For Harvey Wilson and his wife, Betty, there is nothing better than heading out of town in what they like to call their retirement vehicle.

Their 30-foot RV has helped craft many memories for their family during the past two decades since Harold bid adieu to the U.S. Army. But as gas prices fluctuate, hitting the open road often proves challenging.

The Lakewood couple has found that using military campgrounds and RV parks has helped defray some of the costs associated with traveling around in a vehicle that boasts pretty hideous gas mileage.

"This baby only gets seven miles to the gallon. I feel like I need a part-time job just to keep it gassed up," Wilson said as he gassed up in DuPont recently on his way to the military campsite near Ocean Shores. "We sometimes plan shorter trips to try to keep costs down."

Wilson said he discovered the military campground system through a buddy at the Elks Lodge. Since then, he and his wife have made it a practice to start planning their mini-getaways starting in January.

"These places get booked up pretty fast. There are some young families, but usually we meet up with a lot of retirees," Wilson said. "I think us older people are much more conscious about keeping costs down. Most of us are on fixed incomes."

Wilson said he wasn't aware of a Web site dedicated to trip planning at military campgrounds, but he admitted he wasn't very computer savvy.

"My wife is the computer junkie," he said. "I tend to break things, so I try to stay away from that machine."

The site - www.militarycampgrounds.us - is designed to help families affiliated with the military explore the United States without breaking the bank. A downloadable U.S. Military Campgrounds Directory is available to provide maps, information and reviews of campsites.

Queries about campgrounds in certain regions can be submitted on the site, and information about regional locations will be provided to users.

Larry Farquhar, the Web site developer, said he started offering the service after discovering how faulty word of mouth could be.

Wilson has had his own run-ins with using secondhand information.

"We've been places where other people told us about a military campground, and we decided to check it out. After getting there, we found it wasn't affiliated with the military at all," he said. "But most places usually have some kind of military discount anyway. It never hurts to ask."