USS Hornet Museum
Is it considered hiking if we’re walking around a big floating museum? Why not? The USS Hornet Museum was more of a treat for me than my girls, but we all ended up having a pretty fun time by the end.
We started at the main hanger and looked at the various air and space craft they had on display—due to COVID, these exhibits were less hands-on than normal. We then went downstairs and saw the living quarters of the seamen who served on this ship.
Our last stop was the flight deck of the carrier, which was larger than I had thought it’d be. It was windy and cold, but it got pretty as the sun burned off the clouds and the blue skies came out to greet us.
What I Learned:
The bathrooms are functional and were available for use to the public. Which meant that they were old, cramped, and with some interesting sink controls.
The Hornet served far past WW2, serving to recover the Apollo 11 and 12 astronauts.
In WW2 there were two carriers named USS Hornet. The one that is the museum was put into service after the first one sank in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
There were many volunteers walking around the museum. Most looked to be veterans of the Navy.
Hike Review:
We walked about one mile over two hours to see the museum.
The stairs were the favorite for the girls, who enjoyed the challenge of walking up and down the steeper-than-normal stairs.
The museum was nice, but I probably wouldn’t come back again. Once is enough to see everything.