On the Road with Patrick and Erica to Discover Favorite Military Stays
- Nicole K.
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
Please enjoy this reader-submitted story, by Patrick McNamara (Lt. Col USAF Ret.) and Erica Waasdorp of Marstons Mills, MA, detailing their trip from east coast to west coast to the Pacific!
Living in the Northeast, we typically like to escape the cold weather in January/February. And we always try to stay at military lodgings if we possibly can.
So, this year our winter trek took us to Point Loma Annex, San Diego, CA; Kilauea Military Camp, Big Island, HI; Barbers Point, Oahu, HI; the Del Monte Hotel, Monterey, CA; and Davis Monthan Temporary Lodging Facility (TLF), Tucson, AZ.
Just like last year when we stayed at Lajes Field, Terceira, Azores and Moron, Spain, we were not disappointed but better yet, pleasantly surprised. We were able to book most of these locations several months in advance, except for Point Loma which we booked 30 days out.
Our trip started by flying from Boston to San Diego. We arrived in the early evening, rented a car and drove to Point Loma Annex.
One important thing to note is that Google maps doesn’t quite get you to the entry gate so we spent a little bit of time trying to find the actual gate. Once there, check in was fast and the rooms are very comfortable. There’s no kitchen, but there is a microwave and fridge. Other than that, Point Loma Annex is a great location, about 15 minutes from the airport and quiet.
It was nice weather so went for a walk around the campus, and we discovered a few tiny cottages right on the harbor. There is also a rec center and a dining hall where you can get food three times a day. Nearby is the U.S.S. Recruit, the permanent Navy Training ship, right at Liberty Station. It’s only open on the weekend if you want to check it out.
We’ll be back!
Next, we flew from San Diego to Honolulu and then on to Hilo, Hawaii. From there, it’s about a 45-minute drive to the Kilauea Military Camp (KMC) at Kilauea Volcano, right in the National Park. Even though Patrick forgot his Veterans National Park Pass For Life, they gave him a new pass on the spot, so entry was free.
This year was extremely special because the Kilauea Volcano had been erupting on and off since December. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, got settled into our room in the heart of the Camp. Our unit had no kitchen, but it had a fridge and microwave and a separate bedroom so plenty big and very comfortable.
The reservation included a full breakfast each morning at the dining hall., which was a short walk from our room. Washers/dryers for guests are located in the center of the camp and there’s a small general store, bowing lanes, MWR equipment rental and a post office.
The trip was truly magical, and the Kilauea Military Camp is in the heart of it all. The National Park visitor center is located just a few minutes’ drive away. For the next two years, the National Park Visitor Welcome Center will be temporarily relocated in the Kilauea Military Camp itself. This is due to a major renovation project at the National Park Welcome Center.
That Monday we drove to the edge of the crater and had a free tour with one of the National Park rangers. There was no volcano activity yet, but the ranger told us the eruption was due within the next one day to five days.
Well, the next day was truly amazing. Still on East coast time, we got up at 4.30 a.m. and Patrick looked outside and saw the red glow from our window. The volcano was erupting for the 7th time!
We got dressed, grabbed the two flashlights from the room and walked down to the front of the check in area of the Camp. There’s a trail right from there to the edge of the volcano crater, literally 5 minutes to see it all. The view was amazing and at 5 a.m. there was nobody there. A good thing we took advantage of the view, because a few hours later, the eruption was all done.
The Kilauea Military Camp is very comfortable, the staff is very nice and there’s plenty of hiking nearby. From there we also drove to the end of the road, through lava rocks as far as you can see till you hit the ocean.
There’s a little volcanic winery nearby, where we did a wine tasting and we played golf at a little 9-hole golf and disc course, called Lava Links. It’s probably the oddest but also the most affordable golf course you’ll ever play, but it’s a lot of fun and the course is run by veterans.
Unfortunately, the weather was overcast most of the time we were there, so we did not get a chance to drive to Moana Loa, and we didn’t make it to Kona yet (that’s another 2 to 2 ½ hour drive), but we’ll just have to come back!
