36°50′54″ N 76°17′41″ W

USS Wisconsin – Norfolk VA

Today we took the (10 minute ride) pedestrian water ferry from Portsmouth across the Elizabeth River to downtown Norfolk.

The ferry lands in downtown Norfolk, right in the middle of all the action & is only a few steps away from the battleship USS Wisconsin, which is now permanently berthed as a floating museum.

The battleship is supported by an excellent discovery center & maritime museum.

Ed & I opted for the full visitor experience & signed up for the VIP tour package which included guided tours of the command centers & the engineering sections of the ship that were not accessible with “only” the general admission fee.

As VIPs we saw all the cool spots behind the scenes. The Captain’s private head has a red light for night vision & even has a hotline phone to the President! As our tour guide said, when the President calls, you answer right away – no matter what you are doing!

Our guide also took us into the gun & missile firing control center where we experienced a simulated attack on the ship. This was a really neat experience.

After the command center tour we saw the engine rooms & engineering sections below decks.

I cannot imagine what it must have been like when the ship was under way & in battle.

It was also very cool to see the main engine control center where the engineer responded to speed & direction commands from the helm, which was several decks above the engine room.

The guides had many great stories about navy life on board this ship. If you are ever in the Norfolk area then touring the USS Wisconsin should be at the top of your list of things to see & do.

Today we toured a battleship. Tomorrow I do battle with a couple of malfunctioning heads (toilets) on board my ship. Ahhh, the cruising can be so glamorous!

Cheers!