USS MASS/ BATTLESHIP COVE

[lizzygo]

Has anyone camped on the USS Mass. at Battleship Cove.

Any tips would appreciated.

Tiger den is going for the first time.(This message has been edited by lizzygo)

[SemperParatus]

I have...4 years ago.

 

A few tips...

 

If you are going in the summer - it will get very warm and stuffy below deck in the sleeping quarters. Whatever A/C they turn on when people start arriving, does not kick-in until you are just about to leave. Dress accordingly. The hanging cots make constant noice as people toss and turn. If you have any light sleepers, I would recommend sleeping with earplugs, if you want to get sleep. Check-in seemed to be very slow and once you were assigned an area, it was pretty much a free-for-all with other groups. Be prepared to stake out your area quickly, if there is a crowd. I seem to remember the food being pretty bad, and the programming to be virtually nonexistent. The ships in the cove are all available for boarding and will no doubt be of great interest to the boys. They will have a great time.

[DanKroh]

Yep, done it twice, the second time as a Tiger Den Leader.

 

It's a great time.

 

Advice:

 

Get there a little early on Friday (edit: or Saturday, or whatever day you are planning to get there) if you can; parking gets *interesting* later on.

 

Take a tour of the sub as well as the battleship.

 

Down the street is a museum that you get free admission to with the Battleship admission. They have a slide show and talk about the history of the Battleship. Definitely worth the walk.

 

Let the kids bring something along to entertain themselves (within reason). Much of the experience is "self-led", and not all cubs, especially Tigers, are really going to have their interest held for an entire day by touring the battleship.

 

Meal times: Line up early. The line gets quite long, and is another good time for the boys to have something entertaining to do while waiting in line. I found the food pretty edible, but if you have a picky eater, you might want to bring an alternative along.

 

Let the kids take the upper bunks. They have a much easier time scrambling in and out of them. Make sure you bring a pillow, and a foam pad to put on top of the canvas bunk will do wonders for your back in the morning. Otherwise, pack as light as you can, since there isn't really anyplace to store bags other than the floor.(This message has been edited by DanKroh)

[lizzygo]

Thanks

[tmonahan]

Don't forget ear plugs for sleeping!

[GopherJudy]

My son & I went in October 2004 when he was a Web II; the Web I's went also. It was a little warm for me but we had a great time. I & another mom were the only females who went from our group so we had regular bunks & our own bathroom! We slept on the Destroyer, not the Battleship. My son slept with the guys on the other end of the ship & he said he didn't sleep well because of the snoring!

 

I found the food pretty good & so did my son & there are long lines if you don't get there early enough!

 

Make sure you see everything including the museum which is about a 5 minute walk. Also, don't forget your camera! Wear comfortable shoes or sneakers as you'll be doing a lot of walking. Also, going up & down a lot of stairs! Watch out that you don't bump your head! I managed to hit mine twice & steel is hard! LOL!! Have a great time!