USS Yorktown Visit, Charleston SC

"willkinton247" (willkinton247) 12/05/2013 at 11:00 • Filed to: Planelopnik

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I went on vacation last week down in Charleston for Thanksgiving, and since I was on my own for a few days before the rest of my family showed up, I decided to go check out the museum ships at Patriot's Point. I also decided to take a bunch of pictures.

They have three ships there, the Essex -class aircraft carrier !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (CV-10), the Alan M. Sumner -class destroyer !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (DD-724), and the Balao -class diesel submarine !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (SS-343). I was able to go on all three. There's also a replica of a Vietnam support base with some helicopters. Unfortunately, my phone died, so I was unable to get pictures of the Laffey or the Clamagore .

My main impression of the destroyer was of how small it actually was. It may be because I had just gotten off of the carrier, where I spent several hours wandering below deck through many compartments and rooms, but I toured the destroyer in about 30 minutes. You could really get the sense that the destroyer's crew would be made up of a tight knit group of people. You'd know everyone with in a few days of being at sea. There was also an exhibit in the rear 5-inch gun turret about the ship's proudest and darkest moment, when it came under attach by no less than 50 Japanese kamikazes in one day off the coast of Okinawa on April 16th, 1945. The Laffey was hit by 4 bombs, 6 kamikazes, and strafing runs, with a loss of 32 men and 71 wounded, but it did not go down.

And if you thought the destroyer was small, the submarine was tiny. If you have never been in a WWII era submarine, you should check one out. It was essentially a straight line through the ship. It takes a special breed to volunteer for duty aboard one of those (all submariners are volunteers in the USN). The crew would sleep basically wherever they could stick a bunk, like among the torpedoes. Walking through, I could not figure out how they got 80 men in that ship at one time. Unfortunately, the ship is starting to deteriorate, and if repairs cannot be made, it may be sunk as an artificial reef.

From the pilot briefing room on the Yorktown

Anyways, on to the Yorktown . It was amazing how much of the ship is open to wander around. I spent probably 4 hours walking through the self guided tours, as well as making my own way. This is also the only museum ship that features every major carrier fixed wing aircraft of the 20th century. I've tried to think of a notable, historic, or decorated carrier aircraft that wasn't there, and I can't. Maybe you can. In the hanger bay they had an AD-4N Skyraider, an F-9J Cougar, a TBM Avenger, an F6F Hellcat, an F4U Corsair, an F4F Wildcat, an SBD Dauntless, a Stearman N-2 Kaydet, and a B-25 Mitchell. They also had a replica of the Wright Flyer because of course.

AD-4 Skyraider

F6F Hellcat

F4U Corsair - I think this is technically a Goodyear built FG-1D

TBM Avenger

F4F Wildcat

SBD Dauntless

I then made my way up to the flight deck via an escalator, which I was surprised they had. The escalator was used to carry pilots up to their planes that were ready to go.

Anyways, the flight deck. There was some pretty cool stuff here. Every notable carrier jet was there, and some of the more obscure stuff. You could walk right up to them. Most of them did not have engines, and you could actually see right through them. There was an A-6E Intruder, an A-7E Corsair II, an A-4C Skyhawk, an S-2E Tracker, an S-3B Viking, an EA-3B Skywarrior, an E-1B Tracer, an H-3 Sea King, an F-8K Crusader, an F-4J Phantom II, an F/A-18A Hornet, and my favorite, the F-14A Tomcat. The only major carrier airframe that I could think of that was not there was the E-2 Hawkeye, but that's understandable as it is still an integral part of any carrier air wing. Here are some pictures.

A-7E Corsair II

S-3B Viking

F-8K Crusader

S-2E Tracker

F-14A Tomcat, with America in the background.

F/A-18A Hornet with H-3 Sea King

E-1B Tracer - this is the first purpose built AWACS plane of the US Navy, and was built off of the same platform as the S-2 Tracker up above.

F-4J Phantom II

If you're ever in Charleston, and you have some free time, I highly suggest you check this place out. It's really quite fascinating and a nice way to spend an afternoon.

