WesWorld

Grad school has been taking quite a bit of time lately, as you have all probably realized. Hopefully I'll be back in a couple weeks.

In related news I'll be visiting Washington DC, for a couple weeks starting Sunday. Any suggestion on places to visit in the area, other than the Smithsonian Museums and Government buildings and memorials? I might go to Philadelphia and/or Baltimore too.

The Smithsonian and government buildings/memorials will keep you plenty busy.

Both Air & Space museums are a must; I was just at Udvar-Hazy again yesterday. I'd say the Navy Yard, but you need two-weeks notice to get past the gate. If you end up in Baltimore, there's the Constellation. If you end up in Philly, there's the Olympia and a sub, with the USS New Jersey across the river. SS United States is at the docks in Philly, easy to spot, but not open to the public.

USS New Jersey and SS United States are in Philly? I've been wanting to see a battleship in person and SS United States is my favorite liner. I'll try to hit all the ships next week, I know there's a cutter and another sub in Baltimore too. If anyone wants specific pictures of something on any of the ships, let me know and I'll do my best. Pity SS United States isn't open to the public.

Taney is at Baltimore too, yes. Last survivor of the raid on Pearl Harbor and all that.

New Jersey is technically across the river in Camden, NJ, but you can see the other ships from where she's moored, and vice versa. Olympia and New Jersey are literally on opposite sides of the river, with United States at the docks just to the south. You can see it from the Interstate, and there's the mothballed ships further downriver, also visable from I-95; notably, most of the Ticonderogas seem to be there, among other things.

Norfolk is a three hour drive in the other direction (from DC), but I don't think you can get on base as easily as I did a decade or two ago.

SS United States keeps changing hands. Norweigian Cruise Lines was supposedly going to restore and modernize her for a Hawaiian route, but that seems to have fallen through. Conservation groups are trying to aquire her, but since she's been stripped of all her fittings, that may be a pipedream.

I'm back after a long and tiring trip. USS New Jersey was pretty awesome to visit, was unable to go aboard any other ship due to time/money, but do have some nice pictures of Taney and Olympia. SS United States was a pitiful sight. She is in a really bad state.

The Conservancy swears she's in good shape, just needs basic maintainance and a paint job.

But yeah, it's not encouraging, I just spent the weekend driving back and forth past her.