Coast guard recreation areas.

A little known and perhaps a best kept secret is the recreational quarters operated by Coast Guard commands as part of their Morale, Well-Being, and Recreation (MWR) programs. Recreational lodging is an important component of military MWR programs as it provides reasonably priced, affordable vacation choices for our men and women of the military. Coast Guard MWR now operates 30 separate recreation facilities located in 14 states and Puerto Rico. Since each command maintains and manages their own facilities, each location has its own local procedures regarding usage. As a Category C MWR activity, Coast Guard recreational lodging is available to all eligible patrons of the Coast Guard MWR program. "Eligible patron" is a term used in military MWR to define those categories of customers that may use these facilities. Coast Guard patronage policies are basically the same as the policies of the military services within the Department of Defense.

As may be expected from the smallest military service of the United States, the Coast Guard's recreational lodging program is significantly smaller than those programs of the other services. What the Coast Guard can boast about though is that most of its recreational lodging facilities are located in park-like settings in the vicinity of, or on the water! Facilities range from lighthouses converted into vacation apartments and comfortable recreation cottages to campgrounds. Locations range from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, in the east, to Kodiak, Alaska, in the west, and from cottages near Green Bay, Wisconsin, in the north to Marathon, Florida, and Bayamon, Puerto Rico in the south. Wherever the military member's vacation destination is and whatever their level of comfort, the Coast Guard MWR lodging facilities has something to offer!

The beautiful campground located at Grays Harbor Light in the lush green and beautiful seaside area of Westport, Washington, offers water, electric hookups, barbecue pits or freestanding barbecues, and fire pits. Just minutes away, activities include swimming, fishing, hiking, charter boat fishing, boating, shopping, and bicycle touring. The local MWR even provides a packet of firewood for small evening fires. A Coast Guard campground, in Yorktown, Virginia, operated by Training Center York-town and located adjacent to a Revolutionary War Battlefield, is situated in a wooded area along the York River with historic and recreational areas of Yorktown, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, nearby. Yorktown MWR even has discounted tickets for sale to patrons for all the nearby attractions!

There are two 4-bedroom, 2-story, fully furnished houses located at the beautiful vacation destination of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. There is also a ranch style, 4-bedroom house at Nantucket, Massachusetts. These 3 recreational houses are ideal for larger gatherings as they have a maximum occupancy of 12 people. Air Station Cape Cod MWR has paid attention to every detail to ensure the vacation experience is enjoyable; they have even equipped the houses with 4 bicycles to enjoy pedaling through the quiet countryside and nearby towns.

The Rawley Point and Sherwood Point cottages offer wonderful locations for those seeking peace and quiet in the natural environment. Both of these facilities are beautifully located on separate shores of Lake Michigan. These cottages are large vacation homes that will accommodate up to 8 persons and are fully furnished with all the comforts of home. Both are also equipped with bicycles for the patron. Nearby you will find picnic areas, sandy beaches, biking trails, cross country ski trails, and snowmobile trails. Boating, fishing, biking, hiking, shopping, skiing, and deer hunting are popular activities.

These are just a few of the lodging facilities within the Coast Guard recreational lodging program available to our men and women of the military. To view others, log on to www.uscg.mil/ hq/g-w/mwr/CGmwr.htm.

Special thanks to Robert Davis for this submission.