Naval Station, Mayport, FL

Whenever in the Jacksonville, FL area we always try to spend a week or two at the Pelican Roost RV Park. It’s located all the way out on the St. Johns River south jetties, next to the fire fighting school. The 18 hole golf course has a true links environment and fishing from the jetties is always productive no matter the time of year.

The only large sites are on the front row and very hard to schedule into without some far in advance planning. We have never had one. The park is always busy and has a nice lounge area for all the visitors.

Every thing that comes and goes on the water from Jacksonville goes by here. Lots of folks will spend their days setting out on the jetties taking pictures of the passing ships and boats of all sizes. The Naval Station “Mayport Basin” is just off the RV park’s entrance. It is currently being dredged to hold a new carrier. The John F. Kennedy CV-67 was the last one stationed here.

Here are a collection of pictures we have taken during our many stays at this RV park with it’s prime location.

This is the park office and a couple of street pictures.

You can click on any of the pictures to get a larger view.











This was the best site we ever got assigned to. It's on the third row and backed up to a ball field.




This series of pictures is of our worst site assignment. It's a FHU on the second row with just enough room for extending the slides. My son was visiting for a day of fishing and couldn’t get over just how close we were parked to our neighbors.









When it comes to site assignments all RVs are equal.



This view is of the first and second row sites.




If you're unlucky enough to be at the RV park during a North Easter just bring in your slides and hunker down






There are always people fishing from the jetties. The tanker was waiting on the tide and a pilot.





Nice picture of the JFK moored in the Mayport Basin. Sorry, I don't know the names of any of the other ships.











This smallish container carrier is headed for Blunt Island.




Just about every kind of vessel will pass by here sooner or later. This one is headed for downtown Jacksonville.











FastEagle

Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, TX

One year after leaving our winter campground in Yuma, AZ early we decided to meander on down the Texas - Mexico border to the Texas gulf coast. It would allow us to use numerous military campgrounds along the way. This was the smallest one which also housed the smallest campground.

Laughlin AFB is a smallish pilot training facility with great year round weather for pilot training. When you enter the main gate you just drive straight down the main road to the FAMCAMP. There are just 20 sites but they are all very large, FHU sites, with fence dividers between every site.

The base houses an exchange, commissary, bowling alley, movie theater, fast food contractor - McDonalds - golf course and base housing. Off base there is another recreational facility located right on Lake Amistad which also has RV parking sites but not FHU - no sewer. There is a boat launching area and mooring. Rental cabins are also available.

We spent a week at the Del Rio location and did side trips to all the points of interest including down dirt roads to an Indian Casino.

I’m showing all of our pictures of our camp site as it’s quite unique. We were on a corner site which made it appear larger than the rest.

You can click on any of the pictures to make them larger.
















There are a lot of aircraft on display. This one is found on the road entering the base right after going past the main gate. Both sides of the road have similar displays and there is a place to pull off and walk around and take pictures.




This one shows the golf course in the background.




This one is found at a traffic circle in the housing area.




This is a picture of a few of the cabins for rent on the AFB campground at Lake Amistad.




Here are a couple of pictures with Lake Amistad in the background.







FastEagle

Barksdale AFB, Bossier City, LA

During the time of our stop at Barksdale FAMCAMP we were heading west for the winter and were traveling with our friends in the Montana in some of the pictures below.

Reservations are not accepted here but when we called ahead to inquire about site availability we were told to drive on in as there were plenty available. We were looking for a place to spend the thanksgiving holiday and this place was going to fit the bill.

We got in early on Wednesday afternoon and got all set-up including finding some good dish signals. That evening upon returning from dinner it started to rain and only stopped once - for a few hours - all the time we were there.

For thanksgiving dinner we ate at the mess hall with the troops. The meal and service was outstanding and lots of people came over and talked with us. It was a rewarding and fun time for all. We stayed five nights and got underway early Monday morning.

The FAMCAMP is about two miles from this picture location, well away from the hustle and bustle of base activates…..and the noise.

You can click on the pictures to make them larger.




Sometimes it rained hard. Too messy to try and walk around and get good pictures.




There are a lot of old aircraft on display here. Here you get a partial view of an SR-71.




Here is a picture of our rig taken right after setting-up the dish antenna and before the rain.




Our friends Montana before the rains.




Here is a good view of most of the park layout.




I got up on top of our trailer for this picture. The modern office building also houses the wash room and lounge area. Very comfortable.




FastEagle

Short Stay Navy Outdoor Recreation Area

Short Stay belongs to the Charleston, SC Navy Weapons Station. It’s actual location is north of Moncks Corner, SC a few miles off US-52. It is a gated facility with around the clock security. This is a large complex with just about any type of recreational equipment on hand for immediate check-out by authorized users. There is a large well stocked CG store. They also have a wide selection of fishing equipment for sale and live bait.

Even though I have an uncle and five first cousins in the immediate area we have only stayed here once. For a long stay it’s just too far from town and would require manually dumping our gray & black tanks. For a long weekend of just camping out with family and friends and doing some fishing it’s great.

We had a very large corner site up under the trees and away from most of the nightly activities.

Click on the pictures to make them larger.







It took me awhile to find a place to get a dish signal. I finely found it out behind the trailer almost into the site next to us




This is part of the large protected bay where the boat launching area is along with the large mooring area




There are a number of family party pavilions on the CG and all have volley ball courts and horse shoe pits. This one was in use when I was walking around taking pictures.




Coming in on the entrance road you will run right into the beach area. Those large buildings out on the point are rentals for large families or groups.



FastEagle