May 28, 2011. Paddy and I drove to NYC to see the ships at Fleet Week. We found a parking garage at 12th ave and 43rd street, across from Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises and close to the ships.
Arriving at noon, we stopped for lunch at O'Hurleys Bar and Grill, within view of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. Despite the large restaurant crowd, the service was excellent. Nearby, kids enjoyed an outdoor fountain.
The line was long to see the carrier, but the time went by quickly and soon we went up the elevator and onto the flight deck.
For those wanting detailed information, there were guided tours and at selected areas, "old salts" told stories of the Intrepid in action.
We took the tour of the interesting Superstructure. The views from on high were splendid.
We saw officer's quarters and communication rooms and the anchor room with those huge links.
The hanger deck had many planes, a miniature replica of the ship and lots of activities for kids.
This equipment allowed two occupants to "fly" a plane. Once the hatch was closed, those inside could roll the box upside down, sideways and many other maneuvers. This was a very popular exhibit.
Kids could "fly" a helicopter, rock a small boat or sit inside a replica of the space capsule.
There were movies and hands on games that required sever kids to coordinate their actions to achieve the goals.
Adjacent to the USS Intrepid was the Concord, the Amphibious Attack ship the USS Iwo Jima, the US Army Logistics ship General Besson Jr and the submarine Growler.
Our original plan was to see several ships, but having spent hours climbing up ladders on the Intrepid, we decided to call it a day. Back home we ended the trip with seafood at Bahrs outdoor restaurant.
It was gratifying to visit one of our famous warships and learn more about the brave men and women who made our freedom possible.