Welcome to the Maxwell AFB FamCamp

Friday, 18 January
Maxwell AFB FamCamp — Montgomery, Alabama
Temps: Lo 35F / Hi 57F (1.5C / 19C)

We left the Fort Pickens Campground around 9:00a yesterday.  It was overcast and cold — with the wind chill, it certainly felt a lot colder than the 41F (5C) the mercury was showing.  In fact, we had to triple up on our layers and bring out the wool hats and gloves as we finished up our departure chores.  At least it wasn’t raining.

The Microsoft Streets & Trips Map above shows the 186.8 miles (299 km) we drove to our new home — the Maxwell AFB FamCamp in Montgomery, Alabama.  (The inset shows our fulltiming travels to date — we’ve driven 1,401 miles; that equates to 146 gallons of diesel at an average price of $3.83/gallon.)

The drive was an easy one.  The further north we went, the colder it got.  In fact, we had to crank up the generator and run the propane furnace when we stopped around 1:00p to warm up the dinette area before we sat down to a lunch of hot soup.  It was 37F (3C) when we arrived at the campground office, but at least the strong winds and light drizzle that plagued us most up the way up here were behind us; and Iago, the storm that brought snow to some areas, was passing to our north — something to be grateful for.  We settled into our FHU site (#61) without delay and made our home cozy in no time.  (The nightly rate is $20, but we’re on the weekly rate that gives us seven nights for the price of six.)

Site 61 is near the end of the second row in the new section of the campground.
The sites closer to the lake have tree coverage; getting a big rig in there could be a problem.
Though all the sites are tight, the lack of trees on our side of the campground
makes maneuvering into the pull through sites a piece of cake.

This is a first for us — a custom reserved sign welcoming us to the FamCamp.

We woke up this morning (the 18th) to cold temps again, but the day warmed up quickly.  And with full sunshine we had a very nice first day at the campground.  For me, it was a day to stay home and catch up on laundry.  (They have a laundromat here, but I prefer to use the rig’s washer and dryer, even if smaller loads means that it takes me longer to finish up.)  I also used the time to write a couple more catch up posts for our October 2012 trip to Turkey.  (Hop on over there for a neat breakfast experience in a grocery store and a visit to the wildlife park!)

Through the windshield — Site 61 is one of five that faces open space.

When Mui returned from the commissary, he made us a shrimp and crab pizza for lunch, and then off we went to walk around the campground to familiarize ourselves with the facilities.  (Not that we need them, but I’m especially impressed with the individual shower facilities with home-style shower cubicles complete with toilets and sinks.)

Looking out the door, the three sites to our right are still empty;
our immediate neighbor comes in on the 21st.

The sites are close together; still, this is a nice, utilitarian campground for us.
We’re glad there is no sun shelter over the picnic table at our site;
people have dinged their motorhomes on the roofs of those shelters.

Our walk took us all the way over to two lakes that we think do double duty as storm drainage ponds.  At the first lake are six campsites, but they are reserved for Professional Military Education students.  Further on are picnic shelters, as well as swings and benches for people to take a load off.  It was quiet today, but I imagine this area is hopping in the summer; especially with those renting boats, canoes, and kayaks to go out on the water.

Lake #1

Can you find the heron I zoomed in on (left) on the island in the middle of the lake?

Lake #2

The picnic area overlooking lake #2.

This peninsula reaches out towards the middle of lake #2.

We took advantage of one of the benches on the peninsula to enjoy a peaceful break.
(If you think my feet are reaching the ground, you would be mistaken!)

Looking across the lake towards the picnic area.

We’re going to be here until the end of the month.  Not sure how much sightseeing we will be doing this time since we plan to be back in the area after our stint in Red Bay.  We need some time to make/finalize plans for a couple of non-Phaeton adventures we have in the offing, and this campground seems like a good place to do that.  Then again, there are lots of sunny days with reasonable temps in the 10-day forecast … and you know we find it hard to resist sunshine :-)