Reviews written by wilhoef

"Next time do not pull forward in the inspection area until told to do so by a guard." were the first words out of the second guard's mouth. I informed him that the young lady in the guard shack told me to do just what I had done and he should take it up with her if he had a problem. Without checking insurance or registration, I surrendered my ID and we were ordered out of the vehicle, to open all compartments, and to go over to the holding cell and wait to be called out. The holding cell is to prevent you from observing the inspection, but you can observe if you are in line waiting to proceed to the inspection area. I had to open my tow vehicle's hood, but the next day when I arrived at the same gate, without my trailer in the same tow vehicle, I was waved through after showing my ID. I like security, but this was absurd. The pull thrus are nice, the rest is like a mall parking lot, although with hookups. We ate at the base Dining Hall which was very nice. For Breakfast and Lunch, you can only go in the last hour of serving time so the troops can get fed first, but Supper and weekends are open all hours for us. Saw lots of Deer and a Coyote. Steve was helpful and nice and I don't think he is from Texas. Forget emailing for reservations - they don't get to Shelly. Phone calls are not answered regularly and there is no answering machine. Per Shelly, "Just show up and we'll find you a place."

A gate guard (who was too busy playing with his cellular phone outside the gate area to help me) signaled us to go through the barriers and did not open the separate gate for RV's. After I drove my 37 foot long rig (tow vehicle and camper combination) successfully through, coming only within a half inch of a barrier, the other gate guard said "That was impressive!" I won't be doing that again any time soon, but I am proud to know that I haven't lost it yet. Flying on and off aircraft carriers might have been helpful. The new wash house is very nice but was trashed by some of the 20 or so Cabrillo College Graduate Students who were tent camping (19 tents) most of the time I was there. Although they were not noisy nor disruptive, they need to get some "class." I witnessed a couple fellows drying themselves with paper towels in the wash house because they did not have any bath towels. They also were not too careful in putting the used paper towels in the trash. They fouled the floor with their dirty boots worn on an archeological dig. Shower shoes must be an unknown for them. Otherwise, our stay was nice. The sites are very dusty. Saw some deer and a coyote.

This is it!!! What all FamCamps should look like - beautifully planned, expertly managed. Priced very reasonably. About 95% of the commercial campgrounds that I have stayed in are not this nice for about twice the price. Holloman AFB charges $20.00 for a disgrace. Somehow, the bases have to get together and learn from Davis-Monthan. 'Nuff said!

This is a nice place to stay. WiFi would be nice and could be installed easily. Otherwise, no complaints. Janet is very nice and helpful.

This FamCamp is very small, although there is adequate land nearby for expansion. It seemed that there were a large number of "homesteaders" (almost 50%) here and at least two Motor Homes (That I saw.) were turned away as all the pull throughs were taken. The place was trashy and poorly maintained - light bulbs out, shower door broken off the men's shower and laying against the wall, trash blowing around, etc. Not what you would expect for the nightly rate. There is a major road construction project on base which keeps you from finding the camp or getting to the gas station. Signage is poor or non existent. I squeezed through the cement blocks only to be told by the gate sentry that I should have used the West gate. A left turn onto Alamogordo was not possible because of road construction. Finding the camp was a real mess. This place needs major work.

The only reason I could see for staying at this FamCamp is that you could not find a WalMart nearby. This place is a dump. There is nothing here except a lounge at the nearby lodging facility, but a recently posted letter reminds you that the lounge is for Desert Sands Inn lodging residents and not FamCamp campers. So, the lounge/TV facilities are not for you. The water is unfit and the sites are very poorly marked and it is difficult to see where you should park. For information, the gate is over three miles (not 2.5 miles) down the road. The gate is not difficult to find, however, as you are in the desert by now. Getting to AZ-85 South can be tricky as you turn North first and then wind around to the South on AZ-85. To call this place a FamCamp is absurd. If I could rate it less than a "1," I would.

The men's showers were filthy. There was someone who came and swabbed the deck (for you Navy types) and cleaned the toilets and sinks, but the shower stalls were gray from soap and body dirt. They need to be scrubbed with good cleanser on a regular basis. I complained to the Assistant Host about neighboring dogs (Two of them were tied between trees on a 20 foot run.) which barked every time someone walked by. One of the dogs was kept in a cage outside overnight and it barked whenever someone or something walked by. The Host tried to make it my problem and remarked that the guy has been here for months. This is a clear violation of the rules. We pay for the Hosts to stay and they should follow the rules.

Sites are in heavily wooded areas and mosquitoes are a problem in season. Generally a very nice area, but the wash house was a total disaster. Smashed mosquitoes on the walls (Yes, I expect someone to scrub them off.) Full trash cans were not emptied on a regular basis and broken limbs or overgrown shrubs blocked some sites. Someone needs to be in charge of keeping things in order and it is obvious that they are not, or they need better supervision! We can do better.

We camped in the Cedar area (spot # 2) and enjoyed the heavy wooded area with short access to the reservoir. It is a nice quiet area with hiking trails and wildlife. The only negative was that the spot was not level and presented a problem when setting up. The hookups were somewhat poorly arranged, but that has been addressed by another reviewer. The restaurant mentioned by a reviewer - Tim's Rivershore - is a nice quaint, marina on the Potomac. Half the fun is getting there, so don't go without a map and directions. The food is pricey and the portions small, but the experience is worth it. The wait staff was excellent. All utensils and dinnerware were plastic or styrofoam, even drink glasses, so if you are looking for a "dining" experience, forget it. All in all, we would return to both the campground and the restaurant knowing what to expect.