Day 197 - April 28, 2013: Ferry to Norfolk, VA

Today we relaxed during the morning and then took the Elizabeth River Ferry over to Norfolk. It is a 10 minute ride with views of Portsmouth, Norfolk and the shipyards.

Norfolk skyline and the Elizabeth River Ferry

One of the leading attractions in Norfolk is the Nauticus, which is a maritime museum and the site of the Iowa Class Battleship Wisconsin. We spent most of the afternoon touring the ship, which was one of the largest and the last battleship ever built by the U.S. Navy, and seeing the museum.

Battleship Wisconsin

Nine massive 16-inch guns

The Wisconsin was commissioned in April, 1944, joining the 3rd Fleet late in WWII. It supported Pacific operations including Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the bombardment and occupation of Japan, before being decommissioned after the war in 1947. It was recommissioned in 1951 to support troops with bombardment in the Korean War, and then again decommissioned in 1957. With the advent of the Gulf War, it was once again called on to serve and was recommissioned in 1988 and participated in bombardment and missile strikes during Operation Desert Storm. In 1991, the Wisconsin was set in reserve, and in 2000 she was berthed at Nauticus with full ownership being transferred to the City of Norfolk in 2010.

Tomorrow we are driving back to Michigan for a nine day visit. We will be spending some time together in Spring Lake and then helping Elizabeth move into a new apartment for the summer in Ann Arbor. So, tonight Anne cleaned the boat interior, and we packed in preparation for tomorrow's travel.

We have cruised 197 days and traveled 4,171 miles to date and will look forward to continuing the Adventures of Great Laker soon!