Trying to get out of Akron was not that easy. Between morning traffic and construction it was really slow. If you visit Ohio be aware drivers there drive fast and follow really, really close. Anyway, a combination of Interstate 77, highway 8 and Interstate 271 finally got us headed east on Interstate 90. For the first 30 minutes Barb constantly told me that I was on the wrong road and should turn around immediately.
Shortly after passing by Ashtabula we crossed over into Pennsylvania for about 40 miles and then entered New York. And New York meant toll roads. And grapes. Lots of grapes. In fact, a little research on the internet shows New York to be third in the nation behind California and Washington in the production of grapes. I was surprised. So the grapes and toll road continued until just outside Buffalo, New York. The grapes stopped and I paid $3.15.
Our plan was to stop in Buffalo for a light lunch and then continue on to Niagara Falls. However, while passing through Buffalo on Interstate 190 I spied the mast of a navy ship. A quick turn off the freeway and a little maneuvering in town led us to the Buffalo and Erie Naval & Military Park. Having grown up in a navy family and also having done a little time on my own at sea, I just can’t resist ships. And this was like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. A destroyer, cruiser and submarine. For $6 each (the senior rate) we got to tour each ship. And the tours included everything from the bridge to the engine room. Barb didn’t like the ladders, but managed with something less than a smile.
First up was the destroyer USS The Sullivans, DD-537. This ship was named for the five Sullivan brothers, killed when the USS Juneau was sunk in WWII. Interesting bit of information is that when the ship sailed into WWII there were 23 crewmembers named Sullivan. Unbelievable how much stuff could be stuffed into a small ship.
Next up was the cruiser USS Little Rock, which started life as light cruiser CL-92. Eight years after being decommissioned in 1949, she was converted to a guided missile cruiser and sailed as CLG-4. She kept her 6” guns forward, but Talos missiles replaced the aft mounts. Ever seen a Talos missile up close? Huge is the only way to describe them. I had no idea how big these things were. They were 38 feet long, 2 feet 4 inches in diameter and weighed 7,800 pounds. All that to shoot down one airplane. And the Little Rock could only carry 50 of these giants.
Last was the submarine USS Croaker SS-246. She served during WWII and claimed eleven Japanese ships, including a cruiser. If you were at all claustrophobic, a WWII submarine was not the place for you. Start with small and then shrink it. I really don’t know how anyone could have gone to sea, actually under the sea, on the Croaker.
To Barb’s relief there were no more ships, so we could go split a cheeseburger at The Hatch and get back on the road to Niagara Falls. One more toll and the driving was done.
After checking into our motel we took a 3+ mile walk over to Goat Island and the falls. While both falls are very impressive, I think the Canadian side has far more visual impact. If you’re in the neighborhood, don’t pass up a chance to see them. And do it from Goat Island.
Anyone want to take a guess on what was for dinner? Anything but Italian, right? Wrong. Italian again. And we brought half of each dinner back to the motel. Now safely stashed in the refrigerator and waiting to be warmed up in the microwave for dinner tomorrow night.
So where are we now? 3,411 miles and 13 states. Still got a ways to go. 258 miles today.
USS Little Rock CL-92
No comments:
Post a Comment