1 May - Scott Air Force Base Family Campgrounds, Belleville IL

1 May
Today we traveled from White River Campgrounds in Bull Shoals AR to Scott Air Force base Family Campgrounds (called "Fam Camp"), location #3 below.  We got on the road about 8:41am and arrived about 3:15pm, 302 miles.  Today was again overcast but no rain and another uneventful travel day other than just long and tiring.  We will be here until Sunday 8 May and then to Mermet Springs IL for some scuba diving!!  Yea!

We are really looking forward to spending a week here at Scott AFB and the St Louis area.  We have been here before with our kids, many years ago, and really had a good time.  There is much to see and do.  One of the attractions we plan to revisit is the famous Arch!  Doreen took this picture as we traveled from Missouri to Illinois.

Among other things, Scott Air Force Base is the home of Headquarters Air Mobility Command and Air Force Communications Command, the command that I served under when I was in the Air Force.  

We are staying at many military campgrounds, state parks and Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds during this trip as the cost is very reasonable and they are typically very nice.  Military campgrounds use is restricted to active and retired military and DoD employees.  We also have access to the Base exchange (BX) and the commissary, so we can restock at a reduced rate.  

This is our first stay at an Air Force fam camp, and so far, so good!  Our campsite is 80 ft long and 18 ft wide, so it accommodates our "condominium on wheels" as Ernie Souther describes it, very nicely!    

We have a restroom/shower facility near our campsite and it has washers ($0.75/load) and dryers ($1.00/load).  That will be very handy as the laundry has accumulated since we left home.

The "to-do" list here is fairly long.  We are looking forward to reconnecting with 132d Fighter Wing's first Command Chief Master Sergeant (ret) Howard Steffey and his wife Kathi.  I have an appointment to visit the National Personnel Records Center on Wednesday May 4th to view/photograph my father's military personnel records.  They are archived here.  We have tickets to see the St Louis Cardinals play the Philidelphia Phillies on Thursday May 5th.  We will visit the Arch again and explore downtown St Louis.  There are many other sites Doreen has identified that we will visit.  That's it for now!