Tour USS IOWA Battleship

The USS Iowa when launched was designated the "World's Greatest Naval Ship" due to her large guns, accurate fire control systems, heavy armor, and fast speeds.  A visit to the USS Iowa which is now located permanently in the Port of Los Angeles is a must do because it offers a great historical learning experience from World War II all the way to the present day.  For more pictures of the USS Iowa make sure to check out our Facebook Page.

Directions to Trailhead: The address for the USS Iowa is Pacific Battleship Center USS Iowa BB-61, 250 South Harbor Blvd. San Pedro, CA 90731.  Directions From Coming from South:  5 freeway north to 405 north, Take exit 37 to merge onto I-110 S toward San Pedro., Take exit 1A to merge onto CA-47 N toward Vincent Thomas Bridge/Terminal Island/Long Beach, Take the South Harbor Blvd exit continue on S. Harbor Blvd., Proceed to the Battleship parking lot. Directions Coming from North:  Take the Los Angel 405 south to exit 37 to merge onto I-110 S toward San Pedro., Take exit 1A to merge onto CA-47 N toward Vincent Thomas Bridge/Terminal Island/Long Beach, Take the South Harbor Blvd exit continue on S. Harbor Blvd., Proceed to the Battleship parking lot. For a map of where the USS Iowa is located click Here. The USS Iowa is located at Berth 87 at the Port of Los Angeles

The USS Iowa is open every day, except Thanksgiving and Christmas and is open from 1000 to 1700 (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM) with the last ticket sold at 1600 hours (4:00 PM). There is a charge for parking, when we went it was $1.00 per hour. Tickets to board the USS Iowa for adults presently cost $18 per person and can be purchased Here. Also you might want to check out website like Groupon or other internet deal websites because you can likely find coupons and other discounts. We used a Groupon which was buy one get one free.

Description of Trail: The tour of the USS Iowa traverses much of the entire ship, travels up and down stairs and provides a great overview of the entire battleship. Obviously, this hike is a little different than the others on our hiking blog. For a full description of the precise tour click Here. Make sure to also check out there calendar of events by clicking Here. It is recommended that when you visit the USS Iowa that you wear appropriate shoes, ie no high heels or un-sturdy shoes, it is important to keep in mind the ship was built for war and not to be a museum. The stairs can be tricky if you are not wearing proper shoes. Additionally the Battleship is not currently ADA Accessible. They are attempting to change that, but it will take a while. Lastly you shouldn't bring strollers or walkers aboard the ship.

Further Thoughts: Ashley and I really enjoyed our visit to the USS Iowa. It was amazing to see a ship with such a storied history and a long line of distinguished service.  There were volunteers on the ship that were very helpful and provided informative talks with visitors. We also met a a couple of World War II veterans that were volunteers informing visitors about the ship as well. We enjoyed seeing the ships main 16 inch guns which were impressive to see. The main guns on the USS Iowa each fire a 2,700 lb (1,200 kg) armor-piercing shell some 20 nmi (23 mi; 37 km). They also have a neat gift shop on the USS Iowa which is definitely worth a visit as well. Ashley and I made sure to post this post on December 7 of this year in memory to those lost at Pearl Harbor in 1941.  This post is done on the 72 anniversary of that tragic day and is dedicated to those lost that day.

USS Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 29th state. Owing to the cancellation of the Montana-class battleships, Iowa is the last lead ship of any class of United States battleships and was the only ship of her class to have served in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II.

During her more than 50 years in service, Iowa has welcomed and
escorted our nation’s Commander in Chief on many occasions. No other battleship in our nation’s history has been host to more U.S. Presidents than the USS Iowa. The ship has hosted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan, and President George H.W. Bush.

For more statistics on the USS Iowa click Here. To learn more about the non-profit that helps aide in the preservation of the USS Iowa, click Here.

Rating: Elevation Gain: minimal. (Easy), Distance: < 1 Mile Roundtrip (Easy).

Time to Complete Hike: 1 hours.


View USS Iowa in a larger map

OC Parks December 2013 Calendar of Events

Here are some highlights from the OC Parks December Calendar of events, if you are looking for hiking ideas or other outdoor events in the month of December, make sure to check our some of these great events!

