Road Trip Conclusion - Part 7 - CONCLUSION

The next and final stop on our road trip is... SAN DIEGO!

Here I am at the Bob Hope Memorial in San Diego. Bob Hope was a wonderful and talented entertainer who loved performing for the troops. He did a lot of USO Tours around the world to lift the morale of troops stationed abroad.

Everyone can use a good laugh, right? So many people were touched by Bob Hope's work.

Behind me is the USS Midway Museum, which is actually an aircraft carrier! We will go onboard shortly.

But let's take a look around and see what else is on the shore. There is a really cool ship behind me here. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but Coronado is just across the bay and that is where the Navy SEALS do a lot of their training. I'm still waiting for the Navy BEARS program to open up...

And this is... woah. This status is called "Unconditional Surrender." This statue resembles the famous "V-J Day in Times Square" photo. We'll leave them alone for now, heh...

Ok, time to get onboard the USS Midway! I'm in the hangar and there are so many planes like this one. We also went into the auditorium and watched a brief film about the Battle of Midway - it's a fascinating, action-packed story! The average age of sailors on ships like these was 19 years old.

Now we're going inside the deck to see some of the other exhibits. If you're claustrophobic, maybe you should wait outside. And watch your head and your knees! We will be climbing through some small entryways that are designed for sealing off any water leaks.

Here is what one of the officer's work areas looked like. Some desks, filing cabinets, and they also had some decent personal living spaces.

But if you're a low-ranking sailor, then here's your bunk. I call top bunk!

There are offices full of binders and charts with task assignments. This is a very busy ship.

We have things to do and places to go - so meet me in the ready room!

This is your Captain speaking! We have Sandy on refueling duties, Little Fox in the pilot's seat, Jerry & Ben cooking up a storm in the galley, and Droopy in the anchor room!

What? You don't like your assignment? Well, too bad! You don't want to be thrown overboard, do you? 😉

Captain Ajdin here at the controls. I wonder what all these buttons do.

There are several teams within the navigation control room of the ship, with many radar supercomputers and communication devices. In the middle of the room, the captain sits on a stool so he can see everything that is going on. It's not an easy job! Many important decisions must be made quickly here.

We will head down to the anchor room. If you're new on the ship, you'll most likely start out working here. Each anchor link chain weighs 156 pounds, with the anchor weighing 40,000 pounds. I think I will need Uncle Tibbs' help here.

We will be tying knots on this ship. Lots of them. So study up!

Okay, time to go up to the flight deck. It's a beautiful day!

There are dozens and dozens of helicopters and aircraft on the flight deck here!

Do you think anyone will mind if I ride in one and fly it away?

This one looks like it has a saucer on its back. It's actually a radar and this plane would be tasked for surveillance missions. Very cool!

Time to take off!

And this is the plane of John Glenn, Jr., the first American to orbit the earth in 1962. Prior to being an astronaut, he was an aviator in the United States Marine Corps. Cool

Well, that does it for this super road trip! Time to go home and rest up for our next trip! 

San Jacinto Battleground & Historic Site

( This post is a bit delayed - everything has been delayed as a matter of fact! I need a new secretary!)

Earlier this year, I took a trip to San Jacinto Battleground & Historic Site, just outside of Houston, Texas. As some of you may know, I spent the cold winter down south for a bit!

This monument stands 567.31 feet high, which is even taller than the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. It commemorates the Battle of San Jacinto which was a decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.

The weather was beautiful as you can see, just a little windy perhaps! No camera filter needed here.

Now as I walk up the stairs, I can see there is something carved at the bottom of the monument. It's a story about how Texas was born. Texas used to be a part of Mexico, but as Mexican rulers became more hostile towards Texas colonists, a revolution started.

There were many battles that led up to this battle. The Texas side was led by General Sam Houston and Mexican army was led by General Santa Anna.  In the end, the Texas side won, and this battle would eventually lead to the annexation of Texas by the United States.

And did you also know that --- huh... DROOPY?

"Hi Ajdin!" Droopy said.

"Droopy, what a coincidence to see you here! We must have the same travel agent or something," I replied. (Do you remember when we bumped into each other in Iceland and Chichen Itza?)

Here's another shot of the monument looking up.

Just across the road from the monument is also the location of the USS Texas, a former United States Navy battleship. Let's go take a look!

The USS Texas is famous for being the first US battleship to become a permanent museum ship. They were renovating the ship inside so we could not go on a tour - maybe next time. She is also famous for being one of only 7 remaining ships to have served in both World Wars.

While she enjoys a mostly quiet life now, the USS Texas was also known for being a ship with lots of new technology at the time. She was the first battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns, the first battleship to launch an aircraft, to control gunfire with high-tech computers, and the first to receive advanced radar systems.

What a career! Thank you for your service, USS Texas!

Treasure Chest

Thus began the virgin voyage of the HONEY RAIDER...

After a long and exciting journey, we arrived on Treasure Island.  My pirate crew and I finally found the buried treasure chest!

We dug it out of the sand and then opened it carefully...

Inside was... *gasp*...

...HONEY!  (What did you expect?)

ARRR!!

Pirate Ship

Hello everyone.  I hope everyone is having a great weekend.  Today I am going to --

I was interrupted by a scuttling noise.

"ARRR MATEY!"

It was the lobster I caught over the summer.  I was about to grab him but then I remembered what happened last time.

"You again?" I said.

"Arrr, 'tis me alright," he replied.  "I don't believe we were properly introduced last time matey.  The name is Claudius Cavendish III , but you can call me Captain Claude for short."

"Ajdin Adilovic," I said, shaking his claw.  "And don't worry, I've lost my appetite for lobster since last time.  What can I do for you?"

"I am requesting assistance for my ship.  She seemed to have a rough encounter with the rocks by the shore and I need some help putting her back together.  Would ya help me, kind lad?"

"I've never built a ship before," I said.  "I'm not sure if I can do it."

"Arrr!" he snapped.  "Pirates don't give up!  C'mon, don't you want to go on a treasure hunt?"

I carefully picked up a piece of the ship, then I started fitting the pieces together.

I built a sail.  I was really getting into it now.

"Arrr, that's it matey!" Captain Claude said excitedly.

"You're a natural at this lad!" he said.  "How about testing your sea legs with me after this?"

Soon after, the ship was done.

"Not yet," Captain Claude said.  "She needs a new lick of paint."

"And finally, give her a new name," he said.

I thought for a moment.  "How about...the HONEY RAIDER!"

"What a beauty," Captain Claude said.  "Now every pirate needs a good ship, but also a good crew."

Where was I going to find a good pirate crew?