Review Detail

4.0 140
Florida 206865
April 26- May 7 and July 2- 7 2012
(Updated: August 07, 2012)
Overall rating
 
4.9
Location
 
4.0
Cleanliness/Hospitality
 
5.0
Amenities/Facilities
 
5.0
Value
 
5.0
Overall Experience
 
5.0
We live in Orlando but took our popup to Manatee Cove twice this year so far. Our first visit was exploratory and we found the lack of signage on A1A to be a serious problem. Fortunately, we located the correct commercial/truck entrance without by-passing it. Locating the Manatee Cove was easy but there was NO signage along the way if you didn't know where to go. We found eating at the Riverside Dining facility to be an inexpensive and convenient vacation option. Better yet, we realized it was easier to shop at the huge commissary every afternoon rather than worry about keeping fresh provisions healthy in a cooler. The dining facility overlooks the Banana River and for the view alone it is worth the bike ride (less than a mile). We were able to launch our kayak from the sandy shore on the Banana River and saw sting ray, dolphin, and schools of fish. Behind our site was an estuary of the river that was fenced off and during our first trip we watched a dolphin playing with the mullet; throwing them in the air and catching them. We were able to capture his escapades on video for posterity. There is a healthy, friendly population of raccoon so be prepared to have anything left outside shook, rattled, opened, and walked all over.
The host staff are excellent. They can and will answer any question and assist in any way to make your visit pleasant. We forgot our dogs shot record the first time over but we were able to drop the popup and go back to get it. So DON'T leave home without your pet's records. There is a vet on base that you can make an appointment with if your pet needs care. And there is a great dog walk enclosure for pets to make friends. Only complaint is the entire place is covered in burrs that are painful to pets and people. We learned the hard way. Other's have mentioned the movie theater that we took advantage of both visits and if you're into major physical fitness, there is an awesome gym and pool on base within an easy bike ride with ample parking. Our second visit included the 4th of July holiday and I was amazed that the park was not full. We had called ahead to make sure something was available and we were even able to get our same site #70 by the estuary. Of course it has only partial hookups but we don't need sewer hookups since the bath house was conveniently located and extremely well lit. We celebrated the 4th on the Atlantic Ocean beach. There was a base club house that rented umbrellas, paddle boards, kayaks, bicycles, and surfboards. A food truck menu was available at reasonable prices. Fireworks back at the campsite were awesome from the Banana River as far as we could see. We will be going back for the Cocoa Beach Air Show in September. Hope to see you there! Jim & Pat Webb
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