For those who served...

I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing day. I planned to visit a medical museum in Sacramento first thing this morning. But, it being Veteran's Day, that museum was closed. Not wanting to waste precious time doing nothing until the other places on my list opened, I looked for an alternative. I did a Google search and found the Aerospace Museum of California was open at 9:00 am...perfect! Also, I was thrilled to see that they had a special Star Trek exhibit there, and...it was a fitting place to visit on Veteran's Day. When I got to the air museum, I made a beeline for Star Trek - The Exhibition. This special exhibit is supposedly the best display of Star Trek props and information ever offered to the public. I've been a big Star Trek fan from the classic series to the movies, so this really appealed to me. And, I wasn't disappointed...it rocked!

Afterward, I went outside to look at the display of military aircraft. It turned out the first plane I saw is one of my personal favorites...the A-10 Warthog or Thunderbolt II. As I approached the plane, the docent there asked me if I was connected to the A-10 in some way. I said "No, unless you want to count computer games!" I love to fly old World War II fighter aircraft in a computer setting. As for modern planes, the only one is the A-10...I have three games devoted to it! I got to talking to the veteran pilot about the plane. The A-10 is well-known for it's durability and toughness in battle. There have been many stories of pilots getting shot up but still returning home...because they were flying A-10s. He even described a fellow female pilot who experienced that herself while on a mission in the Middle East. Another attribute of the Warthog...it's slow for a jet fighter. For that reason, it might draw more ground fire, but it makes it perfect as a tank killer. The pilot said when he used to fly Red Flag war games, he and the other A-10s would leave for the rendezvous point, while the pilots in the faster jets like F-16s would hang around the base eating cheeseburgers...they had time to catch up to the slower A-10s!

Before I left to check out the other planes, I shook the pilot's hand and thanked him for his service. He seemed surprised, and noted that not many people said that to him. He was very appreciative and thanked me! I walked around and took photos of the military aircraft on the tarmac, then returned to the main building to see the displays inside. Sitting outside the doorway were three more docents...all military veterans. Before going inside, I shook all of their hands and thanked them for their service. One of the men then asked if he should thank me, too. At first, I was a bit confused...until I realized he meant the Five For Fighting hoodie I was wearing! Being of a different generation...or, maybe not a hockey fan...he had no idea what it meant! I explained that Five For Fighting was a musician...who also happened to be a big supporter of the troops. They liked that!

After a quick lunch, I drove to downtown Sacramento to see Sutter's Fort State Historic Park. This historic site is devoted to the story of John Sutter and his failed attempt...because of the gold rush...to build his own farming and trade community. To add to the realism, visitors see volunteers dressed in period clothing re-enacting life at Sutter's Fort. In addition to the fort, the park also includes the State Indian Museum. There, I enjoyed displays of the different aspects of California native American life.

Tomorrow, I've scheduled another easy day. I only drove about 2 1/2 hours today and it will be the same tomorrow. Slow road home is SO much less tiring! Only three more days of road tripping...