For more updates about racing, planes, and other automotive thoughts, feel free to follow me on the Twitters at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . If you want me to look into a particular series or topic, feel free to let me know!

Big Bubba Ray > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:16

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I've been visiting Charleston every year with my family since I was in fifth grade. I'm 22 now and have also been going to see the Yorktown every year as well. Every year it continues to blow my mind. It truly is a gear heads paradise!

Rev Hang Slows My Roll > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:22

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Nice! I live in Charleston and Patriots Point is an under-appreciated attraction in the city. Also, are you sure the escalator is original and not added after for tourist convienience?

drdude > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:32

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Yeah I also live in Charleston.... Only been to the Yorktown once, a couple weeks back.. after living here most of my life. lol

drdude > Rev Hang Slows My Roll 12/05/2013 at 11:32

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no, the escalator is there so the pilots, in their full flight suits and gear, can quickly get to the planes. It can also be reversed for a nice intro to the ship for VIPs.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:36

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I visited a long time ago when I was in my early teens, at that time they also had the Nuclear powered Savannah there, the only nuclear powered merchant ship. I picked up a book about the Destroyer, it was very interesting and gave me a picture of what my grandfather may have gone through on a Destroyer Escort in WWII.

Mark Schmidt > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:38

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And when you are done there I highly recommend Red's on Shem Creek for a Beer and nice views.

desertdog5051 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:38

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Great dump and article. I have been aboard the German U-505? in Chicago. Incredibly cramped and claustrophobic.

leobrioschi > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:40

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I've been there! i'm from brazil but i was at NC for a whole year, as an exchange student. My host parents took me there, and also to a Thunderbirds show.
i had a great time! i was 15 at the time. Trully amazing.

Collin > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:40

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Charleston is amazing. Did you get to eat at Husk by chance?

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Rev Hang Slows My Roll 12/05/2013 at 11:43

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The escalator was added in the 60's i believe to help the pilots get on deck with all their heavy gear. They actually have it turned off now as apparently the gaps in the stairs are too large to comply with current safety regs. Don't want little kids toes getting eaten.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:45

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I visited about a year ago and was also very impressed. You can tell they spent a lot of money on this museum compared to a lot of the other museum ships I've been on. My home town has the USS Hornet docked there and the Yorktown really blows it away. Still need to make it up to New York to see the Intrepid for comparisons sake.

quarterlifecrisis > My X-type is too a real Jaguar 12/05/2013 at 11:46

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I was last there in 2000...also my early teens. Now that I'm closer to it, and have family in the area, I think I'm due for a trip back.

Zoom > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:50

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Yikes! I thought I was seeing a ghost. My uncle was on the Yorktown during WWII in search and rescue. It went down right after Midway. But that was the Yorktown class, CV-5 .

I do want to see a carrier up close one day.

Darrell the malevolent > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:50

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Looks like fun, although as a former submariner, am sad you did not get any good pics of the diesel boat. FYI- submarines are boats, everything else is a ship. If you ever visit Oahu ensure that you check out not only the Pearl Harbor Memorial (if you can get a ticket), but the USS Bowfin memorial. It is a submarine and nicknamed 'The Avenger of the Pacific' for all of its action after Pearl Harbor. Neat stuff!

Darrell the malevolent > desertdog5051 12/05/2013 at 11:51

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Yes I have been to the one in Chicago. Diesel boat sailors were a different kind of crazy

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:51

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I used to live right down the river from the Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA and have been there several times over the years. Besides the battleship USS Massachusetts there's a Korean destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy, a WW2 Gato-class sub USS Lionfish, Elco and Higgins PT boats and a Soviet-built missile corvette Hiddensee. Very cool stuff on display.

rickard22 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:52

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Considering the small spaces in the WW2 ships and submarines, consider that the ave person was much smaller back then. I have visited the Massachusetts, a WW2 era battleship. The uniforms on display are tiny and would probably fit my then 11-12 year old son.