On the final day, we drove back to the Hilo airport where we did a coffee tasting at the Big Island Coffee Roasters nearby.
From Hilo we flew to Oahu and stayed in downtown Waikiki for a few days. (This time we did not stay at the Hale Koa, but we have been there before, as it is a great location. We love the adult pool/jacuzzi there).
We had reserved a week at Barbers Point as we had stayed there for a few days last year. It’s a great location, very quiet, right on the ocean. For groceries, we had stopped at the Hickam Air Force Base commissary. There’s a small BX at Barbers Point and there are regular grocery stores not too far away.
Check in for Barbers Point is near the public beach and from there, you go to a gate to Nimitz Beach on one side or White Plains on the other.
The cottages are duplexes, and you have your own parking spot. Each unit has a two-bedroom, full kitchen and a washer/dryer in the unit, which is so comfortable.
On the second day, we were asked to move to another unit a few feet away while they were working on the front unit that had some septic issues (next door), so that was a little inconvenient but fortunately there was the space to move to right across the street.
After a great relaxing week, sadly it was time to go back to the mainland. We flew from Oahu to San Jose and then on to Monterey CA, where we had reserved a room for the week at the Del Monte hotel, right on the Naval Post-Graduate School.
The history of the hotel is amazing. The queen suite has a kitchen, separate bedroom and there’s a laundry room a few doors down the hall.
Breakfast is included and there’s a restaurant to eat at in the evening, called the Trident Room. The happy hour meal was delicious, and you could even do that every night.
We had bought some groceries at the BX, which is walkable, but if you like fresh food and meats, I’d recommend stopping at a regular grocery store as there’s no commissary on base (the closest is in Mountainview near San Jose).
We did find a farmers’ market downtown Monterey where we picked up some fresh strawberries, yum!
Once a month the Del Monte hotel organizes an event called Corkz & Forkz, a tasting menu, with food and drinks, based upon a specific theme. This time it had a Valentine’s Day theme. It takes you through different areas in the hotel and you’ll hear some history. The staff does an amazing job.
There were some 60 people and many of them come every month! You do need reservations for that event as it does sell out so if you know you’re staying there, book it.
And if you have time, take a walk around, check out the school where the outside wall shows you the full history of the Naval Post-Graduate School area.
While we loved everything about the Del Monte hotel, the weather was crummy, cold and dreary. And it was going to rain the rest of the week with flooding expected, so we pivoted and made reservations at the Davis Monthan TLF for a few days.
We flew from San Jose to Phoenix and then drove 2 hours down south to Davis Monthan. The commissary is walking distance from the TLF and again, there is a full kitchen, full washer/dryer in the one-bedroom unit. We had visited there before so we knew how comfortable it was.
This time we found a nice 9-hole golf course nearby and of course, if you like airplanes, the PIMA air museum is not to be missed, just a short drive away from the base.
Finally, we went on to Phoenix where we stayed at a private Airbnb for a week. We’ve stayed at Luke AFB before, but the BOQ prices have gone up in February/March with spring training starting earlier, so it was cheaper to stay elsewhere. Also, the last time we stayed at Luke, the fan in the room was extremely loud and there was no way to turn it off.
We typically do shop at the Luke commissary and NEX and we use the MMR to rent our golf clubs for the week as there are many retirement communities nearby that don’t rent clubs.
We absolutely LOVE staying at these military lodgings. They’re safe, have great facilities and they make for an affordable way to travel. We’re grateful to the wonderful staff who makes it that!
We’re already booked for the Edelweiss lodge in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in May. Also planning to stay at the army cottages on Oahu next February. We can’t wait! That warm sunshine is FREE !
Thanks to Patrick & Erica for sharing their trip with us. We can't wait to hear about Edelweiss next! If you have any military travel stories you'd like to share with us, please send them to editor@militaryliving.com.
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