A Drive to the Keys?

[streaminwild]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Wow - so I'm blown away - need to digest this all and figure out what the heck I'm going to do!!

That Caribbean Cruise is starting to sound better and better. Just you and your wife, more time for each other and less stress. They leave from Mobile Alabama. Just a thought.

[PharmGeek]

Originally Posted by streaminwild

That Caribbean Cruise is starting to sound better and better. Just you and your wife, more time for each other and less stress. They leave from Mobile Alabama. Just a thought.

Lol - well - I haven't ruled anything totally in or out

It seems that the drive could in theory be two 10 hour days conservatively...but that may be less

It would be a heck of a drive there and back....

I called blue water key out of interest for 3/2018 and for the week I was interested they had no availability lol

Cruises for some reason to me seem terrible - I've never been on one mind you but don't like the idea in my head of being on a boat like that...but that aversion is based on an abstraction so maybe it would be great.

Continuing to mull today

Wife seems interested in making the trek 3/2018 - as such I need to see very soon if that is even possible at this point

[streaminwild]

I too have never been on a cruise, but only here good things about them. It would be a new adventure for you two. There are lots to do at Key West. A good time to go is during Fantasy Fest, if you're into naked painted bodies. Kinda like Mardi Gras with a twist. It's on the last week of October. Not too hot then and for adults. Good to see you posting again Pharm.

[SuzyHomemakr]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Lol - well - I haven't ruled anything totally in or out

It seems that the drive could in theory be two 10 hour days conservatively...but that may be less

It would be a heck of a drive there and back....

I called blue water key out of interest for 3/2018 and for the week I was interested they had no availability lol

Cruises for some reason to me seem terrible - I've never been on one mind you but don't like the idea in my head of being on a boat like that...but that aversion is based on an abstraction so maybe it would be great.

Continuing to mull today

Wife seems interested in making the trek 3/2018 - as such I need to see very soon if that is even possible at this point

Traffic in S. Florida can be extreme at times- I always try for early afternoon to go through Miami. Down here, turn signals are seen as a sign of weakness! You'll miss a great drive if you go through the Keys too late.

I was never into the idea of going on a cruise, thought it would be like being trapped in a mall for a week. Then we went on a Blues Cruise. Now we're hooked! There's one going out of Ft. Lauderdale in February 2018...

[NanaB]

My husband and plan to be in Florida March 2018, and spend part of that time in the Keys. I have made numerous phone calls to RV parks and I have found that some are already full (mostly repeat campers), three campgrounds will be hotel locations (Knight's Key and Point of View and another). Long Key State Park (as mentioned previously) is undergoing a one year coastline rehabilitation so is not in the mix. This limits the number of campsites available, and could increase the already high prices. At this time the best bet is Sunshine Key Resort and Marina or Fiesta Key RV Resort which are both Thousand Trails locations.

[G8rkathy]

A few days in Long Key State Park is time well spent. The drive will be long and boring but you can find ways to entertain these days. Book ahead they fill up fast. It is a strip of sand with water on both sides. Last time we went we got evacuated for a hurricane but that is an unusual experience. ENJOY!

[Jarrod White]

Don't forget to look at Jolly Roger near marathon which is a passport America park. It used to be half price year round but now is seasonal. Not a top tier park but okay and a good location.

[MoBambi]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

As a Federal employee you can stay at the Key West Navy campground on a space available basis. No reservations are excepted for non active duty. Take your VA employee ID. Odds are you will be sent to the dry camping area for such a short stay. If you have a generator big enough to run your AC that would make things more comfortable for the wife and kids.You might luck out and get a spot at the main campground with full services.

Just as a side note. If you decide to not drive all the way to Key West Ceder Key is a lot like Key West was 40 years ago. Very laid back, relaxed and not overflowing with drunk tourist. They have a couple of old school family campgrounds. It has some of the best kayaking and canoeing you will find anywhere. Delicious fresh seafood and friendly locals. Beautiful beach right down town with easy put in and take out.

AwCheif I see no need for you continuing to bring up Military Camp Grounds with in the forums. Military are all aware of MWR campgrounds!

[Rocinante]

Oh, I don't know about that, I thought it was an interesting tidbit.

Originally Posted by MoBambi

AwCheif I see no need for you continuing to bring up Military Camp Grounds with in the forums. Military are all aware of MWR campgrounds!

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by MoBambi

AwCheif I see no need for you continuing to bring up Military Camp Grounds with in the forums. Military are all aware of MWR campgrounds!

Does the military bother you that much? It's useful info to some.