Jartosz > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:53

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I was in Charleston this summer, I would have went to see the Aircraft Carrier but it was raining hard and it was super windy and I honestly didn't feel like driving all that way. I could see it from historical Charleston though.

Thunder > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:53

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I have slept (that's a misnomer) aboard the Yorktown, with my son's scout troop. 400-ish kids and adult leaders in a very cramped compartment, sleeping in racks, snoring like an Evenrude convention, does not a fitful night's sleep make.

The highlight of the visit, though, had to be when one lunchtime we were passing through the Medal of Honor museum situated at the stern portion of the hangar deck. We were sneaking between some chairs and a stage that had been set up, and noted one guy sitting in the front row of the otherwise empty chairs. A glance, as my son and I passed by... and I stopped like I had run into an invisible wall. He was wearing a small ribbon: robin's egg blue with stars: the Congressional Medal of Honor.

We spoke briefly with him, as we shook his hand, and I thanked him for his service. My son, perhaps 10 at the time, didn't really get it. I tried to explain to him the significance, but fell short. However, I took him through the Medal of Honor museum after that, and he was awestruck. Afterward, he looked at me, and in a small voice, just said "and I shook his hand". I knew then that he got it.

On a lighter note, just this past weekend, we went to Philadelphia. While there, my son and I, along with my father, toured the USS New Jersey, as well as the USS Olympia (oldest still-floating steel warship in the world, and that on which the Unknown Soldier was returned to the US), and USS Becuna (WWII submarine). The latter two are at the Independence Seaport Museum , which I highly recommend.

For me, the highlight of the trip was the submarine. Or more accurately, my father's arrival at the first watertight bulkhead we encountered. I was ahead of him, and from that vantage point, I saw all his attempts to get through. He's 6'4", roughly 260 pounds, and broad of shoulder. I watched as an arm and a leg would come through, followed by an attempt to wedge his head sideways and struggle through... back out and try again, this time both arms... that's not working. For a good five minutes, he tried to find a way, finally settling on a variation of the right way. That right way is to grab the handle above the hatch, and simply swing your legs through, then follow. His variation was to grab the handle, get his legs most of the way through, sit on the bottom of the hatch, turn partway sideways, duck head, shuffle shoulders through, kneel on deck, and get up.

He was not meant to be a submariner.

TL;DR: I slept there. Met a Medal of Honor winner there. Recently toured USS New Jersey and two other vessels in Philadelphia. Chuckle about my father trying to squeeze through a submarine.

Kerberos824 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:55

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Oooo. The jealousy. I went on the Intrepid years and years ago when I was just a wee lad. It was so awesome.

Buran > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 11:55

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I visited USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Tex., on the same day that a Corvette enthusiast group covered the flight deck with cars. It was neat and annoying at the same time — I'm an aviation enthusiast and I didn't get to experience the vast openness of the deck because there was barely any deck left. But the cars were very neat. I did, at least, find a spot to stand near the bow where I couldn't see the cars and at least got to have a bit of the experience I wanted.

Alas, both were converted to have the angled landing strip that modern carriers have — that allows them to launch and recover aircraft simultaneously, but also enlarges the flight deck significantly over its wartime size.

Alas, I managed to mess up my photo website and lost a lot of photos — hundreds. :( So all I can point to is someone else's pictures.

Here you go. Lazy Google Image Search.

To answer a question many people might have: They used the aircraft elevator to get the cars up there. The Lexington has the last working aircraft elevator on any carrier of the era. Yep, that does mean that the one on the Yorktown no longer works.

The Voice of Harold Montgomery > Rev Hang Slows My Roll 12/05/2013 at 11:56

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http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online… :

During the Korean War USS Yorktown had all guns, except four-5 inch guns, removed; updated electronics installed; and steam catapults and stronger arresting cables, capable of handling jets, installed. USS Yorktown was extensively modernized by the Navy in 1955-58 and was converted from an attack (CVA) carrier to an antisubmarine (CVS) carrier. During this modernization a new angled flight deck, hurricane bow and escalators were added. USS Yorktown has remained in this configuration since 1958 with ultimate tonnage rising to 45,000 tons. [ 3 ]

Rev Hang Slows My Roll > The Voice of Harold Montgomery 12/05/2013 at 11:59

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Awesome! thanks for the link.

