February 10, 2004

• Norfolk, VA Virginia holds a special place in my heart. I spent my formative years there, and I love the Appalachians more than the Sierras. They are older and more mysterious with tons of green meadows hidden in them, and many rushing rivers. I visited Norfolk, VA in January. I arrived before the snow fell, and walked to see the Battleship Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk. What a beautiful ship! There is a cool museum there too, that depicts the development of steel ships from wooden ones. It’s amazing to me that the U.S. was building steel ships as early as the 1860′s. The earliest steel warships were ugly looking things, but functional. U.S.S. Wisconsin Battleship Norfolk, VA Hampton Roads Naval Museum The Battleship Wisconsin was commissioned in the 1930′s, I think, and was used as recently as the Gulf War. One of the 16-inch (diameter of the gun) guns can shoot a missile that is as heavy as a VW bug about 23 miles. Pretty impressive for something built that long ago. Big Guns U.S.S. Wisconsin > ‘Nother view of the Big Guns U.S.S. Wisconsin What about them big guns? Strike Marks from the Gulf War

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