For Henry's 8th birthday, we surprised him with a cruise aboard the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brien in the midst of San Francisco's awesome Fleet Week. The Jeremiah O'Brien is a very famous Liberty Ship that is the only current seaworthy ship that took part in the D-Day Invasion in 1944.

The cruise itself was tons of fun and the afternoon's air show was BONUS. To prime them for the adventure and give a little context, we watched the 1962 film "The Longest Day" on the night prior. Some of the highlights on board were touring the engine room (which stood in for the Titanic in Cameron's famous epic movie), the dioramas and models about D-Day, and simply meeting and hearing stories from the all-volunteer crew running the ship.

We shoved off from Pier 45.... cruised outside the Golden Gate... and then back along the San Francisco waterfront to south of the Bay Bridge... and then anchored near Alcatraz to watch the air show. Unfortunately, the Blue Angels had to cancel most of their show because of fog near the Golden Gate Bridge.

From my vantage point, the Blue Angels might have underwhelmed (I was assured otherwise) because I saw an F-18 go SUPERSONIC right above my head. I'm glad I saw it with my own eyes because I never would have believed a video. The plane appeared to put on a "cloak" or cloud and then run with it... causing a sonic boom that rocked the boat... and then shed it instantly. Very difficult to describe, and it looked like something out of a Star Wars movie.