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Midway Museum... all-the-way cool!
If you are anything like me, you are usually looking for two things when planning a trip to San Diego: one is to find something new and fun to do, and two, is to live out those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, Top Gun fantasies that you've had, ever since seeing the movie... right?
Well, I think I found a way to indulge the first, and also get at least a taste of the second, in one place! My GF and I recently decided to spend an afternoon at the USS Midway Museum, right in the heart of the Harbor District. It's not as if the Midway is hard to find… it is an aircraft carrier after all! So after discussing our next adventure in San Diego, my GF and I were a bit surprised that we hadn't yet been, even though we'd passed it dozens of times before. In all fairness, we usually go to San Diego with a specific agenda in mind for the entire day, and I guess I always just assumed we would get to the Midway eventually. But now, in retrospect, we should have put it on our to-do list, a long time ago!
Figuring that it would take a couple of hours for the tour, we decided to go to lunch beforehand. After a bit of walking around at the fabulously quaint Seaport Village, and a leisurely lunch, we headed over to the massive, floating, steel museum. The parking for the Midway couldn't be more convenient, as it's literally right next to the ship's entrance, and is where we often park whenever visiting the harbor area and Seaport Village, since everything is right there.
When arriving at the Midway, the first thing that hits you is just how impressive it is. Towering over you in parking lot, with its massive number 41 on the command structure and it's nautical flags flapping in the wind, you immediately realize how special and what a privilege it is to have it here for us to see and experience. There are a few carrier museums in the country, but the Midway is the largest. When you board the ship, you immediately enter onto the Main Hangar Deck, where it's best to just pause for a moment and take in the size of it. I mean, sure, of course it would have to be big in order to fit an entire squadron of airplanes inside, but trying to imagine that isn't really the same as standing there inside the gigantic steel cavern, and realizing this is only one layer of the ship! It's kind of like walking into an immense lobby of a high rise, then realizing that the whole thing moves, and sails all over the world. It's definitely surreal if you haven't had much experience around ships before.
So, getting over our initial amazement, we were politely directed to a nearby kiosk, where you can pick up the audio tour headset and players (free of charge). I love the self-audio tours, mostly because I like to explore places on my own, and at my own pace. I never liked having to follow a tour guide and pause all the time, wait for everyone to gather up, and getting fed all kinds of information about things I may not personally be that interested in. That can get quite tedious on longer tours. With the electronic audio tour guide, you are free to move around at will, in any order you like, and spend all the time that you want on the things that interest you the most. The ship is so large, with so many areas to explore, that not being tied to a group and forced to see things in a certain order is really, really nice.
As usual, we were determined to see everything, which turns out really isn't an easy task. We wrongly assumed it would only be a couple of hours, but depending on how extensively you'd like to explore, could easily take four to six. So allow yourself plenty of time to avoid feeling rushed. In addition to the primary ship areas, in the Main Hangar they have a variety of exhibits and activities, including several flight simulators, and interactive exhibits.
There is also a sizable gift shop with some very cool stuff and apparel (including some authentic looking flight jackets which my GF totally wouldn't allow me to buy!), and thankfully, the Fantail Cafe located at the very back, where we were able to relax after touring the lower levels, and get a cold beverage (or a bite to eat if you like). It was the perfect place to take a mid-way break… (pun intended!)
After watching the passersby on the boardwalk for a bit, we headed to the Main Deck, which we hadn't even set eyes on yet. Up there, they have various planes and helicopters to check out from different eras ranging from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the present day. Because the Midway was built in 1945, it most likely carried all the different aircraft that are on display there at one time or another, and it’s great to see all the different carrier-based aircraft together on deck.
I could have spent all day checking out the planes, but we soon headed over to the Super Structure (that's the building that sits on top and makes the carrier look all lopsided for you non-sailors), where all the command and control of the flight deck happens. They provide guided tours in small groups, as the areas are very tight and require maneuvering up and down some steep ladders and narrow corridors. As huge as everything else is onboard, you'd think the command area would be big as well, but it's quite cramped and almost claustrophobic. I kept wondering if it was even possible for two people to pass each other in some of the spots, and I sometimes ended up walking slightly bent over, so as to not hit my head on all the doorways, wiring, pipes, and ducts.
Still though, it ends up being totally worth it, since there aren't too many things cooler than sitting in the Captain's chair and looking out over the planes on the flight deck, imagining you're in command as they prepare to take off.
The curators even added some very cool little touches to enhance the whole experience. One example that I really liked was in a small forward hallway just below the main flight deck, where they added speakers that play the actual recorded sounds of planes taking off overhead on the deck above, exactly as they sounded from that spot inside the ship. You can hear the roar of the engines, the intercom chatter, and the steam catapults retracting and resetting after the planes leave the deck, just like during actual sea operations. Small things like that can turn an otherwise unremarkable area into a surprisingly memorable experience. And they are constantly adding new things, and improving as they go.
The ship itself is a very interesting mix of old and new, being built during WWII and upgraded mid-way (sweet double pun usage) during it's service with a modern flight deck, weapons, and the equipment to continue operating all the way until its recent retirement. You can see spots where ancient analog gauges and switches sit right next to modern computer monitors and electronic control panels. Things were designed for total function, and packed together in ways that seem crazy at first, but force you to constantly remind yourself that they had to cram everything that 4,500 people would require to live and work for six months at a time, plus an entire airport, onto one ship. In one of the rear galleys for example, there is a main elevator door that leads to a weapons storage area, so they have marked paths where they would run the live bombs right down the middle of the tables where the crew would be eating!
Some of my favorite spots were the Pilot Briefing rooms, the Officers' Quarters, the Engine Room, and even some of the little, out of the way, obscure areas, like the Brig, and the mini US Post Office. Anyway, I could go on and on.
So why, you might ask, would you want to experience life onboard an aircraft carrier?
Umm, because they're awesome! :-)
Personally, I love the history. I'm fascinated by modern wonders of engineering, and I really enjoy being able to experience something totally different. The Midway Museum is definitely all of those things, and fun too. My only regret is that I didn't get there earlier in the day, so that I could really see every bit of it. But the flip side is that I'm looking forward to going again, as soon as I get the chance. Like I said, it may be called the Midway, but it's all-the-way cool. I hope you go and check it out, and enjoy it as much as I did.
For more info, call 619-544-9600 or visit midway.org.
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© All photos are copyrighted, and the property of Bob Denhaan, All Rights Reserved.
Please do not use or reproduce in any manner without express written permission.
Views: 66
Tags: Family, Historical, Museum, San Diego, Ships
Comment
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Comment by Hailey Hicks on December 15, 2010 at 9:48am -
Wow! Your pictures make me want to see this in person!
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Comment by Varius Batty on December 8, 2010 at 10:36am -
"Maaaaverick!!!" top gun reference. :)
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Comment by Michael Maxsenti on December 6, 2010 at 10:19pm -
Well as I was reading this my GF, Kelly comes by and looks over my shoulder and says, 'hey, when are we going there? I have been wanting to for a couple of years now." So, Bob...if you are going over the holiday, let me know and we will join you. With you as a tour guide we can't miss.
Thanks for sharing this and now I too am totally motivated to 'get it done!"
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Comment by The Nightowl on December 6, 2010 at 3:36pm -
As always, what a pleasure to go on an adventure with you via blog post. And the photos are absolutely stunning -- that final shot of the USS Midway during sunset is EPIC!
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