Ever find yourself wondering how to keep up with your swim training when you are away from home? There are many ways to get access to a pool if you are creative.
While away for a long weekend, my son was really wanting some pool time. Championship, short-course season was just a few weeks away and he missed nearly a week of training from not feeling well.
Not missing another day of training suddenly became very important!
So we are a few hundred miles away from home, in Kentucky.
Where do we find a pool?
Just so happens, we were visiting some friends who have always been involved with the military for most of their lives. They told us that Fort Knox is just down the road and there is a pool on base that we can use.
So it turns out that Fort Knox DOES have a pool, a really nice, 50M pool…with starting blocks…and it is open to civilians if you know about it.
The answer we were looking for!
Here is how to gain access to a pool on a military base, even if you are a civilian.
- The first place you see is a visitor center. This is where you can get a 5-day pass for free.
- You will need a driver’s license for every person in your group who is over 18.
- There is a kiosk when you walk in. Insert your license, follow the instructions and it will print out a 5-day pass. This kiosk takes your photo and does a background check.
- Now you have access to the base facilities. Ask for directions to the pool and make sure you follow the speed limit (they are pretty strict as expected).
- Pay for the pool access and have fun. Fort Knox charges $4 for pool access.
My son was able to get in some really great pool time, practice starts, and swim laps at a long-course pool while away from home. It was really easy and we even were able to talk to really friendly servicemen while we were there.
So remember this tip when you are traveling. I’m not sure exactly what military installations allow civilian access, but I know we will be checking the next time we are looking for some extra pool time!
