[Dutchgirl]

As a civilian (Former USAF Brat) I have to highlight Camp Blanding, about 20 miles south of JAX in the middle of the real Florida (Conservative, Christian, Football Crazy) The scenery may be familiar as "Jane Doe" was filmed here. The camp is on beautiful Kingsley Lake, not too far from Gold Head Branch State Park.

[kms61]

Since you expanded the thread to include the Air Force, I'll throw in Navy. My sister is a Navy wife and has lived in Jacksonville, in southern Spain (Rota) and Whidbey Island NAS on Puget Sound. She hated Jacksonville, Whidbey isn't bad, but she absolutely loved Spain. 300 days of sunshine a year, lots of cultural activities, and an insanely low cost of living. They were able to afford a (small) villa with a maid and gardener on a CPO's housing allowance.

It used to drive her up the wall that so many people there were completely oblivious to the cultural opportunities available, and hardly ever left the base. She hung out with British expats, hit almost every museum in Spain, and visited Paris, Morocco, Budapest, and London, among other places.

This, of course was pre-911, and though it probably wouldn't have stopped her from galivanting around over there, I'm a lot happier that she's back in the states.