Review Detail

Let's start with the reason for our visit. We try to go places and do things with or grandchildren that allows them to have experiences that they will remember. The history associated with Ft Story meets those criteria. The two lighthouses alone were a memorable experience and climbing to the top of the old lighthouse was the icing on the cake. Not to mention the crucifix marking the location of the first landing of English settlers in 1607, the statue of Admiral de Grasse who was key to the victory at Yorktown that ended the American Revolution, and the use of the Fort for costal artillery starting with the War of 1812 and as a Nike missile battery during the Cold War. So, for the experience of staying at Ft Story, we give it an "A+". Being close to Halloween, we found out that there were several activities going on at the various base sponsored by MWR. On Friday evening we attended an outdoor movie night, The Nightmare Before Christmas, at the Ft Story campground and on Saturday evening we attended the Haunted Forest at nearby JEB Little Creek. The weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful weekend. The campground itself is in reasonably good condition, it could stand some attention to the landscaping, but most campgrounds can. The bathhouse, which is located at the far back of the campground was well light inside and well maintained as well as being clean. There is a laundry room at the back of the bathhouse that was also well maintained and clean. So why not all 5's? The bathhouse could definitely use a coat of paint and better lighting on the outside. The campsites are level and have picnic tables and fire rings and most of them are well kept. This brings us to a situation that we are encountering very often and not just in military campgrounds, people who are "living" in campgrounds, permanent campers. I do not have an issue with these "permanent campers" and if the base commander has approved it, who am I to question it. What concerns me is that all too many of these "permanent Camper" sites look more like a homeless encampment than a campsite. Not all of them are like that, but there are definitely enough to make you take notice. The ones that I am referring to are those that have personal belonging just strown around the site, using tree limbs to hang various items, basically garages and outdoor rooms made out of tarps stretched between trees, and vehicles parked in places that obviously never intended to be a campsite or a parking space. Would I stay at Ft Story again? Absolutely! I just wish that people would think about the image that they project and question why the campground management doesn't have guidelines for maintaining the appearance of camp sites by long term campers.