How many states have you visited in the USA? Bryce has a mission to visit all fifty (50)! I had a goal to visit all fifty (50) by age fifty (50). I ended up visiting fifty-one (51) by fifty-one (51), including Washington DC.
Bryce was able to visit two new states this month which has bumped his total up to twenty-four (24) states - almost half way there! Our vacation base-point was Pensacola, FL for four (4) nights. The USS Alabama battleship and USS Drum submarine are located approximately an hour from Pensacola. It was an easy morning drive to arrive there without encountering traffic from Mobile, AL.
I would not advise going when temperatures are near 100 degrees - It was extremely hot outside while we strolled around checking out the tanks and military aircraft. We were also burning up with sweat pouring everywhere while we climbed up the stairs inside the USS Alabama to get to the upper deck for what was a nice view. But man! I would have enjoyed it much more in January!
After we toured the USS Alabama, we were all very happy to cool off in the building that had more military aircraft as well as a simulator and Virtual Reality ride. Bryce got to enjoy both of them. Chris and Bryce toured the USS Drum submarine while I stayed in front of the large fan in the air conditioned building. I had sunstroke symptoms at Sea World a couple of weeks prior to our AL visit, and I was feeling them again after the battleship tour. Besides, I toured a submarine with Bryce in Philadelphia last year while Chris took a pass.
When we entered the gift shop, Bryce stopped in his tracks when he saw a gold colored bullet shaped water bottle. He LOVES all things that are "gold" and also has a collection of drinkware from our travels. It seems to be his go-to choice which isn't a bad thing. We all use them, and they are not knick-knack dust collectors. ☺
It really is a great place to learn about our US military and to deepen respect and appreciation for all that our veterans have done and active military currently do for our freedom!
After the USS Alabama Battleship Memory Park tour, we enjoyed lunch in downtown Mobile, AL. We found The Insider, a collective eatery best described as an upscale food court with several restaurants that served a variety of foods. It also included an arcade in the back of the building which Bryce didn't see - but worth mentioning it for others who may enjoy arcade games. ☺ Chris had a delicious burger at The Hammered Cow. Bryce and I shared grilled chicken tenders from The Chicken District.
Chris and I agreed that we should surprise Bryce with a quick visit to Mississippi, so he would be able to scratch it off his travel map hanging in his bedroom. When we told him we were heading west toward Mississippi instead of east toward Florida, he was so excited!
We stopped at the Mississippi Welcome Center for pictures with their "Welcome" signs. We also chatted with the sweet people about things that Bryce may enjoy doing when we return to Mississippi. They happily gave him fun little souvenirs like a sticker, a Mississippi pin for his travel strap, and plenty of brochures.
We did encounter some heavy traffic on I-10 as we very s l o w l y made our way past Mobile.
Other than that, it was smooth travels and another great family day vacation in the books!
Hopefully, this blog post will inspire other families to add the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park to their travel list. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask - We'll do our best to answer them.
Happy Travels,
The Colter Fam
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