Submarine Museum

On the Thursday before Easter, I had a meeting in Groton, CT.  Since that is pretty close to Swansea, where we were spending Easter, the whole family came along on the business trip.  We drove down on Thursday morning and I went to my meeting, then went to the hotel.  We spent the afternoon swimming in the pool, then had dinner and went to bed.

On Friday morning we woke up and ate breakfast, then went to the Submarine Museum.  Despite working on subs for 10 years, I had never been to the Submarine Museum, so I think I was more excited than the kids!  We have been trying to explain what a submarine is to the kids, so we thought that the museum would help that too.  Plus, I wanted to show off my subs to the kids!!  :)

Tim, Cameron and Leah in front of propellers

Tiny kiddos in front of the big sail

Cam really liked this gun

Leah just wanted her turn sitting on the seat

Subs in front of the museum

Tim and Cameron looking inside the Swimmer Delivery Vehicle.  This was an awesome lesson in how rudders, planes and propellers work.  You could move the surfaces on the outside of the vehicle and watch inside and see how the hand controls worked.  Cameron was fascinated.

The USS X-1, the first "midget" sub

My baby girl in front of the USS Nautilus

Inside the Nautilus weapons room

The doorways were so high, Cameron needed help getting over them.  He thought they were pretty cool.

Leah in the doorway

Ship Control on the Nautilus - other than absence of Flat Panel monitors and the addition of the creepy dolls, doesn't look too much different than what sailors drive today.

Hmmm, is this doorway a bit high for my peanut?

Mama will help Leah get through

The whole family standing on the Nautilus

Cameron checking out a weird periscope thing

Leah really liked these torpedoes.

Cameron looking through the periscope.  They actually worked and you could look down and across the river.  It was really cool.

Cameron and Leah take the controls of the sub.  Those are my kiddos, following in Mama's footsteps!  :)

The museum was really great.  The kids loved it because there was a lot of hands on stuff and movies to watch.  I liked being able to explain submarines to them and I loved looking at everything in the museum.  It was a really cool place to stop for the morning.  If you are ever in Groton, go to the Submarine Museum!!