[mwkersh]

Originally Posted by MoBambi

AwCheif I see no need for you continuing to bring up Military Camp Grounds with in the forums. Military are all aware of MWR campgrounds!

By the way, he was talking about Federal employees on a space available basis. Not military. You are correct that most active duty military members have a good idea of what MWR provides, but not all, and Federal employees even less. They generally don't get a lot of information like this so I think it's useful for them and others as well.

I would also say newbie military campers may not know a whole lot about what MWR may offer, especially younger soldiers, because they wouldn't really have paid attention to it. Having an experience Chief give them some pointers would be well appreciated.

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by MoBambi

AwCheif I see no need for you continuing to bring up Military Camp Grounds with in the forums. Military are all aware of MWR campgrounds!

Thank you for your very strange post. I can only assume you are anti military or have another motive. The OP is not military, he is a GS federal employee. Many civilian federal employees are not aware that they can use some MWR facilities.

[RxGuy]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Cruises for some reason to me seem terrible - I've never been on one mind you but don't like the idea in my head of being on a boat like that...but that aversion is based on an abstraction so maybe it would be great.

I was one of the "why would anyone want to take a cruise?" people. I finally was talked into one of the weekend Miami to Nassau cruises. I have now been on over a dozen cruises. My recommendation, if it's only you and your spouse, take the cruise!!! (Or at least at some point give a short cruise a try.)

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

snip >>>
I called blue water key out of interest for 3/2018 and for the week I was interested they had no availability lol <<<snip>>>>
Wife seems interested in making the trek 3/2018 - as such I need to see very soon if that is even possible at this point
<<< snip

If you come down to FL mid March or before you will find that all of the campgrounds will be full of snowbirds (people from northern locals who spend the winter in FL). The last week of March and the first few days of April there is a mass exodus, when more than half of the snowbirds will be on the road going home. Traffic can be horrible. (I left 28 March when daytime high temps were near 90)

Most people that left have already made reservations for next year. That's why you found no availability.

If you schedule your trip in early April instead of late March you should find places to stay.

The advice to use US-27 is good, if you want to stay a few nights along the way. However, some places it is stoplight to stoplight for miles. To avoid one location, from the Ocala area take I-75 south then take Florida's Turnpike toll road to the US-27 exit ($1.50 tow vehicle+$2,00 for your trailer I think). That's what I have been doing for years, started taking my parents in the mid 1990's when they could not drive. It will save an hours time in stop and go traffic and a lot of fuel.

When getting to the Miami area on US-27 take state road 997 to US-1 to skip the high traffic areas.

add edit:
If you decide on US-27, from the toll road south you will find many old trailer parks along the way that you can stay at, mostly old and not so nice. At Sebring, FL at the Hammock Rd exit you will see a sign for Highland Hammock State Park. It's a good place to overnight, less than 10 minutes off of US-27 with good restaurants nearby.

[PharmGeek]

Ok - so can we talk more about the military base.

So I've talked to a couple of you via phone (thanks!) and was told that the base would be a great option as it is "in the keys" - prime location.

Is there a chance for people that try to go there as a federal employee that I would have no space - my generator can run both AC units so even dry camping is doable.

Upon first hearing that option I imagined an ugly place to camp but now a few people called that an awesome option

[Lily&Me]

If your federal employee access to these campgrounds is on a non-reservable, space available, basis...during prime Florida travel season...it would stand to reason that you don't want to risk an anniversary trip nightmare by getting down there and finding no space available for you and your Airstream.

Maybe call the campground, and see what they advise, but...

Bite the bullet, make a reservation, and pay the big bucks for a sure thing where you want to be.

And, do it soon.


Maggie

[polarlyse]

We just got back from our winter trip to KW. We are retired military and stay at the Navy Base CG and have done so for the past 3 years. We were there from early January to early March. Yes it's " first come-first served" and when we arrived in early Jan there were probably in the neighborhood of a dozen or so spaces still available but over the next week or so they did fill to capacity. I was told that this year they never needed to turn anyone away. Even during their full times there were daily going and coming so they did not ever turn anyone out. Last year was a much different story. While there we spent exactly one month on dry camp ( no hookups / dump & water available nearby) before our number came up and we rotated to a full hookup site for 2 weeks. We then rotated back to dry camp for the duration of our stay.

Anybody interested in Military base campground can find most all they need to know using google. Many ( maybe most ) bases have facilities. On our way too and from the Keys we usually stay over in the Big Cypress area. They have several CG's. Some with hookups, some without but all nice, inexpensive and a good stopover to and from the Keys. There is also the Casino just north of Homestead along Rt. 41 and I 75.