Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Gulf State Park - Gulf Shores, Alabama (April 2022)

Our trip to Gulf State Park last year only wetted our appetite to return. You would think that it would be easy to get reservations in a park with 496 sites. One of the new realities of camping is that it is harder than ever to find an opening in popular campgrounds. It took diligent and frequent checking to find what had to be a cancellation that allowed us to reserve a site on the water in this Alabama State Park. 

The trip from our previous campground in Pensacola to Gulf State Park took less than an hour. That meant we arrived before the park's official check-in time. We camped before in a park that rigidly enforced their check-in time. Fortunately, that didn't happen here. Our site was empty and we were ready to park Rosie, our Airstream trailer, when we arrived that morning. 

Gulf State Park


The campground at Gulf State Park



Our moods were brighter as soon as we turned onto our loop. There was grass between sites, the sites were large and our paved site with full hookups was on the water. After spending a week in our previous campground where everything around Rosie was dirt or mud after the rains, we were so excited over our site that we made an original mistake. We forgot to check for level before we unhitched Rosie from our truck. It was a good thing that our site was mostly level with only a slight side-to-side lean. 

Rosie's site was on the water



There are signs all over the park warning people to not aggravate the alligators. We were not tempted to bother the half-dozen gators we saw in the park, including the one we saw in the water right behind Rosie.

Alligator in water behind Rosie's site

 
Two alligators enjoying the sun


Another alligator in the park


Baby "gator" along a bike path



There are some great bike trails in this park. We enjoyed going on five to eight mile rides most mornings. I’m not sure I would have wanted to use our kayak in the lake behind Rosie after seeing a gator there. 

One of the bike trails


A bike trail


Bike trail

We were surprised to see several park trucks blocking one area of a bike path. It was easy to see the reason as we got closer to the trucks. A power pole cutout pole breaker was arcing and the park employees were there waiting for the power company truck to arrive and fix that problem. We assumed there were several power feeds into the park, but we didn't know if that power pole was feeding power to Rosie. We decided to quickly head back to Rosie to make sure our power surge protector wasn't being overloaded. It was clear to us when we arrived back at Rosie that our electrical service was coming from another feed into the park. 

Problems with the electrical feed into a section of the park



This campground is across the street from the Gulf coast. It is easy to bike there. 

We saw an unusual event along the beach while camping at this park. We were surprised to see a tent city camping on the beach area. We found out that the park sells camping spots on the beach twice a year as a fundraiser. We estimated that 100 tents were camping on the beach that night. That was a great idea for a fundraiser!

Some people were camping on the beach during a special event

We were surprised by the afternoon and evening winds while camping in Gulf State Park. We easily had 30-40 mph winds several days. That meant we spent more time than usual inside Rosie. We were grateful that we enjoy being inside Rosie. 

Here are some specifics about this campground:
  • There were multiple loops in the campground
  • Our site was a back in
  • Most sites could be classified as "full sun" 
  • Our site was on the water
  • Most sites had some space on both sides
  • Our site was paved with asphalt and 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 only trash dumpsters in this campground with almost 500 sites were at the entrance of the campground. Most people had to drive to the dumpster.  Our site was was within walking distance of the dumpsters
  • There were two bathhouses in our camping loop. One was closed for renovation 
  • The park provided good WiFi service 
  • AT&T provided 3 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 AntennaTV, Bounce, Charge, Circle, Comet, CourtTV, Cozi, Dabl, Escape, Get, Grit, ION, Justice, LAFF, ME-TV, Rewind, Stadium and TBD
  • There were restaurants and shopping nearby
  • This was a pet friendly park 

Seen along a bike path


Kids loved playing on this tree in the campground


Saturday, April 23, 2022

Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area Campground (U.S. Military FamCamp) - Anchor Cove, Pensacola, Florida (April 2022)

We camped on base in the Naval Air Station's FamCamp the last time we were in Pensacola. That meant we had to pull Rosie, our Airstream trailer, through the barricades at the gate and past base security. This time we camped in the Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area, the other Pensacola Navy FamCamp. This is the military campground located off the base, meaning we didn’t see Marines with loaded M-16 rifles at the gate. 

Entrance to Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area


There are two camping loops at the Blue Angels Naval FamCamp. One was called Battleship Row and those sites had concrete pads and full hookups. They also had grassy areas between sites, paved roads through this loop and up-to-date facilities. The bad news for this loop was that the water views were across approximately 100 feet of concrete that was used during World War II to train Navy pilots about carrier landings.


Turn left for Battleship Row and right for Anchor Cove


The start of the Anchor Cove loop


The other loop was called Anchor Cove. Those sites were similar to what you would see in some state parks in that the sites were dirt with only water and electric connections. On second thought, make that similar to neglected state parks. There was mostly dirt between sites and dirt roads around this loop. Well, it was dirt until it rained and turned into mud. It’s best to not talk about the facilities in that loop. The good news was that a few sites in Anchor Cove had good views of the bay and shade. 

