Battleship Texas and San Jacinto Monument

Today we woke up early (7am) and, after snarfing down some yummy cinnamon rolls, we took a family excursion to the Port of Houston to the San Jacinto Monument park and Battleship Texas floating museum site. 

Wow!  What a fun day!  We had a blast roaming all over the ship.  We knew it would be a good time when the Battleship Museum guides told us it was no problem to touch most things and to climb all over the guns!  After about 2 hours touring the ship, we went ashore for a picnic lunch and then went up the San Jacinto Monument which commemorates the battle of San Jacinto and Texas Independence.  Enjoy the pics!

The grow the skeeters especially big in this part of Houston!!!

 Lots of tug activity on the shipping channel...

 Manning the guns!  The museum volunteer to the right of Zachary served on the U.S.S. Essex, the same class of vessel as the U.S.S. Bunker Hill which was Great Grandpa Paul's aircraft carrier in WWII. 

 Can you spot the San Jacinto Monument in this picture?

 Artillery is HEAVY!!!!

 Heading down 5 decks to the engine room!!  Wow- lots of stairs!

 Up many ladders to navigation.  Zach said we would have gotten lost if we did not have a map.  Ha!

THE BIG GUNS!!!!

 Loading Ash-tillery????

Zach wanted to take a picture using our camera, so yay- we now have a picture of Derek and I together.  Thanks Zach!!!

 The Monument... a view from the bottom...

And from the top...

I have been touched by the many sacrifices that so many people have made through many world conflicts which have allowed our country to be what it is today.  It is truly worth taking a few moments to remember those individuals and their interesting and important contributions to history.