The weekend right after we went to Yosemite we went down to San Diego with some of n’s cub scout pack. We considered taking the train down, but opted to drive instead since we wanted to do some sightseeing on our own the next day.
We paid $10 for overnight parking and walked around a bit since we were a little early. Our tour did not start until 5:00, after they closed the ship to the public.
We walked around the aircraft carrier and were amazed at its enormity.
These mannequins were kind of creepy.
There were some other impressive boats along the waterfront as well.https://flic.kr/p/NJc6YG
I am not sure why I have a fascination with pay phones, but this “Free Calls” sticker caught my eye.
The last time we were in San Diego we ate at Carnitas’ Snack Shack. We noticed they have a waterfront location, so we stopped for some soft serve. It was nothing special, but a nice treat.
Then we queued up in front of the ship by pack number. There were several other packs attending, but the group did not seem overwhelming given the size of the ship.
Upside down rainbow in the sky.
Cleverly designed bike rack.
We lined up by squadrons, listened to introductions and rules, pledged allegiance to our flag, and were sent off to the make up our bunks in ten minutes. We were only to bring back flashlights, cameras and jackets.
The beds or “racks” were stacked three high. Adults were to sleep in the middle, and kids were to sleep on the bottom. Since we had four people, we occupied one row, so no one else was sleeping right next to us, which was nice.
Getting situated took some serious maneuvering.
There was not much head clearance at all, as you can see.
Some people were sent straight to eat dinner, but our group had a short scavenger hunt to complete first.
We then climbed down our first out of many steep flights of stairs to get our “Navy chow”.
Our main course was chicken breast with bbq sauce. I think everything else is self-explanatory. D was a little disappointed that the adult portions were the same as the kids’. Our kids must have been hungry and ate it up without complaint.
After dinner there was a little time for self-guided exploration.
Then, we were ordered back in our squadron lines, and our official tour was to begin!