A Different Kind of "Whisky"

Now that I have you thinking I'm going to be talking about competitors to Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey, I want to tell you about a kind of "whisky" the whole family can enjoy. The "Whisky" is actually the nickname of one of America's most famous warships, and it's only about a three-hour drive from Annandale: the U.S.S Wisconsin.

One of the four Iowa-class battleships built during World War II, the Wisconsin saw action in that war, Korea, Vietnam and the 1991 Persian Gulf War, earning six battle stars along the way. After an extended period as part of the U.S. Navy's Reserve Fleet, the Wisconsin was subsequently transfered to the control of the city of Norfolk in December 2009. She is berthed next to the Nauticus museum on the Norfolk waterfront. 

I did the self-guided tour ($13.95 for adults, slightly less for children) but there are slightly more expensive guided tours that take you to parts of the ship that you won't see on the self-guided tour. The next-door Nauticus museum also has a huge number of artifacts from the battleship, as well as a "petting tank" with small live sharks in it (I'm not kidding). If you're still looking for that final fun thing to do before the summer ends, I highly recommend visiting the "Whisky".