OC Parks December 2013 calendar of events

December 1 – 1^st Sunday Restoration Program at Talbert Nature Preserve 

9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Come join us for some R&R at Talbert Regional Park in Costa Mesa as we kick off the first community based Talbert Restoration & Revitalization Project. Learn about the native plants and wildlife of our Coastal zone. We will meet the 1st Sunday of each month 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the corner of 19th St. and Balboa Blvd. in Costa Mesa. Each volunteer will receive a coupon for a free barbecue corn at the Lion's Club annual Fish Fry carnival event! Contact (714) 376-7414 for more information.

Location: Talbert Nature Preserve. 1298 Victoria Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

Website: www.ocparks.com/talbert/

Cost: Free Parking: Free

December 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Nature Hike

9 – 10 a.m.

Join our Park Rangers Sunday mornings for an easy 1-mile hike on the Nature Trail. The trail takes visitors through grassland, oak woodland, riparian and sandy cactus scrub communities. Meet at Old Corral Day Use area. Rain will cancel hike. 

Location: Caspers Wilderness Park.  33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Website: www.ocparks.com/caspers/

Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle

Contact: (949) 923-2210

Special Instructions: Wear comfortable clothing, hiking shoes. Sunscreen, water and insect repellent are recommended. For additional information, please call the park at (949) 923-2210.

December 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29 – Redwood Grove Hike

9:30 – 11 a.m.

Join OC Parks' trained staff on an easy 1.1-mile hike to the park's Coastal Redwood grove. You will use your 5 senses to engage with nature as you stroll to the Redwoods. You will also have an opportunity to learn about our native plants along the way. The hike begins each Saturday and Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. from the park's Nature Center. Don't forget to visit our Nature Center when you are there, too!

Location: Carbon Canyon Regional Park. 4442 Carbon Canyon Road, Brea, CA 92823

Website: http://www.ocparks.com/carboncanyon/

Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle

Contact: (714) 973-3160

Special Instructions: All ages. Participants should remember water, sunscreen, hat and hiking shoes. Meet at Nature Center located at east end of the park. Reservations preferred, please call (714) 973-3160 or email carboncanyon@ocparks.com.

December 1 – Nature Center Open 

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The Nature Center is open the 1st Sunday of each month. Join a Park Ranger for a tour of the nature center and learn about local history, flora and fauna.

Location: Santiago Oaks Regional Park. 2145 N. Windes Drive, Orange, CA 92869

Website: http://ocparks.com/santiagooaks/

Cost: Free Parking: $5 per vehicle

Contact: (714) 973-6620

Special Instructions: All ages.

December 1, 6-8, 13-23 – Irvine Park Railroad’s 18^th Annual Christmas Train

Times vary.

It’s the season, once again for Irvine Park Railroad’s annual Christmas Train. Come with family and friends and take this enchanting night ride through historic Irvine Regional Park to meet Santa Claus. The train will depart from the brightly-lit train station and drop you off at Santa’s Village. While waiting to meet Santa, you may purchase coffee, hot chocolate, freshly-popped popcorn and cookies from our Elf House Snack Bar to warm you up. A full kitchen menu is also available at the Train Station. Visitors may take their own pictures with Santa or you may purchase a picture taken by Irvine Park Railroad. Each 5” x 7” photo will be presented with an Irvine Park Railroad border and available for pickup shortly after being taken. After visiting with Santa, hop back aboard the train and enjoy the colorful Christmas lights and decorations, as well as the magical “Tunnel of Lights”, on the ride back to the station house. When visiting the Christmas Train, remember to dress warmly, bring your camera and arrive early to avoid crowds.

Location: Irvine Regional Park. 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869

Website: www.ocparks.com/irvinepark/

Cost: $10 per person (children younger than 24 months ride for free). Parking: $3 per vehicle weekdays, $5 per vehicle weekend, free after 5 p.m.

Contact: (714) 973-6847

Special Instructions: Tickets must be purchased online at http://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/. For more information, call Irvine Park Railroad at (714) 997-3968.

December 4 – Caspers Park Bird Walk

8 – 11 a.m.

