Day 17: November 17, 2016 On the Waterfront Comment via blog

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I've stayed at this motel a couple of times in the past and I once again found it decent and decently priced. Because various obligations had the two younger generations of this family gathering busy, I would be on my own today. I'd planned on spending the morning in my room which is right next to the truck. The machine behind the truck is grinding up the remains of the palm trees that once stood atop the stumps near the center of the picture. Palm tree grinding is an impressively noisy activity. I spent part of my morning sipping coffee at a nearby donut shop.

Tripadvisor lists the USS Midway as the "#1 Thing to Do in San Diego". I've walked by it before but have never been onboard so decided to head there for the afternoon. I parked near the Midway but opted for a stroll along the embarcadero before boarding. The last three pictures show some of the holdings of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Like the USS Midway, I've walked by these ships before but had never boarded. I decided to fix that today, too.

I explored all the ships on display but enjoyed the two submarines the most. Before boarding the B-39, I tested myself on the ring thoughtfully provided shipside. Although it was constructed in 1974, this Soviet submarine is similar to the four that approached North America during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. It is currently being used to present To the Brink of War which uses lights & sounds and audio & video recordings to present the story. I was fifteen at the time and remember it as one of the scariest happenings of my life. And that was before we learned, just a few years ago, that each submarine carried a nuclear torpedo and that one came terrifyingly close to being launched. The onboard presentation brought some old memories to life and added a new perspective. One of the four circular openings visitors must pass through can be seen in the last picture.

The USS Dolphin was built about the same time (1968) as the B-39 but seems a little roomier and doesn't require jumping through hoops. Sending and receiving the first underwater email is just one of her many records and firsts.

Back in 2004 I was treated to a Tiger Cruise aboard the USS Enterprise which my son was serving aboard. Stepping on to the Midway triggered a touch of deja vu. The two carriers were of the same era and have many similarities. They are not identical but having seen the Big E diluted my interest in seeing every nook and cranny of the Midway.

How about a heated outdoor table? I finished the day with a stop at the California brewery picked by Foursquare users in that survey. Alesmith Brewery is a classy place with some really good beer. I liked it so much I stayed until way past sunset which was about five minutes after I got there.

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