Last weekend, Nicolas had Saturday off so he took us on a little tour of Norfolk. We drove around the downtown and waterside districts, and had lunch at the Little Dog Cafe. It looked like a very popular place for breakfast, and lunch was pretty good, too.
After lunch, Nicolas took us to the NEX to look around. It’s a lot bigger than the one in Charleston! Nicolas picked up a few things he needed, and Tom got a “Navy Dad” T-shirt.
From the NEX, he drove us down to the piers.
(I couldn’t get this photo as we drove into the gate, so I had to borrow it from the internet)
Even with two carriers in the shipyard, a couple others underway, and numerous ships deployed, it’s still a busy place. Nicolas was able to drive us right down to pierside, where we got an up-close view of the two newest carriers, USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77, in the foreground), and USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78, in the background).
From behind, the Ford (on the right) appears to dwarf the Bush!
It’s definitely an impressive ship!
When the Ike was here, it was parked right on this side of the Ford. It should be out of the shipyard by the time we get here in the spring, and Nick will take us on a tour.
The Bush isn’t exactly a dinghy, either!
Driving along the pier, there were lots of other ships, too.
This is an Amphibious Landing Dock. Based on what I saw online, I think it may be the USS Arlington.
The USS Bainbridge is a Guided Missile Destroyer.
It took a little research online, but I’m pretty sure this one is a Fleet Replenishment Oiler, possibly the USNS Leroy Grumman.
Lastly, we spotted a submarine . . . not sure which type, though, or what one it is (there’s too many!)
It was very interesting to see, and we’re looking forward to taking a tour of Nick’s ship next spring!
Later in the evening, we did get a quick glimpse of Nick’s ship. He took us over the Jordan Bridge over the Elizabeth River, and we had a direct view of the Eisenhower. It was dark, though, and I couldn’t get a good picture.
I did get a blurry view of the front of the Shipyard, though!
We enjoyed getting this little view into Nicolas’ life, and are looking forward to seeing even more in the spring!
Is Nicks ship a new one being built?
ReplyDeleteHaving lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan for so long, we've followed the launching of the Ford with interest. That side photo you took of the ship is amazing, Marci! Wow!
ReplyDeleteThose ships are really amazing . . . and even from that distance you don't really get the full feeling for how big they are! As Michiganders ourselves, we feel a bit of that tie to the Ford, too. Maybe Nick will get to serve on it someday!
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