Blog Posts by Samantha

Fort Drum, also known as the Army's Best Kept Secret, is located in upstate New York. When my husband called me to tell me we had received orders there, I was shocked to find out it even existed! Being our first army post, we were unsure of the surrounding areas and elected to live on-post. Over the three years that we were there, we learned and visited the most popular areas off-post as well as all of the neighborhoods on-post. On-Post Housing Near Ft Drum On post housing is broken up into four different communities: Monument Ridge, Adirondack Creek, Crescent Woods, and Rhicard Hills . We li... read more

The first time I stepped into Destiny USA, I couldn’t believe I was in a mall; this place was so large, it felt like it’s own city! Destiny USA is more than just a mall though, it’s a 2.4 million square foot complex filled with restaurants, shops, and entertainment! The closest mall to Fort Drum is Salmon Run Mall located in Watertown, but to be honest with you, the options there are very slim. Destiny USA has every store you can possibly imagine and with four levels of fun, there’s something for everyone. Some of my favorite things to do at Destiny USA: Shopping: Obviously, shopping is one o... read more

Fort Drum in Jefferson County, New York, may be stereotyped as the coldest place in America. At least that's what I heard before I moved here. I promise you, there are so many fun things to do near Ft. Drum in the spring and summer Once it starts to heat up and the snow melts, it's like a totally different place! Here are a few of my favorite things to do in the North Country: Uncle Sam's Boat Tours: There are a couple of different tours you can choose from. We've taken the Millionaires Row and Two Nation Tour. You'll cruise the 1,000 Islands as history is narrated and you travel through US a... read more

Your soldier comes home from work and mentions the “D” word. He hands you papers and a wave of worry overcomes your body. To anyone not in the military, this would sound like divorce. But we know all too well as military girlfriends, fiancés, and wives; I’m talking about deployment. Along with orders comes a long to do list, and a question that some spouses consider: "Do I move home or stay during deployment?" While some of us tend to look at our PCS move as home, others still consider their parents' house, their hometown, or their birthplace their home. For me, New York is just somewhere I’m... read more