Sunset over Anchor Cove


Rosie in Anchor Cove


We were surprised at check-in to find out that sites in this campground were not pre assigned. Instead, we were given a yellow site reservation card for Anchor Cove and were told that all sites without yellow cards were up-for-grabs. We made a beeline to the sites along the bay and were surprised to find a great one open with shade and water views. I am sure by the number of newly arriving campers searching for sites as we were setting up that we would not have been able to get on the waterfront if we had arrived five minutes later.

We took a little road-trip our first morning in Anchor Cove. We left the park before sunrise and headed toward Mobile, Alabama. We arrived in time to watch our five year old grandson's Tee-Ball game. He batted twice and hit a single and a double. He also was batted in to score a run. It was fun watching our grandson and his team play a game and to share the excitement with the other parents and grandparents. 

Batting practice before the Tee-Ball game


We made it back to Rosie mid-afternoon. That gave us time to walk our dog around the park and to enjoy the sunset across the bay. 

Sunset from Anchor Cove


The speed limits around the campground were interesting. They yo-yo'ed up and down from 5 mph to 35 mph with patches of 10, 15 and 25 mph sprinkled in to keep things interesting. The roads were bad and bumpy enough that it was difficult to go faster than a slow crawl, making speed limits moot. To make things worse, there were random speed bumps that made sure everything in your trailer and tow vehicle were rattled while passing through the park. 

We enjoyed riding our bikes around this campground. We found some interesting trails to explore. 


Another sunset photo


View from Anchor Cove


The marina and outpost store


The online reviews of the Blue Angel Recreation Area Campgrounds were confusing to us at first. Some were glowing while others left readers with the impression that the campground was similar to camping in a third-world country. After staying here, we understood the disparity in those comments. 

Reviews from people camping in Battleship Row tended to be very positive while reviews from people stuck in Anchor Cove were anything but positive. Since we were in Anchor Cove, we were in the grumpy group who dealt with its outdated facilities, the dirt and mud.

Not everyone in Anchor Cove was disappointed with their site. Our neighbors in the site next to Rosie said they loved the "beachy" feeling of that loop and preferred it over Battleship Row. 

Here are some specifics about this campground:
  • There were two main loops in the campground. They were Battleship Row and Anchor Cove
  • Our site was a back in
  • Our site had shade
  • Most sites had some space on both sides
  • Our site was dirt
  • 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 
  • The trash dumpsters were near the middle of our loop  
  • There was a bathhouse in our loop. It appeared to be a manufactured trailer and needed to be maintained. People who served in the Army and “went to the field” will recognize Anchor Cove's restrooms as being very similar to field latrines with running water
  • 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 ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC and PBS using Rosie’s TV antenna. Digital channels seen were AntennaTV, Bounce, Charge, Circle, Comet, CourtTV, Cozi, Dabl, Escape, Get, Grit, ION, Justice, LAFF, ME-TV, Rewind, Stadium and TBD
  • There were restaurants and shopping nearby
  • The Navy Exchange and Commissary were about 20 minutes away from this campground 
  • This was a pet friendly park 
Would we camp in Anchor Cove again? We would not rule it out, but every other option would have to fall through before we would return. 

A selfie



Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Destin Army Infantry Recreation Campground (U.S. Military FamCamp) - Destin, Florida (March 2022)

The term “Spring Break” tends to bring mental images to some people of rowdy college students celebrating the end of winter on select Florida beaches. As someone who worked in higher education, I learned the beaches to avoid if you simply want to spend some relaxing time along Florida’s Gulf Coast during that timeframe. 

Knowing where to make reservations and actually getting into those campgrounds are two different things. It seemed to us that a large number of people thought camping was the perfect activity during the COVID pandemic. We saw a news story that said more than 1.1 million new RVs were sold during 2021 and nearly half of those were sold to first time RV owners.It appeared to us that they bought their RVs and immediately started making camping reservations. 

Seasoned RV'ers know that making campground reservations has always been a challenge. The COVID inspired camp boom only made getting reservations harder and more frustrating.  

Our favorite state parks along the Gulf Coast appeared to be booked through the next millennium. That was when we started looking at military FamCamps as an option. 

Sign at the entrance of Destin Army FamCamp

What is a FamCamp? They are campgrounds operated by the U.S. Military for servicemen and women currently on active duty, retired from the military or for veterans who have a VA documented service connected disability noted on their VA Health ID Cards. 

According to the VA, less than ten percent of American adults served in the military, less than 17 percent of that population made it to retirement and only ten percent of all veterans received a service connected disability. On face value, these statistics make it sound as if there are FamCamp sites galore for everyone eligible. That is misleading because there are not that many FamCamps out there. 

