Sadly, this was as close as I was going to get to the USS Arizona this trip. The wind was too gusty for the ferries to transport people to the memorial. Yet, this was an enjoyable excursion.
But first....
Unlike yesterday, it was much harder to find something to eat. Unless one remembered that there was a Mickey D's about a block away, the only dining options were a sit down "diner" and a coffee shop inside the hotel building. This meant that I would go hungry and thirsty if the ABC store downstairs didn't open up before 7. As was my luck, the store opened up at 6:30 am, and I was able to eat the egg sandwich on the bus to Pearl Harbor.
Ever since 9/11, the military insists that a "no bag" policy is observed, save for clear plastic "stadium bags". I was lucky to know about this, as I bought such a bag before the trip. Today, I packed much of the stuff I normally keep in my handbag into the stadium bag, and was ready for today's excursion. First stop was at the visitors center where security "inspected" the bus for contraband before entering the base. And then, it was off to the USS Missouri.
The "Mighty Mo," as the battleship is called, has an interesting history. It was built at the beginning of WW2, and the war ended with the Japanese government signing a peace treaty on its decks. The ship was mothballed, only to be reactivated for the Iraq war. Now deactivated again, it has become a living museum. It was nice to be able to see this ship in person, but felt a little sad that something like this now only serves historical use.
Next, it was off to the Pacific Aviation Museum to see all the old military aircraft. This was interesting, but marred by one incident. Stuff started spilling out of my stadium bag (I didn't zip it up right) and I dropped a water bottle on the floor. I'm glad that it was only water! So I got out of Dodge, and went to another area of the museum where restorations were going on. And then, it was off to the USS Arizona. (Or, I should say, it was off to try and see the USS Arizona Memorial.)
The USS Arizona has an interesting history, but it is best known for being sunk on 12/07/41. The Memorial was built above the ship, but not touching it. The only way to reach the memorial is by ferry, and they weren't running because of gusty winds. So, I decided to have lunch, then explore the USS Bowfin.
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