Join Naturalist Diane Etchison on a bird walk at Caspers Wilderness Park. All levels of birders are welcome. As a wildlife sanctuary, the park is home to an abundant number of native species of birds and mamals. Come prepared for a morning of exploring as we watch the birds of Caspers Wilderness Park

Location: Caspers Wilderness Park.  33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Website: www.ocparks.com/caspers/

Cost: Free Parking: $3 per vehicle

Contact: (949) 923-2210

Special Instructions:  Ages 12 years and up. Rain cancels the event. Wear comfortable clothes and hiking shoes. Bring binoculars, sun protection and water. Meet at Old Corral Day Use area. For more information, call the park office at (949) 923-2210.  

December 5, 12, 19, 26 – Tideland Tykes

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Join our preserve staff for a fun-filled parent and child experience that may include arts and crafts, story telling, hands-on activities or outdoor nature walks. Come prepared for an exciting outdoor experience!

Location: Upper Newport Bay. 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

Website: http://www.ocparks.com/uppernewportbay/  

Cost: $5 per student Parking: Free

Contact: (949) 923-2290

Special Instructions: Ages 2 to 8 years recommended. Space is limited and registration is required. Please call (949) 923-2275, or email unbic@ocparks.com to register.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ashley and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends. Remember, the day after Thanksgiving is a great day to get out and do some hiking while everyone else is shopping at stores on black Friday. We are hoping to get out and do some hiking this holiday weekend as well! Here are two pictures of wild turkeys we saw while hiking in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park after our hike to Cuyamaca Peak. 

Hotels Cheap Interview on the Best Hikes with Brian and Ashley

Recently, Ashley and I had the opportunity to do a written interview with the folks over at Hotels Cheap which is a discount hotel provider that specializes in finding cheap hotel rates for travelers worldwide.  Here is an excerpt of some of our interview, click Here to read the full interview!

When hunting for adventure, sometimes you only have to look as far as the nearest trail. Not only does hiking offer you the opportunity to explore nature, spot wildlife, and enjoy gorgeous scenery, it’s also inexpensive and healthy. And you can make it as easy or difficult as you want just by picking a longer route or more strenuous trail. 

“Hiking is great exercise and it will give you the opportunity to relax from the stresses of everyday life,” Brian, of Brian and Ashley’s Hiking Blog told us recently. “It also gives you a new respect for the awesome power and beauty found in nature.” 

Brian and Ashley are hiking fanatics who blog about trails in Orange County, California and beyond. Here, they share their thoughts on everything from how hiking has strengthened their relationship to the essentials every day-tripper should make sure to pack. 

Tell us your story…how did you come to start your blog? 

Brian and Ashley’s Hiking Blog was originally Ashley’s idea. Early on in our dating years we went on our first hike together to the top of Mt. San Jacinto in July of 2007. From there we continued to regularly go hiking and sometime thereafter Ashley had the idea to start a hiking blog to share our experiences and adventures with family and friends! Ashley gets full credit for starting the hiking blog and it has gone through several revisions since then. 

When did you start hiking? Why do you enjoy it? 

We went on our first hike together in 2007. I had been on numerous hikes before, but the hike to Mr. San Jacinto was Ashley’s first hike. It was the hike that truly cemented our relationship. We enjoy hiking for a lot of different reasons. Each hike offers its own unique experience, beautiful scenery, the chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, and the chance to see wildlife. Hiking provides great exercise. Additionally, hiking is extremely rewarding: It is a great feeling when you set a goal of reaching a summit or other spot and then you succeed on reaching your goal. 

How has hiking helped your relationship? 

Hiking is a great relationship builder. The time we have spent hiking has definitely helped strengthen our relationship. Hiking gives you a chance to have unique experiences not shared by anyone else. It helps build trust in your relationship because you have to rely on each other when out hiking in the wilderness and when you confront challenging situations. 

One of the biggest ways hiking helped our relationship is in dealing with the disappointments and/or struggles of a difficult hike. There are inevitably going to be hikes that are harder than you anticipate and sometimes you can motivate each other to reach your goal. However, there are times when the weather or another factor prevents you for making your goal and learning to deal with these disappoints has translated into being able to deal with challenges in other areas of life. 

Alternately, you get the chance to share the joys of reaching very high summits and/or achieving other goals together as a couple. Additionally, you get to experience the beauty of a summer thunderstorm or stunning scenery, all the way to the surprise of seeing a bobcat, bear, deer, or other wild animal in their natural setting. Ultimately, hiking has helped us to communicate better, built our trust, and most of all increased our respect for one another. When you are out in the deep in the wilderness it is only the two of you against the elements. 

