The USS Midway

A few weeks ago, my family and I decided to take a trip down to San Diego for Father's Day. We surprised him with a trip to the decommissioned aircraft carrier the USS Midway. And, of course, I took a few pictures!

If you've been reading my blog since my 2015 trip to the USS Iowa Battleship, you're probably wondering if my family and I have some sort of military connection. Well, sort of. My dad's father was in the Army Corps of Engineers back in the day and actually worked on some of the Midway's safety features. Both of my parents have a real appreciation for American history and I personally am really interested in military history. So trips like these are fun for all of us!

I would highly recommend this as a day trip. If you're interested in American or military history, this is a must see. Not only does it have a fantastic audio tour on what life was like on the ship throughout its decades of active duty, but it also has a wide selection of the historical aircraft used by the US Navy. You can see the kind of fighter jets used in films like Top Gun, sit in a camouflaged helicopter, and even sit in a few cockpits.

And if you're just hoping to get your kids excited about history, you can reward them at the end of the day with a spin in a flight simulator!

A Little Breather

Sometimes you just need a little break from the real world of work, bills, and responsibilities. I felt exactly this way at the end of last month, which lead to a hiking day at the amazing Irvine Regional Park. I feel so lucky that I could visit such beautiful nature so close to where I live!

Life Is Ordinary

October Wanderings

For someone who normally sleeps in and takes it pretty easy on the weekends, I had quite a bit going on last weekend. I went to a Halloween themed concert and then drove to a completely different part of the state. I'd say that counts as a busy weekend.

I've been to Kern County before, but it never ceases to amaze me that such a different landscape and such a different lifestyle exists just four hours from my Southern California home. It really just reminds me how big and diverse of a state California is and that I should be so incredibly grateful to live here.

Wishing you all a safe and fun Halloween weekend!

Battleship USS Iowa

When my family asked what I wanted to do for my birthday, I said something different. So what did they come up with? They took me to visit the Battleship USS Iowa in Los Angeles!

It might sound a little odd, but it was honestly a great time, despite the near 100 degree heat. They offer a fantastic self-guided tour that teaches you a lot of history about not just the battleship, but about the experience of men who served on the ship in different periods of history. So if you're interested in American or military history, or just want a chance to climb all over a historic battleship, I would highly recommend a visit!