MacDill AFB Archives - Chickery's Travels

January 1, 2018 by Julie 2 Comments

Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review

Before 2017 comes to an end we wanted to look back on the last year and share our favorite locations, campgrounds and adventures.

This year we visited 10 states and stayed in 11 campgrounds and 7 hotels. This tally doesn’t count the trips Sean went on for work alone.

Campgrounds

Our top 5 favorite campgrounds this year were:

Our stay at Midway RV Park Millington, TN was an unplanned trip as a result our of evacuation from Hurricane Irma, but it ended up being a wonderful surprise. We enjoyed the quiet beauty of the local area and went on excursions to nearby Memphis.

We were stationed at MacDill AFB Tampa, FL the last 2 years of our military careers, so it was like going home. Tampa is one of our absolute favorite cities, and the base is in a perfect spot surrounded by water.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park Jupiter, FL ended up being our only state park visit this year. We had to cancel a few others due to Hurricane Irma. In addition to the terrific activities inside the park itself, we really enjoyed Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve only 9 miles away.

What’s not to love about Disney World? Fort Wilderness Kissimmee, FL is a massive campground with tons of activities, many of them free. If money was no object, Julie would want to live here.

Not only is Fort Belvoir, VA in a fabulous spot overlooking the Potomac, it is in close proximity to Washington DC. The best part to us is that fact that our oldest son and future daughter-in-law live nearby!

Other Travel

We also travel quite a bit outside of the RV as well, primarily for Sean’s work. Our favorite trips without the RV were:

Florida’s Nature Coast

The area is often referred to as “Old Florida” because the attractions have been here long before Disney.

At the heart of the area is the Weeki Wachee River, fed by the deepest naturally-formed spring in North America, with over 100 million gallons of crystal-clear water a day. If you want to read a funny story, check out my misadventure on the Week Wachee River here.

Mesa, AZ

We traveled to Mesa for Sean’s graduation from A.T. Still University. Then the newly minted Doctor of Health Science took me for one of America’s most scenic drives on the Apache Trail.

It is full of hair pin curves with no guard rails and not for the faint of heart. If you have a driver with nerves of steel and are up for a little adventure, I highly recommend it!

Las Vegas, NV

We love Las Vegas and visit at least once a year. This year we rented a car to spend some time away from the strip at Red Rock Canyon and Lake Mead.

Looking Ahead

We have the first half of 2018 planned. After attending the RV Super Show in Tampa, FL we are heading to Pensacola, FL for two weeks. Then we’ll make our way to Texas for a 3 month stay. We’ll be in Fredericksburg for a month, and San Antonio for 2 months. Next we’ll go to Colorado for a brief visit before driving back to Northern Virginia for our oldest son’s wedding in June.

Let us know if you think our paths may cross; we love to meet fellow travelers! This year we were fortunate enough to meet several other full-time RVers including Kevin & Maria of From Paris to Roam; Mike & Dawn from Random Bits RV; Robert & Jessica of Exploring the Local Life; and Shane and Alexi from The Simple Nomads. Let’s add you to the list in 2018!

Don’t Forget Our Books

We also added “author” to our resumes this year and wrote two books to share our knowledge and research with others.
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August 4, 2017 by Julie 2 Comments

MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, Florida)

We just spent a month at the MacDill AFB Family Campground (aka FamCamp). We love its central location to tons of activities and amazing beaches! It is very large with 366 full-hookup sites (electricity, water, sewer, and cable TV). Folks staying for a few months can even get an account with the local provider and get internet/telephone service. They also have several partial hook-up spots with water and electric and a tent camping area.

Main FamCamp

The campground is divided into two parts. The main FamCamp is by the base beach on Tampa Bay. This area has two dog parks and new this year, a dog beach! The main campground also has a laundry room and bathhouse. This is really the only place with a strong Wi-Fi signal, but the drawback is that both times we have stayed at this campground, the air conditioner was out in this building.

Base Beach and Seascapes

The water is not really deep enough to swim, but you can wade in the water or just enjoy soaking up the sun. The beach also has a volleyball net and picnic pavilions. If you prefer, you can enjoy the restaurant, Seascapes BeachHouse, which is open for lunch on weekdays and dinner on weekends. The outdoor Tiki Hut bar is also on the weekends so you can enjoy a cocktail and the fabulous sunsets. On Friday nights they have Family Fun Night with a DJ and activities for the kids.

Marina

The base marina is also adjacent to the FamCamp. They have boats and kayaks for rent, as well as wet slips to store your own boat and a boat launch ramp. They also sell bait and assorted sundries. Outdoor recreation rentals are co-located with the marina and they rent bicycles, tents, and much more.

FamCamp Annex

The FamCamp Annex provides another section of full-hookup sites near the golf course. The spaces here are farther apart and most have paved parking. However, there is no additional bathhouse here, so if you need that amenity you may want to choose the main campground.

Reservations

Now you’ve probably noticed that there is a ton of space right now. That’s because it is summertime and you will never need reservations to come this time of year. If you want to come in the winter, that is another story all together. In the winter, this is a snow bird’s paradise and the only way you can get into full hookups is to make a reservation a year in advance. If you call to reserve a site arriving early in the season, say October, you will likely get one. However, if you are trying to arrive later in the season you will most likely have to get on the waiting list.

A great source of information for the MacDill AFB campground and others is the website US Military Campgrounds and RV Parks. It provides a wealth of information including which gate to enter the installation, as well as reviews.