What are some of your favorite trails in Southern California? 

Here are our top five hiking trails in Southern California:

1. Devils Punchbowl

1. Cucamonga Peak

1. Mt. San Gorgonio via the South Fork Trail

1. Sitton Peak

1. Stonewall Peak

What have been some of the most interesting/exciting things you’ve seen while on the trail? 

There have been several times where we have had to quickly hike off an exposed peak or mountain due to rapidly approaching or quickly developing summer thunderstorms, which can be quite scary until you reach a point of safety. However, once you reach that point of safety where you are off an exposed peak you get to see the spectacle of an intense summer thunderstorm. 

Generally, the most exciting things are always your chance encounters with different types of wildlife. The truth is you never know when you are going to see an animal and each in counter is always different. We have had the chance to see bears, bobcats, deer, elk, bison, snakes, and numerous other animals in their natural settings. 

If we had to pick one experience it would have to be our most recent trip to Yellowstone National Park. We had a chance to go hiking and while out on our hike we had the amazing opportunity to see a pack of four wolves hunt/stalk a heard of elk. The wolves were unsuccessful in their attempts, but we had a great spot to watch. It was a situation that would have probably have scared most, however as seasoned hikers, we knew the wolves really posed no realistic threat. 

What are some of the biggest mistakes unseasoned hikers make? 

The biggest mistake unseasoned hikers make is not being properly prepared. It is always important to know the conditions of the trail, tell someone where you are going, when you anticipate returning, to have the right clothing, proper shoes, and enough water and food anytime you are going into the wilderness. Many injuries or problems can happen on short hikes that are not that far from home/civilization. It is always important to be prepared.

For the rest of the interview Click Here!

Post Thanksgiving Hike at Irvine Regional Park

BURN OFF THE THANKSGIVING CALORIES AT IRVINE REGIONAL PARK ON Orange FRIDAY

(Orange, Calif.) – OC Parks and Irvine Regional Park invite you to burn off the Thanksgiving calories in the great outdoors at Orange Friday on Friday, November 29 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Orange Friday welcomes a family-friendly event with something for everyone to enjoy. A Santa Cruise will be available for mountain bikers, a Rudolph Ride for the equestrians and a Snowman Stroll for the hikers with a ranger-led interpretive hike at 3 p.m.

Holiday-spirited costumes are encouraged at Orange Friday and prizes will be awarded to the best dressed and most appropriate for each category (like Santa hats for the Santa Cruise or antlers for the Rudolph Ride). After the event, stay at Irvine Regional Park to enjoy the opening night of the Christmas Train at Irvine Park Railroad, http://irvineparkrailroad.com.

After the overeating and hectic shopping, come to Irvine Regional Park and get in the holiday spirit at Orange Friday. Posting about the event? Make sure to include #OrangeFriday in your Tweets, on Instagram and anywhere you share on social media! We will pick our favorite post for a special prize!

  

November 29 – Orange Friday

2 – 5 p.m.

Cost: Free

Parking: $3 per vehicle
Location: Irvine Regional Park

Address: 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869

Contact: (714) 973-6835

Mile Square Park Archery Range Grand Re-Opening

This looks like a neat free event for those of you looking to get outdoors this weekend. Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen and OC Parks are hosting the much-anticipated grand reopening of the Archery Range at Mile Square Regional Park. Come see the beautiful new redesign of this exceptional facility at the official reopening of the archery range. The event will include Hyang Soon Seo, a female South Korean archer and Olympic champion. She competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won an individual gold medal, at only 17 years old. She currently resides in Irvine where she operates an archery center. Join us at 9:00 a.m. for refreshments and bring your equipment for open shooting on the range all day after the event! All ages welcome.Program activities include:

•      High-level archers exhibiting skills.
•      Children’s shooting demonstration with assistance from
        OC Parks Rangers.
•      Open shooting on range after program.

Archery Range Grand Reopening
Saturday, November 23, 2013
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Event Starts at 10:00 a.m.
Mile Square Regional Park
16801 Euclid Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
For more information:
(714) 973-6600 or email
milesquare@ocparks.com