Buran > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 12/05/2013 at 12:03

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Have a look at the Lexington down in Texas, too. Same class, but every ship is a little bit different.

d3v > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 12:18

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These were added during the sCB-27 modernization program that upgraded the remaining Essex class carriers back in the 50s.

crushlovepanic > Collin 12/05/2013 at 12:28

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I agree. My family lives there so I get to go visit a couple times a year. Husk is great. The entire downtown restaurant scene is insanely good.

d3v > The Voice of Harold Montgomery 12/05/2013 at 12:31

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The escalators came earlier during SCB-27A which was from 1951 to 1953. It was the angled flight deck that was added in 1955 as part of SCB-125.

David E. Davis > Thunder 12/05/2013 at 12:33

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Well, you just did my job of telling everyone about Philly and Camden's cool ships. The fact we have a battleship still amazes me. I've been all over BB-62. From the crows nest to the bilge. I also had the pleasure of staying on board o-nite with a Civil Air Patrol group for a December 7th memorial in 2008.

Have you had a chance to go onto the Navy yard property? Depending on the event you can catch a glimpse of some the ships in mothball there. A couple aircraft carriers are there.

Thunder > David E. Davis 12/05/2013 at 12:42

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Haven't made it onto the Navy yard. Did see a lineup of Aegis-class cruisers as we snuck south out of town.

chimera388 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 12:45

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There is hardly a plane sexier than the Tomcat. Only the Raptor can even compete.

chimera388 > desertdog5051 12/05/2013 at 12:47

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Also the Bowfin at Pearl Harbor. A new kind of small.

Go On Chelsea > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 12:49

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Great story and pics. I grew up vacationing in Charleston with my family. My dad would take us every year to play 9 holes, 18 eventually at the course there. We would always end the round with a few hours at PP. Possibly one of the coolest experiences of my life being a history dork was the day we happened to be finishing up our round and the Hunley (1st ever documented submarine used in the Civil War) was being brought into the harbor after Clive Cussler and his team discovered and brought it up. The Daughters of the Confederacy were dressed in all black to greet them. Pretty surreal.

FlipFriddle > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 13:01

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This looks awesome. I visited the USS North Carolina which is near the NC/SC border I think. Seeing the armor and the 16 inchers is impressive. I remember seeing a Tomcat flyover at an airshow back in the late 80s and I was stunned at how maneuverable and powerful that plane was. It made such tight turns. Not to mention that I realized that it was as long as a B-17. Amazing.

Tony-E28 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 13:23

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Former Submariner here (late '90s - mid '00s). Ask me some questions and I'll do my best to respond.

punksmurph > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 13:28

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I have never had a reason to visit Charleston SC, now I do. If anything I would love to tour the USS Laffey.

solodp > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 13:33

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I'll be spending New Years Eve there this year! Can't wait!

Gooberpeaz > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 13:34

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Here are a couple more places to put on your list:

Battleship Park, Mobile, Alabama. Battleship USS Alabama and the submarine USS Drum. Also a very nice - if small - aviation museum.

National Museum of Naval Aviation. Aboard the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

Rob Eakins > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 13:39

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Just a few miles from my house!

willkinton247 > Thunder 12/05/2013 at 13:50

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That's an awesome experience. Thanks for sharing! If I'm up in Philly, I'll definitely have to check it out.

willkinton247 > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 12/05/2013 at 13:51

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Going aboard a Soviet ship would be very interesting...

willkinton247 > desertdog5051 12/05/2013 at 13:52

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I also went on that one. Did you go after it had been put in the Museum of Science and Industry?

desertdog5051 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 13:54

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Yep.

willkinton247 > punksmurph 12/05/2013 at 13:57

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Hahaha, you don't know what you're missing! It's a great town. Very old historic houses and buildings, a lot of Civil War history and museums (Fort Sumter and the Hunley for example), great weather in the early fall and spring, and the people are very nice. There's several beaches around there too. Not to mention the Low country marshes are just beautiful.

