Traveler, not tourist

I'm not exactly sure why, but I've always despised the word "tourist," and I've never wanted it to be applied to me. The word just conjures up images of pasty people in Bermuda shorts with obnoxious cameras asking ignorant questions. I know it's not an entirely accurate image, but regardless, I'd much rather be considered a traveler. To me, a traveler is someone who goes to a new place and tries to experience the culture, to understand the people who live there, to blend in and really connect with a place. A tourist just treats the world as their personal playground.

All labels aside, I've gotten to do some touristy things in San Diego the last couple days. The majority of the equipment for the cruise was delayed and won't be delivered until Monday, so we have some extra time on our hands. I've never been to San Diego before, so it is nice to experience a little bit of the area around me before we head out to sea.

Fighter jets on the flight deck of the USS Midway

On Friday, we visited the USS Midway Museum. The Midway is an aircraft carrier that was in use from 1945 to 1992 - the longest lifespan of any aircraft carrier in the U.S. Nowadays, the ship sits in San Diego harbor and is open to the public. Fighter planes, helicopters, and jets fill both the ship's hangar and the flight deck above, showing the development of air-borne warfare in the 20th century. I know very little about planes, guns, or military equipment myself, so it was interesting to see the different designs. What astounded me the most is to see the incredibly short space that fighter pilots had to work with - the ship was only 971 ft long, and not even the entire runway was used for take-off and landing. In fact, planes were launched on only about the front third of the ship. A specialized catapult system was built into the deck so that the planes were dragged along and given sufficient momentum to go airborne. They had to gain enough speed to produce lift in only about 300 ft of runway. Simply incredible.

Besides just the flight deck, we got to see the lower decks of the ship, where the living quarters and working spaces were located. It was interesting to see the inner workings of a military vessel, since I've only ever been on scientific ones. There was truly no space wasted on the Midway - even tiny corners with curved walls were utilized as work areas. I was astounded to see the range in accommodation for officers and enlisted men. You had everything from a cattle corral-style mess hall for the grunts to the captain's personal chef. We also got to see the "warroom," where all important decisions on the ship were made. It was a large conference room with a long table in the center and maps on the walls - an incredible part of history.

Chaparral landscape outside of San Diego

Earlier today, we took a drive out of town in order to experience some of the surrounding landscape. Andrew said he wanted to "drive into the desert," but we actually hiked in a more chaparral habitat. Chaparral refers to a community of dry shrub plants found primarily in California and Baja California, Mexico. Chaparral communities are adapted to recover from wildfires, which occur on a regular basis and shape the environment. We actually saw a number of trees along the hiking trail that had charred black bark and new shoots growing over dead branches - evidence of a fire long past. It was great to get some exercise and experience the nature surrounding the city. Here's to experiencing the world as a traveler, not a tourist!