Interests

Ships:

Here are some links to some great ships and museums, some of which I have actually visited!

Been there, done that:

• One of the most famous ships of all time is the HMS Victory. It was my great pleasure to actually visit this historic and beautiful ship in 1999 at Portsmouth, England. Along with the HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose, "Flagship Portsmouth" is well worth a visit!

• Docked in the Thames River is HMS Belfast, Europe's only surviving big-gun armoured warship. I never actually went aboard (regrettably), but I went out on the dock and visited the gift shop!

• The USS Wisconsin  (BB-64 "The Last Battleship") is berthed at Nauticus, The National Maritime Center located on the downtown waterfront in Norfolk, Virginia.

• The HMCS Sackville is "The Last Corvette", the last one of the little ships that won the Battle of the Atlantic in WWII.

• USS ALBACORE (AGSS-569) is in a permanent dry berth in Portsmouth New Hampshire.

• HMCS FRASER (DDE-233, later DDH-233)

• USS Cassin Young (DD-793) A Fletcher class destroyer at Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts (berthed across from the USS Constitution)

• Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, Ontario. Features the former icebreaker the "Alexander Henry". (It's a B & B as well!)

• USS Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Massachusetts. I have been here twice, once to tour "Old Ironsides" the other to tour the USS Cassin Young (see above).

• USS Arizona Memorial: In December 2006, I experienced the trip of a lifetime to the Hawaiian Islands. At the top of my 'must see' list was the USS Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor.

• USS Missouri (BB 63): While at Pearl Harbor, I took the opportunity to thoroughly tour the Missouri.

• USS Bowfin: Also at Pearl Harbor. A great opportunity to tour a Balao-class Sub.

• USS New Jersey (BB62): this makes three of the four Iowa class ships I have toured!

• USS Olympia: The Olympia (C-6) is the oldest steel warship afloat in the world.

• USS Becuna (SS319): a Balao class sub from WWII, moored next the Olympia.

• US Brig Niagra: a faithful working replica of Commodore Perry's ship from 1812.

Next to visit:

• HMCS Haida: A Tribal class WWII destroyer

• Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park Lots to see here, too!

Naval Links:

• Royal Canadian Navy

• "ReadyAyeReady.com" This web site's mission to promote the history, heritage and potential of the Canadian Navy by publishing photos, information and articles that tell the entire story of the RCN since 1910.

• Royal Navy

• US Navy

Other Interests:

Reading

I love books. Here are some of my favourite places to get them:

• ten pound island book company: old, rare and out of print books, manuscripts and charts pertaining to the sea

• abebooks.com: new & used books from over 13,000 sellers

• Willis Monie Books: used book seller in Cooperstown, NY. I have spent hours here searching their stacks (and loving every minute of it)!

• Chapters/Indigo.ca: Chapters' Canadian Site.

Canadian Football (CFL):
Toronto Argonauts: The best in the East!
The 2008 CFL Schedule is here.

National Football League (NFL)
Philadelphia Eagles
The 2008 NFL Schedule is here.

Dachshunds:

Canadian Dachshund Rescue

American Kennel Club: Dachshund

Ginger at home

May 21, 2008