One of my (David's) favorite stops on our July, 2002 Southern California trip was to see the Queen Mary and a really cool Russian Submarine.  We walked through the Sub first, it was very interesting for all of us since it was the first time we had ever been on a submarine.  It was also interesting because of everything being written in Russian.  We took a guided group tour on the Queen Mary, which was very informative and we got to see a few things you wouldn't see on a self-guided tour. Did you know the Queen Mary is over 300' longer than the Titanic??  We didn't. At the bottom of the page I squeezed in a photo of the Hotel Del Coronado located in Coronado (next to San Diego).  It was a stop on a bus tour we took around San Diego, there are more pictures from that tour on another page which features San Diego's Old Town and one of the museums at Balboa Park.

A shot of the Russian Submarine taken from the Queen Mary (an impressive distance up in the air).  The submarine is very small compared to the Queen Mary.  Walking through it is done mostly singe-file, no strollers or wheelchairs possible.  Above is a view from the periscope.  We swung it around the full 360 degrees to look at everything there was to see.  Very nifty.

The very first thing we saw inside the sub was the torpedo tubes (on the left).  You realize right away that this vessel was not for touring, but for war.  Everything was very compact, tight and downright small (as you might expect on a submarine).  One of the main communication centers is shown on the right.  Lots of knobs, dials, buttons, gauges and conduit all throughout the sub.  We even passed by someone doing repairs inside while we were going through.

This was one of only two photos I took using my flash.  The dingy lighting was very dramatic as we walked through.  With the flash, everything suddenly became very bright and colorful.  I suppose things have to be painted like this so it can be seen well under the normal lighting in the sub.  This was one of a couple of 'batteries' of valves.

If you have never been to see the Queen Mary, just let me say that this is a MUST SEE, in my humble opinion.  And it isn't just for the adults.  This ship is a very big piece of History and a fantastic display of workmanship.  It is so big and there is so much incredible craftsmanship put into this ship, it was just a real pleasure to view.  In addition to touring the thing, it also is a Hotel.  You can stay there and tour at the same time!  If you look hard, you can see the Russian Sub in the foreground.  Also, take a look at the anchor which is recessed into the body of the ship near the front (bow).  The next photo just below shows the enormous chain that is attached to this giant anchor.  VERY COOL!!  Don't miss seeing this fine example of British construction.

You Won't Find This Chain In Any Aisle Of Your Local Home Depot Store!!

The Bridge was one of many very shiny and very nifty stops on the tour.  Lots of polished brass and too many different types of beautiful wood to count.  Mark, Ron and Kevin would appreciate all the wood-work on this ship, it was all very nice and just downright beautiful to look at.

Speaking of wood, the Promenade Deck was awesome.  This is a look back, toward the stern, showing about 700' of the 1000' long deck.  Very impressive.  They had a bunch of old-time pictures (poster sized) showing different celebrities on board the ship, when it was doing the 'Cruise Thing'.  One photo was of Liberace.  We were told that when he came on board he would only perform for the 3rd class passengers, not the 1st or 2nd class.  I was impressed at that; it gave me a little different perspective on the guy.

Another spectacular Wooden Structure we saw is the Hotel Del Coronado, in Coronado (next to San Diego), shown below.  This was originally built in the 1920's and is very big and very nice.  I don't remember the cost of the rooms, but I know it is very expensive.  This was one of our stops while on a bus tour around many parts of the San Diego area.  Vicki and I saw this during our Summer 2001 trip, but didn't have time to stop and look around.  You have to be a paying customer to get much of a look inside (perhaps someday, after we have spent a few days on Catalina 1st!!)  This is one of the better views of the exterior.  Behind me is a great expanse of beach accessible to Hotel Guest and visitors.