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Davis-Monthan AFB is the largest of the local bone-
yards covering some 2,600 acres holding more than 3,000
military aircraft. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and
Regeneration Group here is the only place in the coun-
try authorized to store military-grade aircraft. Some
of the aircraft on site are scrapped for parts while oth-
ers are again made airworthy. Go to Arizona Boneyards
(airplaneboneyards.com/arizona- airplane-boneyards-
storage.htm) for more.Mackinac Island, Michigan: Once a pilot descends
beneath the clouds on the GPS approach to Mackinac,
they’ll be assaulted by visibilities often greater than 50
miles. There’s no industry anywhere nearby MCD, just a
gorgeous view of Lake Huron between the Upper Peninsula
and Lower Peninsula of Michigan, 35 miles southwest of
the Canadian Border. The airport offers a single 3,500-foot
hard-surface runway but no fuel, so plan ahead.
While Mackinac arrivals in the winter aren’t all that
much fun, a summer visit is a chance to step back to a time
before automobiles. MCD’s primary form of transportation
is the horse-drawn carriage. Once visitors reach downtown,
bicycle and scooter rentals offer additional modes to explore
the island. Shopping includes high-fashion shops, art galler-
ies and locally created crafts. Dozens of downtown eateries
offer something to suit just about everyone’s taste, and there
are a number of great places to stay, such as the 393-room
Grand Hotel built in 1887, where afternoon tea and evening
dancing are on the bill seven days a week.Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo, Florida: The private Ocean
Reef Club sports an airport with a single 4,451-foot runway.
Because Ocean Reef is private, visiting pilots are required
to register and sign a statement assuring the club they
have read and understood all published rules and regula-
tions before landing. There’s no fuel available at 07FA, so
planning is a necessity.
The club offers a dozen restaurants, including elegant
dining and bars with refreshing tropical drinks poolside
or freshly grilled fare under the palms—as well as a pair
of 18-hole golf courses, a marina offering fishing charters,
boat and yacht rentals, and boat storage. There are tennis
courts and a game center that includes pickleball, cro-
quet and card games such as canasta, bridge, poker and
mahjong. Members can use the fitness center and spa, or
visit Buccaneer Island to relax by the pool or rent a kayak,
sailboat or windsurfer.
The Ocean Reef Club offers different levels of member-
ship from its equity level for property owners to a social one
in which people from outside the area can access the club
and its facilities on a limited basis (oceanreef.com/ ). The
club is active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.Fredericksburg, Texas:
A small town of just over 11,000 people in the Texas hill
country 65 miles west of Austin, Fredericksburg is best
known for its local wineries, music and German heritage.Wine Enthusiast magazine named Fredericksburg one
of the 10 best wine travel destinations in the world with
more than 30 local wineries, not to mention a number of
successful craft breweries. Fredericksburg is also known
as the largest wildflower seed farm producer in the nation.
So think wine, food and shopping in a town whose motto is:
“Texas heart, German soul.”
The annual three-day Oktoberfest offers great German
beer, food and music and is also billed as highly family-
friendly. Seriously, who’d want to miss the gala’s Tuba Fest
music? Locals suggest visitors plan ahead for the fest.
Visitors will find a wide range of hotels, motels,
bed-and-breakfasts, RV parks, and campgrounds. The air-
port itself sports the Hangar Hotel constructed to look like
a 1940s aircraft hangar and even includes an Officer’s Club.
The facility includes the Airport Diner for that $100 ham-
burger with plenty of aircraft parking nearby.
Gillespie County Airport, a public-use facility, offers
a single 5,002-foot hard-surfaced runway and 100LL