Also incredible restaurants and food.

Shrimp And Grits.

I'm totally going to live there someday.

willkinton247 > Collin 12/05/2013 at 13:59

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I didn't unfortunately, but I did start that morning at the Hominy Grill. Fantastic shrimp and grits.

willkinton247 > Mark Schmidt 12/05/2013 at 14:02

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I almost went there with Girlfriend's cousin later that week, but we ended up going to the Shelter instead. They live over in Mt. Pleasant's historic area, right off the water, and have access to a dock where we saw some pretty gorgeous sunsets. When Girlfriend goes down to visit in the summer, her family will kayak over to Red's for lunch.

willkinton247 > Darrell the malevolent 12/05/2013 at 14:03

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Haha, that is due in complete part to my phone dying. And I have actually been to the Bowfin in PH, but that was back in 7th grade. We also did the Missouri and the Arizona memorial as well of course.

willkinton247 > rickard22 12/05/2013 at 14:04

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The sub was the most cramped, I barely fit at 6ft tall.

willkinton247 > Buran 12/05/2013 at 14:06

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The other interesting thing they did with the Yorktown was they resurfaced the catapult area, and just painted the catapults on. It was kind of disappointing, but understandable.

Being an Aviation enthusiast made this museum fantastic. You can walk right up to the planes that are tied down to the deck and touch them. It's easy to imagine yourself at sea with the birds.

willkinton247 > FlipFriddle 12/05/2013 at 14:09

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The Tomcat has always been my favorite. There's something about it that makes me feel very weak and nervous. It's probably because it is the highway to the Danger Zone. Up here in the DC area, there is the satellite location of the Air and Space Smithsonian at Dulles. The Tomcat they have there actually shot down two Libyan MiGs in '89 I believe.

willkinton247 > Go On Chelsea 12/05/2013 at 14:09

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I wanted to go do that and Ft. Sumter, but the weather worsened and I ran out of time. It's on my list for a return.

willkinton247 > Gooberpeaz 12/05/2013 at 14:10

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If I am down in those areas, I'll be sure to swing by!

willkinton247 > drdude 12/05/2013 at 14:10

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I actually talked to a couple of people from the area who said they had always seen it but never went. Hopefully they will now.

willkinton247 > Jartosz 12/05/2013 at 14:11

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well if you return, put it on your list!

willkinton247 > Tony-E28 12/05/2013 at 14:12

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Awesome! My question is how does the DE Subs compare to the modern SSN's? Obviously they are much smaller, but is it still very cramped?

willkinton247 > chimera388 12/05/2013 at 14:15

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100%. Even the Raptor doesn't compare to the Tomcat IMO. It's beautiful, but in a way like the P-51 or Spitfire is. The Tomcat is just sexy.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 14:25

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AFAIK the Hiddensee is not open for tours, but that may have changed since the last time I was there years ago.

rickard22 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 14:42

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I think being 6 ft in the 30s-40s is like being 6-6+ these days.

what was the average height back then? 5-5??

punksmurph > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 14:43

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I think I may absolutely bore my wife but it sounds like fun. I think I know what trip we are taking next spring.

willkinton247 > punksmurph 12/05/2013 at 14:45

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Yeah, that's why I did it before Girlfriend got into town. Haha

Mark Schmidt > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 15:10

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Yeah Red's is a good spot. The Boat House is nice on Isle of Palms as well.

Charleston is a great town.

Go On Chelsea > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 15:40

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Both are definitely a must see. This past August my national conference was in San Diego. Every night mutual fund or ETF companies take us out to different functions, dinners, ball games, harbor cruises etc. On the last night I overlooked an email from my assistant, one the firms was holding a dinner on the deck of the USS Midway with a private tour. Instead I was at the Padres / Pirates game. Still kicking myself.

