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USS Lexington: Fun Facts

by Brian on February 6, 2012 in Texas, Travel

The jet engine of a vintage aircraft on USS Lexington's flight deck

Dubbed the “Blue Ghost” by Japanese servicemen who believed they had sunk the aircraft carrier no fewer than four times during World War II, the USS Lexington now rests – entirely intact – as a museum in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Other interesting tidbits:

The USS Lexington is as tall as a 19 story building and as long as three New York City blocks.
You could park more than 1,000 automobiles on its flight deck.
It has more telephones than a city of 5,000.
It has crossed the equator 13 times.
It was the first carrier to deploy air-to-surface missiles.
It has sailed enough miles to circle the globe eight times.
It has more sleeping spaces than Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
It was the first carrier to establish a seagoing high school.
It can produce enough electricity to power a city of 150,000.
I was the first ship in U.S. Navy history to have women aboard as crewmembers.
The behemoth actually floats.

Free San Antonio

by Brian on February 3, 2012 in Texas, Travel

Five ways to spend a day in San Antonio, Texas, without spending a thing.

Walk the River

At street level San Antonio looks like any other American city. One story lower, the River Walk transforms five miles of downtown into canals and bridges befitting the best of Amsterdam and Venice. The Paseo del Rio (walk of the river, in Spanish) is a public park lined with bars, restaurants, hotels and even an outdoor theater. There is no shortage of things to do, day and night, 365 days per year. Just walking and taking in the atmosphere is wonderful, though, and free.

Why France is better than Texas

by Brian on January 27, 2012 in Texas, Travel

A seven hour drive across the windswept nothingness of West Texas got me thinking. Not so much about Texas, but about a far away place that always leaves me a bit awestruck: France.

Long ago, on our very first trip overseas, we spent two weeks in France; moving from Paris, to Burgundy to the Loire Valley. I left that trip convinced I could spend another two years traveling the country without ever needing to visit the same place twice. There’s Normandy in the North, the Rivera in the South, Bordeaux in the West and Strasbourg in the East. Normally that would be enough for any area to claim tourism bragging rights, but in the middle of all that greatness France layers in castles, quaint towns, beautiful cities, historic vineyards, and majestic mountains. The diversity of the country is overwhelming.

Then there is Texas. Read More…