Industrial stuff to do with my son

How about the Queen Mary in Long Beach. You can see the engine room (huge) and lots of other interesting stuff.

Last time I went there, they also had an old Russian submarine which you could tour inside. I didn't get to do that because I ran out of time.

Plan a vacation to Oshkosh, WI for the Eaa Fly-in one of these years. He would likely get a real thrill out of it.

For something closer:

In San Francisco there is an old Diesel submarine that can be toured. Son and I had a blast. MG

On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 13:20:01 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "MG" quickly quoth:

Dad and I toured the old USS Nautilus nuke sub in Sandy Eggo in the late sixties. That was a blast, to be sure.

I got to go to sea at Oceanside, CA in an old schooner, The Pilgrim, about a decade ago and they let us haul the main sheets up. I was also able to climb halfway up the rigging before they stopped me. There's a lot of movement up there when you're less than a mile offshore. I'll bet the crow's nest was REALLY movin'! Best $24 I've ever spent.

I wish I'd stopped at the Gamble House in Pasadena when I still lived in CA. It's the finest example of Greene & Green bungalow construction ever built.

Stop by the San Diego Wild Animal Park if you get a chance (OP), too. You'll never look at zoos the same again.

The antique steam museum in Vista (where I used to live) is great, so I second that. I've spent many a long day there.

- Metaphors Be With You -

Hi Iggy,

Have you been to the Museum of Science and Industry? I figure by now you must have been... I have visited it several times throughout my life. The best and most impressive time though was when I was in the 5th grade. The Field Museum is really good too.

Yes, I have been to both museums, yes. They are great. Toured the german submarine also.

actually, if you go to SF, take him to the exploratorium - a wonderful place

Hi Iggy,

I kinda thought you had, but if you hadn't for some reason...

I don't know how far you travel and such, but there is another cool sub/museum that can be seen just up the coast a ways in Manitowoc WI. The World War II fleet submarine USS COBIA (SS-245). It has been several years ago now that I was there, but I like museums and this one was nice. See:

Another neat place to visit is Baraboo WI and the Circus World Museum. See:

Some day you must see Greenfield Village in Michigan.

Wes

Ditto that. And the Ford Museum next door. Allot at least two days.

Pete Keillor

This is perhaps a 4 hour drive from me, sounds interesting but hard to get to. Same applies to the circus museum. I would love to visit both. But they are too far.

The place that we did go to, at least 3 times by now, is the railroad museum in Rockford, IL. Absolutely amazing, especially for people with interests around metal related stuff, etc. If you are within 1-2 hours drive, it is worthwhile to visit. They also have live steam engine runs once in a while.

How 'bout a week. We'll be doing a one day "rush" visit in August. We'll head from Kitchener Ontario to Ypsilanti on a Thursday, taking in the evening "cruise night" down at the Depot District, then head off to Dearborn for Friday. From Dearborn we'll head off for Flint and Frankenmuth. Told the women they are going to enjoy Thursday's cruise night and the Ford museum, and they won't hear us complain about Frankenmuth!!!! We were to Dearborn almost 20 years ago with the girls along (aged 5 and 6, or something like that) and they still remember it. This time it's just the "old fogeys".

I will never forget Junior son standing beside an unidentified boy about six years old staring up in utter amazement at the Allegheny locomotive. (Junior was in his early twenties) Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Not that I normally recommend that people plan a vacation to Detroit but, In Dearborn Michigan, (suburb of Detroit) there is a museum. It used to be called the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield village, Now they call it "the Henry Ford"

Old Hank collected old machinery like steam engines, aircraft, steam locomotives, Automobiles (Of course), and historic buildings.

In the museum there are many hands on things for kids. In the Village they have shops that represent various trades, Glass blowing, Pottery, Tin smithing, Printing, Blacksmithing and a MACHINE SHOP.

In the machine shop they have a 1916 Brown and sharp turret lathe. It is manned by 2 volunteers and they assist children in running the lathe to turn out a small brass birthday candle holder. The cost is $4 and the child needs to be 6 y.o. or older.

The operator directs the child to feed the profile cutters into the brass bar and index the turret through its 6 stations.

My nephew was getting bored while we waited for the 3 or 4 kids ahead of him. I figured he wouldn't want to try if he had to wait another minute. You should have seen his face as he watched the cutters form the candle holder as he turned the crank. When the operator handed him the finished product he was jazzed. He couldn't stop talking about it.

The village also has Steam trains that you can ride on a mile or so trip around the village, Model T rides, an antique Carousel. It has the homes and workshops of many famous Americans. A working farm, a Roundhouse, several restaurants and giftshops.

The museum has The seat from Fords Theater Lincoln was shot in, The limmo Kennedy was shot in, The limmo Reagan was shot in front of, Thomas Edisons Glasses, Shoes and a test tube allegedly containing his last breath. An Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, Ford's old #9 race car, The Ford Quadracycle, An Alegeney Locomotive, The Bus Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on, A Ford Trimotor used by Richard E.Byrd, The Dymaxion House, And they have an Imax theater.

Wait it gets better, Certain times of the year you can board a bus at the museum that takes you to the new plant at the old Rouge Complex for a tour of the assembly line.

Hey Clare,

Looks like you'll end up in Dearborn on a weekend. Unless you have a reason, I'd suggest you reverse the visit order so you see HF-GV on a weekday, and the cruise on Friday.

Frankenmuth I can see......nice place, even if it is boring! But Flint? FLINT???? What for??? Isn't this supposed to be a pleasant trip? Just stay on I-75.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

ps....August 2007 "Calendar" for both HF-GV campuses, but be sure to check at admissions, before you pay, which exhibits or areas might be closed on the day(s) you attend.

There is a big earthmoving project underway restoring a wetlands at Highway 5 at Del Mar. Also in East San Diego county there is a Railroad Museum at Jacumba, includes steam trains / rides available.

Can't - cruise is ONLY on Thursday.

I know, I spent a week in flint one friday evening - replacing the "U" joint on my Aerostar in the parking lot of a 2-bit auto parts store (friday of labour day weekend, 2001)