2 Jan 2019 - Arrived at Biloxi MS

2 Jan 2019

We are in Mississippi!  Biloxi MS to be exact, my old stomping grounds.  I have attended various military schools here over my career, starting with basic electronics school and advanced radio maintenance school, both in 1973. I am looking forward to seeing what has changed, and I know it has changed a lot.  When I got down here in July 1973 the area was still recovering from hurricane Camille, which happened in August 1969.  Most recently in August 2005 hurricane Katrina clobbered the area and Keesler Air Force Base was not spared.  So, more on that later.

We departed Pensacola this morning shortly after 1000 hrs and arrived at the Keesler AFB FamCamp about 1230 hrs, traveling 122 miles.  Nice, short travel day but pea-soup again with fog along most of the route!

One of the rest areas on I-10.  Looks like a southern mansion!

Keesler's FamCamp is located off-base which is a little different, but it appears to be in the middle of a 'base housing' area.  There is a wall dividing the FamCamp from the housing area. 

The campground is divided into a couple different areas, possible older and newer.  What appears to be the older area the sites are less level and tighter spaced.

Some of these sites would be tricky to use

Pretty good slopes here.

We are in what would appear to be a newer area with longer pull-through sites that are fairly level.

Fairly level, paved sites.

Good spacing between sites and a paved patio with picnic table

You can see the wall behind us

We are only going to be here five nights, from 2-7 Jan, so we will have to use our time wisely.  Tomorrow morning we will visit my first military supervisor, then SSgt Charlie Philbrook and his spouse Elaine.  We were stationed together from 1974-1977 at Loring Air Force Base near Limestone Maine.  Charlie retired from the Air Force down here and worked at Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula MS.  We were so honored to have both Charlie and Elaine attend my military retirement ceremony in July 2015 at Camp Dodge near Des Moines IA. 

Charlie and Elaine Philbrook, July 2015

Biloxi MS has a lighthouse right here on the beach, so Doreen is excited to see that.  We were going to try to take the boat to Ship Island and also go on a shrimp board excursion, but neither run in the winter time.  There are many other sites to see here on the Gulf Coast before we move on to New Orleans on 7 Jan. 

Stats Update:
Campsite#:  6 of 30
# States Traveled Through This Trip:  7
Baseball Parks Visited So Far This Trip:  0
Point to point travel miles:  1282 miles
  - Avg point to point travel miles:  214 miles

Vicinity miles:  1282 miles - I check the formulas. That's not a misprint!! Same as travel miles!!

  - Avg vicinity miles:  256 miles

Total miles driven:  2564 miles

Total point to point driving time:   24 hrs 30 minutes

Total fuel purchased: 202.371 gals

Total fuel cost:  $586.57

Average fuel cost:  $2.932

Max fuel cost:  $3.179

Min fuel cost:  $2.669

Average MPG:  11.89 miles/gal

# Nights at end of this stay:  38

Lodging cost:  $1059.04

 - Average lodging cost/night:  $27.87/night