service over our campsite 
• We were unable to watch any over-the-air TV stations at our site using Rosie’s TV antenna
• There were restaurants and shopping nearby
• This was a pet friendly park 

The iconic bridge in this park

At a local restaurant

On our morning walks