Yes, we are currently in a FamCamp in Destin, Florida, and it is associated with Fort Benning in Georgia. That Fort is a major training base for Airborne and infantry soldiers. It also houses the National Infantry Museum in Georgia. Maybe that is why this park was called the Destin Army Infantry Recreation Campground. Since this FamCamp was more than 200 miles from Fort Benning, it qualified as “outside the gate” meaning we didn’t have to pass base security to get to our site. 


The gate is very different from the ones seen on military bases


Check-in Office


When I think of the terms “Army Infantry,” thoughts of foxholes and being outside in the elements come to my mind. I guess my expectations were low going into this campground. I may have to adjust my thinking about FamCamps with “infantry” in their names. 

If you look at some of the online reviews of this campground, a reoccurring theme is that it has tight spaces. We had to ask the people in a neighboring site to move his Jeep so that we could back into our site. Yes, tight sites is an accurate description for this park. 


Rosie in the campground

View of the campground


Another point frequently made in the reviews is about this park's amenities and how well it is maintained. You can check those boxes because the campground, playgrounds, swimming pools and children's splash pad are all first class. We were impressed with how well the staff kept things clean and in working order.


Splash pad for children

The swimming pool


While the campground is on the bay, we didn’t find a good beachfront there. There were several public beaches nearby to satisfy any urge to walk along the shore. There was a pier and a marina where you could rent water crafts. 

We were glad we brought our bikes to this campground. We enjoyed riding them around Destin. We also brought our kayak, but noticed it needed to be repaired before trusting it in the water. 

We spotted what appeared to be several park traditions. A group of retired soldiers would gather every afternoon for what they called the “Commander’s Call,” military jargon for discussing important issues and giving recognition of outstanding accomplishments. I’m confident that world problems were being solved in those meetings. 

Sunsets were the other park tradition.  People would start gathering along the sea wall every evening about 15 minutes before sunset to watch the spectacular colors across the sky. It was easy to see that that no one participating in that tradition was dissatisfied. 
 

Sunset from Destin Army Recreation Center

Sunset

Enjoying Sunset


We saw what appeared to be a higher number than expected of young families with small children in this park. That indicated to us that soldiers on active duty were there over Spring Break. There were multiple playgrounds and fun things for children in this park. 

Here are some specifics about this campground:
  • There was one loop in the campground
  • Our site was a back-in
  • Most sites could be classified as "full sun" as trees were few and far apart
  • A few sites had shade, including our's
  • Most sites had very little space on both sides
  • Our site was paved with concrete and we needed to use leveling tools to correct a slight side-to-side lean in Rosie, our Airstream trailer. 
  • Our site had 20, 30 and 50 amp electrical service 
  • Our site had a water connection
  • Our site had a sewer connection 
  • There were multiple trash dumpsters positioned around this campground 
  • There was a bathhouse in the campground. It was clean and maintained 
  • There was a good laundry room in this campground 
  • The park provided good WiFi service 
  • AT&T provided 2 bars of 4G voice and data service over our campsite 
  • We were able to watch CBS, CW, NBC and PBS using Rosie’s TV antenna. Digital channels seen were Dabl and ION
  • The park provided a Cable-TV connection 
  • There were restaurants and shopping nearby
  • This was a pet friendly park 
My wife’s sister and her husband were camping about 50 miles away from this campground. We were able to meet midway for lunch and to catch up. 

Sisters (and hubs) eating lunch


We had two scary moments in this park. The first dealt with Rosie's door and the other was weather related. 

The door handle slipped off its gears trapping us inside Rosie on our second day in the park. We were able to use our limited tools inside Rosie to unlatch the door. We figured that the outside door latch still worked and we could have called the office and asked them to send someone to open the door from the outside if we were unsuccessful in opening the door from inside Rosie. 

What caused the door latch to fail? There are three screws that hold everything together. Two loosened without me noticing and that allowed the handle gears to jump off track. The lesson learned from this is to keep an eye on the door latch screws to make sure they are snug. 

Weather was the second issue. There was a strong line of thunderstorms accompanied by 30-40 mph winds gusting to 65 mph. The rain was possibly the heaviest we have ever heard inside Rosie. From the debris on the ground in the park, it was a severe storm. There were tornado warnings during this storm around us and the news reported several tornados near us. We were grateful that Rosie kept us dry and safe, but we were ready to evacuate to the laundry building if the tornado sirens went off. 

This FamCamp was a pleasant surprise and we enjoyed our stay there. 

A visitor on the campground's pier

Getting ready for a bike ride


Another sunset photo

Selfie along the seawall 


Dolphin playing in the water


There was a pirate ship near the park