I am Jack's complete lack of compassion > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 16:02

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You should have let us know, I live on Isle of Palms and would have loved to buy you a beer!

willkinton247 > I am Jack's complete lack of compassion 12/05/2013 at 16:10

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I will definitely be down there again. I have family all over SC, and in Charleston, so it gives me plenty of reason to return.

Monty Totten > punksmurph 12/05/2013 at 16:25

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I'm an SC native, I grew up in Greenville and go to school in Columbia at USC. Charleston is without a doubt one of the greatest cities in the country. Even having been to there quite a bit I still jet down to to the low country any chance I get. It's the embodiment of everything that is great about the South. Long story short, next time you have the opportunity to go, do so.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Thunder 12/05/2013 at 16:28

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I toured the USS New Jersey a couple years ago. It was sad to the see the deck in the condition it was in. It was also shocking to hear about the section above the captains quarters where there was so much rust under the decking they had to replace big sections of steel. Makes you wonder what the rest of the boat is like. I think they are struggling to keep her up as well as they would like. Still an absolutely magnificent ship however.

Buran > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 16:43

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Because I live in Missouri I have always been sad that the Missouri is not, well, in Missouri. The New Jersey is in NJ, the Texas is in Texas, etc... and our ship is in...

...

... Hawaii. *sigh* Missouri sucks.

Buran > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 12/05/2013 at 16:45

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That's also not a Russian name. There's got to be an interesting story behind that.

willkinton247 > Buran 12/05/2013 at 17:12

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_co…

It's East German.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 18:26

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Cool, an article about my hometown on the front page of Oppo/Jalop! Not something I expected to see, lol. Well I'm glad you loved your visit to Charleston so much. I was born and raised here (Charleston) and can't think of any other place I'd rather live. Where all did you visit (aside from the Yorktown)?

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 18:31

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If you ever make it back to Charleston, go back to Hominy Grill and try the Big Nasty. It's a fried chicken biscuit, drenched in sausage gravy and covered in melted cheese. But you definitely can't go wrong with the shrimp and grits. Some of the best in Charleston.

willkinton247 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy 12/05/2013 at 19:10

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Well just a lot of walking around. I was mostly with family, but I tried to do as much as I could, but the weather got worse . I'll be down again though!

willkinton247 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy 12/05/2013 at 19:18

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Oh I will!

benn454 > chimera388 12/05/2013 at 19:56

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chimera388 > benn454 12/05/2013 at 20:28

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Okay the Blackbird definitely can compete for the love here, but the Strike Eagle? Not so much. And I say this with much love for the Eagle. I was literally in the cockpit of one a few hours ago, and will be again tomorrow. It's my job (not a pilot, engineer). But still. The F-15 just cannot compete with the pure sex appeal of the Tomcat.

benn454 > chimera388 12/05/2013 at 20:30

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Put them next to each other and they're practically twins.

Tony-E28 > willkinton247 12/05/2013 at 23:00

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I qualified on an Ohio class, so I'm not a good source to ask about being cramped, but the difference between diesel subs and SSNs could be described using an analogy of a 1964.5 Mustang and a new one. The room is about the same, but the amount of breakable crap you're responsible to maintain has increased exponentially, making the weapon you're using much more capable than the one before it. And it's safer, because the people who died while using the model before yours were considered when your model was designed.

carlsonrower123 > punksmurph 12/06/2013 at 05:29

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Oh god I love visiting Charleston...

Take your wife downtown to the farmers/flea market. They have a bunch of cool stuff there.

Historical stuff.... there is a lot.... downtown Charleston has at least a half dozen historical buildings that have regular tour sessions.

Patriots point is amazing but the author is right... they need more funding. You can see a lot of those ships need TLC NOW.

Fort Sumpter is a good time and the boat ride there and back is a lot of fun too.

The Hunley is amazing to see but plan ahead!!! It is a research facility so the tour times are not everyday etc. like most of the stuff in Charleston. Also the Hunley is in a... rougher area of town so don't be shocked with the directions.

Charleston area has a shitload of beaches too... and the walking talent... anywho!

