We boarded the warship anchored at the port, people flooding into the ship…
      A month before, my parents surprised my brother and I with a trip to uncle’s house for a week in December at San Antonio, Texas, I was really excited to go, until I discovered I had to suffer 14 hours in a car, not including rest stops! We arrived at my uncle’s house around eight or nine o’clock at night. I unpacked my bags, put them in the spare room I was staying in at my uncle’s house, and then I fell right asleep.

        The next morning I woke up earlier than normal and my mother informed me that we were going to tour the USS Lexington. The USS Lexington is a retired war ship at Corpus Christi, a beach on the Gulf of Mexico. My younger brother, Jack, was more excited than I was; mainly because he loves to learn about history. It was going to take about an hour and a half to get there from my uncle’s house, so I decided to take a nap for the lost sleep I had lost from waking up so early.

         I awoke to the Gulf of Mexico on my left. I asked my mom if we were going to go down to the beach, not just the warship, and she said yes. I could barely sit still after that. We all got out of the truck and stopped for an early lunch. I got a s’more treat before my actual dinner! It was chocolate cake, a graham cracker, melted marshmallow, and chocolate syrup. By the time I was done, I felt twenty pounds heavier, and I still had lunch to eat! I ordered grilled steak and the wonderful smell filled my nostrils. I also ordered pink lemonade that was really sweet. We all finished eating and we went down to Corpus Christi. My brother and I didn’t have our swim suits, but we splashed around in the water anyways. The waves were calm and it was a beautiful sight. The hot sand felt nice between my toes, and I played in the wet sand, not creating anything in particular. We spent about an hour at Corpus Christi, but then my mom told us that we had to go to the USS Lexington. My younger brother, Jack, was thrilled about this opportunity. I was also delighted to go, but was a bit hesitant. I didn’t appreciate huge war boats like my brother did, but it would be a vast learning experience.

         I led the group down the cement walk surrounded by ocean. It wasn’t that narrow, estimating fifteen feet across. If you were to jump off the walk, about three feet down you would end up on sharp rocks, not water. While strolling down the walk, I saw a small, white, narrow jellyfish in the water. It wasn’t big and didn’t look like it could do much damage. Nevertheless, I stayed away from the jellyfish and kept walking. Ahead, I saw the USS Lexington. It was a colossal ship! This was a full on ship you would take into war. There was a bridge going from the stone walk to the ship.

      As we all hiked up the bridge to the entrance to the ship, my feet getting heavier with every step; I was sure it looked shorter when we started. Assuredly I finished the last few steps up to the USS Lexington. I anticipated what the ship was going to look like on the inside. We boarded the warship anchored at the port, people flooding into the ship. It was huge inside! There was even a jail cell! My brother and I took pictures inside of them just for the fun of it (I actually have the pictures). Two very old Cessna Planes that didn’t work sat near the entrance of the warship. We grabbed a map of the ship and began our tour. Below deck, there were dummies showing what it would be like if someone was actually down there during war. There were bunks, a shaving station, the bathroom, and a closet. After going below three more levels, I am four levels down now, I started to get a little claustrophobic, the fear of being trapped. Right now it’s the fear of being stuck underwater in a small space. I told my mom and we left the guys to their tour and went on the roof of the USS Lexington. It was a beautiful view. On the roof, there were planes with huge war guns! On the front of the USS Lexington, there was a mast going out you could I walk on. It was very far up above the ocean. If you went under the railing you would fall with such impact you’d probably black out, but this is just an assumption. My mom and I met up with the others, and we thought we should go home. It had been a long day, and we were all tired. We loaded into the truck again, going back to San Antonio.

       It was an amazing experience to have been on the USS Lexington. I can only imagine what it would’ve been like if I had been on the warship when the war was actually happening. That would’ve been crazy! So, if you’re looking for a good vacation spot, definitely try going to Corpus Christi to see the USS Lexington. Of course, visit other places at the Gulf of Mexico. I’m sure there’s a lot you can see and do, so have fun and enjoy yourself!