Spring Break 2017 is in the books and it was a BLAST! We were SO excited to go to Norfolk to see Morgan and spend some time with him! The boys were equally impressed with Titan, Morgan's gigantic German Shephard, and Onslow, his rescue dog. We also got to spend a lot of time with Jesse, Casey, and Carson and they got to go with us several days we were there! Each day of our trip was spent in a geographically different location and we got to experience so much! Our first activity was the Victory Rover Naval Shipyard Cruise through the largest port in the world.
Morgan took the day off work and headed to Nauticus with us where we met up with Jesse, Casey, and Carson to board the boat.
Being so close to multiple bases, the boys saw lots of choppers and airplanes throughout the week
It was so neat to see all of the different types of ships on the cruise. This is the NOAA base and ship.
These ships had a tri-color band around their stacks which we learned that meant they were Maritime cargo ships
We saw numerous Destroyers on base
As well as several gigantic international cargo ships loading and unloading with the huge cranes!
There were several submarines in port, too, which the boys thought were super neat!
This ship also had a tri-color band around its stacks and it was a First-Aid/Humanitarian ship
The highlight was the Aircraft carrier, though. I forget how large they actually are in person!
Then we cruised by the USS Wisconsin, which is the battleship museum in Norfolk. I was a child when we went to Mobile to see the ship there and I still remember it, so I knew Ethan and Caden would love it!
After the cruise as we made our way to the USS Wisconsin, we walked through the museum at Nauticus. It is a tribute to ships everywhere and there were numerous interactive exhibits for the kids!
Tugboat hiding spots
Aqua Rover
There were arm controls inside the rover that all boys, big and small, enjoyed and Ethan was able to "catch" one of the balls.
Touch tank with crabs and sharks
Fish
Controls from the Bridge
The Volkswagon weighs the same as the missile on the other side of the scale
Here is a picture of a dry dock. It was super cool to actually see the dry docks while we were on the Victory cruise!
A model of the USS Wisconsin
USS Wisconsin
Family pic from the Wisconsin
It is amazing how many people live on the ships while they are at sea until you see how tiny people truly appear on massive ship! Ethan and Carson are on the top deck and you can barely see them!
It was also a bit sad to see the size of the Executive Officer's cabin as compared to the rest of the crew!
He even had a private living room/dining area and a large private bathroom.
Then everyone else got a locker and slept in a bunk with 6-10 other shipmates
The boys got a kick out of the on board offices and...
the galley
We had an amazing time on the cruise and at Nauticus and worked up a big appetite! After finishing our tour, we walked over to Shula's for a late lunch.
I'm really bummed that I didn't get another picture but that evening we met up with Cate, Julie, and Alexis and had dinner at Fellini's, a terrific Italian restaurant. We had a lot of fun with our large party and it was a great night!
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