Food....
Home Team BBQ out there is amazing and this is coming from a guy who gets spoiled on Slows BBQ in Detroit.

Poe's Tavern on Sullivan Island is a nice little place (super busy though) and the island itself is really nice. More low key than the others.

Three little birds cafe is in the back of a strip mall but is a great spot for breakfast before going out for the day.

Pretty much any place I've gone to in Charleston has had amazing food.... so what I'm saying is go... :-D

Any locals want to back me up on this or give me any suggestions?

willkinton247 > Tony-E28 12/06/2013 at 07:43

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Ohio is an SSBN, right?

chimera388 > benn454 12/06/2013 at 11:40

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Nah, the swept wing, shoulders moving forward like it's literally pushing through resistance like a runningback through a dogpile look cannot be replicated by the Eagle.

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > willkinton247 12/06/2013 at 11:45

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Well, I don't know if you're a craft beer kinda guy, but if you are, Charleston has some really great breweries to visit. My top favorites: Palmetto, Westbrook, COAST, and Freehouse. Also, might a recommend the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum . They got some really cool old fashioned fire trucks dating from 1785 1973. Usually the place is filled with younger kids but I went there with my wife and brother and nobody looked at us weird, lol.

And going back to the aviation side of things I don't know if they''ll let you in to either place, but Boeing and the Charleston Air Force Base would be great places to visit. The AFB especially since they have quite a few older planes on display. I'm not sure how many of them are outside of the gate and how many of them are actually in the base though. Here's some pics I found:

willkinton247 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy 12/06/2013 at 11:53

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I actually tried a Palmetto when I was down there, and the Holy City Porter I think? Both were very good.

My uncle works for Boeing - It may just be a goal of mine to work there... The next time I head down to Charleston I will be sure to post up on Oppo. Lets meet up!

Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy > willkinton247 12/06/2013 at 12:07

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Yea, Holy City is a good one too. Which Palmetto did you have? The Amber is one of my main staples, but my favorite from them is their Ghost Rider IPA, which is brewed with maraschino cherries and ghost peppers. It's sweet, it burns, and it's goes great with boiled shrimp!

And an Oppo meet up sounds great! I know the best place to go too. We'll have to go to Closed for Business. Great food and one of the best beer selections of any restaurant in Charleston. We'll have to make a big post and see if we can find any other Oppo-nauts who will be in good 'ole Chucktown at the same time.

willkinton247 > Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy 12/06/2013 at 12:19

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I think it was the amber. and sounds like a plan!

Justin Lowe > willkinton247 12/06/2013 at 12:46

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I used to be stationed in Charleston, I remember the ships being in a sorry state last time I went, it was pretty upsetting that the could keep the upkeep on the ship and planes as well as they should.

thatmacfast > willkinton247 12/06/2013 at 14:33

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Sweet pics and write up. SC, added to the list. You would love the Museum of Flight in Seattle; tons of military and civilian aircraft, including, Concorde, Nixons Air Force One, and of course the SR-71 Black Bird - complete with seperate training cockpit that you can sit in.

thatmacfast > benn454 12/06/2013 at 14:39

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I thought of the F15 when I read that comment too. Also mentioned the SR-71 in a previous comment on this post. Great minds...

thatmacfast > Buran 12/06/2013 at 14:58

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I had the great pleasure of touring the Mighty Mo twice, first in the early 80's as a child. At that time it was still in service and in beautiful condition, deck shining so bright you could probably see it, in sunlight, from space. The second time, circa 2001, at Pearl; to my absolute horror it appeared as if it had been left to rot, no visible signs of any material upkeep. The once gleaming deck peeling badly. I was devistated, as I remembered vividly how it looked the last time I saw it. Easily the saddest moment I have ever experienced on the islands in three trips...next to the Arizona memorial of course. I can only hope that someone, has, or plans to bring it back to its former glory, befitting what is probably the most significant naval vessel of the 20th century. Although I fear soon it may be lost to the ages.

Tony-E28 > willkinton247 12/07/2013 at 13:55

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Yes.