Just ask any kid and they'll tell you: Ships are cool.
Almost every kid dreams of sailing to explore distant lands, battling pirates or voyaging beneath the sea in a submarine. For my 10-year-old nephew, the sight of any huge vessel on the open sea makes his eyes grow wide. "Why don't they sink?" he asks. "What's all that stuff sticking out of them?" Now, thanks to a few visits to maritime parks, his questions have been answered.
At these seafaring museums, which often combine land exhibits with actual boats to tour, families get a firsthand look at the workings of ships and their roles in history. But perhaps the best part about climbing aboard is the sense of adventure your kids will feel as they smell the salt air and feel the sea rolling beneath them.
Your family is sure to enjoy a day trip to the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in South Carolina.
PATRIOTS POINT NAVAL AND MARITIME MUSEUM
MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA
With four ships available for boarding, this is one of the world's largest naval museums. Be sure to take a map when you tour the mammoth Yorktown CV 10, a post-World War II aircraft carrier--it's the length of three football fields.
Once aboard this mini city (which once housed 3,000 crewmen), families can see fighter and bomber planes, as well as get a glimpse into wartime life at a re-created Vietnam naval support base. Open daily from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. during the summer, and from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. in the winter. Admission is $14 for adults, $7 for kids ages six to 11 and free for children ages five and under. For more information, call 800-248-3508 or click here.
Roxanne Nelson is a freelance writer with a home port in Sausalito, California.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.
