The Midway is huge, I mean really, really huge and we spent almost 6 hours seeing everything we could. This means we took a few thousand pictures. I see your eyes glazing over already.

The first thing we did was head for the bridge because it gets quite crowded later in the day.

Taking pictures here was difficult because it was so bright outside and so dark inside, but you may get the feel for it.

The Midway has many of the planes and helicopters that would have operated from the carrier.

Once you start walking the deck you realize how long it is. However I think when you are landing a jet it does not seem quite as big and a few more yards would be nice.

Docents who are former pilots give presentations on deck complete with video from the cockpit of planes coming in for landings - I think those guys are a little nuts

Each squadron has its own symbol and there are different ready rooms for the various groups. I have no idea exactly how many, who meets in where or what most of the symbols mean, but there are quite a few.

The Navy makes a large distinction in class division. I have tried to divide it up so you can see the upper class lives large but the enlisted not so much.

I know most of this is old tradition left over from our British founders and I am sure it serves a purpose,

I can only think that during war those lowly sailors in those stacked bunks might like a little bit of what Officers have.

There is an old saying among the Army guys about foxholes, officers, and what happens in those holes. Suffice it to say it means in the Army everyone is the same in war.

There is not a part of the ship that is not highlighted on the self-guided tour. You do get a feel for what the crew saw each day and just how much work goes into running a floating city.

One of the the things we found most interesting was the Expansion Joint. It sits just under the flight deck and runs the entire 250 foot width of the deck. It helps the ship flex as it moves through the seas.

Something about a joint holding the ship together just intrigued me.

The Midway had quite an extensive sick bay and dental facility. You could get a stitch, have an operation, get an X-ray, have a dental partial made or get a filling. Whatever you need, you can get it on board.

The Forecastle is where the anchor is. This thing is huge as you can imagine. It must have been so loud when it was released

The Cabrillo National Monument is a beautiful park on the San Diego Bay. It is where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed - the first European to set foot on the west coast.

There is a lot to see here. The huge statue of Juan Cabrillo - an entire history in that alone - to the old shore battery guns that protected the area during WWII, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the intertidal area.

We found enough to keep us busy for the entire day. Naturally wading in the tidal pools was a lot of fun.

The views of San Diego must be great on a clear day - guess we need to try again.

Way before Interstate 8 was built, but after cars started taking people around, the problem of driving through the Sand Dunes was addressed by this unique method of putting down wooden planks.

Today the 1500 foot section behind a fence is all that is left of this unique solution to a persistent problem.

If there is a weird, strange or unique place to stop George will find it. Thank you George.

Desert View Tower sits just off I-8 and on the scale of odd this is right up there, but in a good way.

After visiting the tower and enjoying the cool interior and wonderful views, you can crawl around Boulder Park.

Scrambling on rocks is fun in itself - at least to us - but these have an artistic side that just can not be beat. Supposedly they were carved by sculptor W. T. Ratcliffe during the depression for a dollar a day and wine.

True or not, he did a great job in bringing out the soul and whimsy of each boulder he touched.

Well, this was a really interesting find. Apparently the idea is based on a children fairy tale - COE The Good Dragon at the Center of the World. What started as a joke has become very real.

A 1985 law set The Official Center of the World at the precise point inside the pyramid at Felicity.

Iin 1989 the law was recognized by the Institut Geographique National of the Government of France. There was an official ceremony complete with French Ambassador.

We expected the pyramid, but not the Granite History of the World. There are massive slabs on which significant historical facts are remembered. Everything from ancient Babylonian to moon launches. It is quite an undertaking.

We arrived rather late in the day so our time was limited but we will stop again the next time we are going that way. You better look sharp because Felicity is not much more than a sign on interstate.