Reviews written by bwzander

For those recent critical reviewers who came here thinking it would be a private resort, they may be correct in their comparisons, but we have found Sigsbee to be an excellent military campground. The biggest complaint we've heard is having to rotate out of full hookups every 14 days during peak (wintering) months, but most of our fellow campers grin & bear it. While we are about 4 weeks into our first visit here, parking among many who come year after year, we have enjoyed the friendliness of the people we've met, both among RVers and the Sigsbee staff. Facilities are close by and more than adequate -- Key West is a real happnin' place. Golf at K.W.C.C. is a bit steep -- $70 a round, but military pays $50 on Mondays & Wednesdays, plus we can join in with the group that meets every Friday in season for $30. Key West, a long way from everywhere, is well worth the drive down. As for the comment about numerous volunteers, we think they are underpaid for services rendered.

BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS. First the Bad -- Less than our expectations: Chaos in finding the campground; no water available near campground; electric is 30 amp only; toilets are awful; no refunds policy for leaving early. Because of a July 09 landslide between the campground and the office/marina area, the dump station is a long way from the RV parking in inconvenient to use. BUT, work is underway on cleaning up the landslide damage, although it may take time to shore up the library now sitting along a cliff. Cell phone service was very poor or non-existent at the campground along Lake Michigan. And the Good – Ed, the manager, said that funds have been approved to put water and sewerage at the sites, and new paved sites will be added, plus toilet house will be knocked down and replaced with a new bathroom facility. He said improvements are ready to start (but AD residents said they heard that last year). More Bad -- We entered the base on Sunday through the main gate (09-13-09) and proceeded to find the RV check-in, which wasn’t open and followed the road to a dead end at the landslide area. We turned around and maneuvered across the base with our trailer looking for the park entrance until we found a policeman who led us to Ziegemeier Road (off Paul Jones near McDonald’s) that got us to the RV park. Our neighbor in a motorhome had entered the main gate, was told to exit and enter at Gate 5. He couldn’t find the RV office until finally finding someone to direct him. He left early, forfeiting a couple of night’s fees. We left early, also. Chaos!

Location! Location! Location! There can’t be a more beautiful view than the RV and tent sites overlooking the Straits of San Juan de Fuca alongside this park. The campground host, Ken, is very accommodating, very easy to work with … I heard him called “the opposite of Tony,” whatever that means. The base is a little strange, with some facilities, including the hospital, near the campground, but the Exchange, Commissary and laundry on another part of the island. – a minor inconvenience. The golf course and CPO Club are off-base. The town of Oak Harbor has just about everything we needed during our two-week stay. There’s lots to do and see around the island. At our site, a spouting grey whale welcomed us and eagles watched over us from a fir tree in the campground. Whale-watching trips, ferry rides to the islands, golf, kayaking, seafood, lots more to make us want to stay awhile on our way to Alaska in three years. Some people on the base were very helpful, but there were more unknowledgeable civilian employees than we are used to. Good news: the Navy has allocated $4.7 million to add 60 paved sites and a new restroom facility with laundry, with work expected start in 2010. One more note of interest: the interior decorators for the bathrooms are from the base Thrift Shop. It’s a must-see.

Our site (#9) offered full hook-ups and a great view of the woods from the back of our RV. Many of the sites don't have the space or view. Although we liked our week at Ft. Lewis 5 miles away, this is a better value ($140 for the week at Ft. Lewis; $80 at McChord). Advice: don't trust the map they hand out to get you where you want to go on base; e.g., Ave. A has been Barnes Ave. for 5 years.

Exit I-5 at Exit 120 and enter NORTH FT. LEWIS. Once on post, stay in the right lane, turn right at the light and veer right at the Y. We like campgrounds where we aren't looking into the windows of the RV next to us; most of these sites are woody and spacious. Ft. Lewis is huge, with excellent facilities, including the PX, libraries and a hospital that is probably one of the best the military has to offer, at least according to the commander. We haven't noticed many long-term campers here, so if they are here, they haven't settled in with stairs, plants, sheds, etc. The lake by the FamCamp is peaceful and attracts lots of fishing. The biggest negatives are having to show IDs when going from North area to main post, and the $20 per day is a bit steep compared to other campgrounds.

The park is right next to the Pacific, with access to the beach. The beautiful Olympia National Forest and National Park is just down the road. Clean, spacious and friendly. This is a wonderful campground. On the other hand, it is a resort, not a military base, so the facilities are what you would find at a very nice motel. One more note: if you are reading this and haven't signed up as a member of militarycampgrounds.us, think about the excellent value this service provides. It's worth hundreds to RV travelers.

Fairly tight quarters, but a convenient location for visiting the area. Golf course still not open and road maintenance in campground poor, particularly a problem in the foul weather. Host was very friendly. If you're in the area for a few days, it's a good place to drop stabilizers.

For the first three winters of our travels, we have returned to Southern California to visit doctors, family, etc. Until we gave in and tried Seabreeze, it was always a hassle trying to find affordable, feel-good accommodations. Location was the attraction for us, but it turned out to be a very good over-all experience. Everything in Southern Cal is expensive -- this place is a good value. Incidentally, they told us they need to get up to 80% occupancy before they can expand the number of sites: as more people hear about the park, that's bound to happen soon. I can see it rivaling Nellis.

Don't miss this campground! Although only 6 RV pads, the campsite is beautiful; the on-base facilities are excellent -- very guest-friendly. Jason, in charge of the library, has a huge collection of DVD movies, well organized. The lower rating on hospitality was from a brusk reception for me and others awaiting help when we went to resolve a routine Tricare matter. The rest of the experience was a "5". Petaluma is an excellent base from which to visit the dramatic, beautiful seashore and hundreds of California's best wineries. We were sorry that our plans only allowed us to stay a five days.

We are full-timers. Stopped at about 60 campgrounds in the past year -- private, state, county, local, military, Wal-Marts and casinos. This has been the best for quiet, beautiful surroundings, friendly people, and the weather has been great. The campground manager John and host D.J. were both very willing and able to help. We think the rating should be above a 4.0.