January 10 – 11, 2026
We kicked off the new year with a trip up to Philadelphia and Camden to spend the night on the USS New Jersey. We had a few hours to spare before we could board, and since it was a rainy day, we headed to the Franklin Institute. We explored the various science exhibits, though after a while, some of the scouts got a bit bored and decided to play a game of tag and hide-and-seek throughout the museum.
After leaving the institute, we made a quick stop to check out the Liberty Bell before the parents drove us over the bridge to the ship. A big thank you to all the parents who drove and spent the weekend with us!
By the time we arrived at the battleship, it was dark and still raining. We entered through the hatch and descended into the mess hall, which looked really cool. We went down one more floor into a maze of hallways filled with three-high bunks everywhere. Once we found our room and stowed our gear, we headed up for a tour of the place.
There were ladders everywhere! Our guide was great and took us from the front to the back of the vessel. We got to see the inside of the massive gun turrets and the command centers. We even got into one room where you could sit at the computers and pretend to be authorized for a nuclear launch.
Dinner in the galley was a hit, chicken tenders and mac and cheese. Afterward, we had free time. We played cards and poker in the mess hall or just hung out doing whatever we wanted. Some people went to watch a movie, and it was pretty rambunctious until we finally turned in at midnight. One of the highlights was that three lucky scouts were selected to fire the ship’s gun, which was definitely a loud way to start the trip.
Sunday morning came early at 7:00 AM. Following a quick breakfast, we completed our tour with a visit to the bow, enjoying one last look at the Philadelphia skyline from the deck before starting the journey home.
Check out the photos of the battleship trip here.