USS Midway Museum, Embarcadero, San Diego

On the bustling Embarcadero in San Diego sits the USS Midway, a naval aircraft carrier that was in service from 1945 until 1992. Inside is one of the best military museums I've been to! There are lifelike mannequins showing what life was like on the carrier! On the top and middle level are many airplanes and helicopters. From the outdoor areas, you also see a fantastic view of the harbor, the Coronado Bridge, Downtown San Diego skyscrapers, and the parks on the Embarcadero.

It's fun to duck through the narrow halls below deck. You see the chow line, with mannequins serving chipped beef, and browse the recipe book showing the typical meals. You enter the chapel, where up to 65 services were held each week- the chaplain also provided counseling, morale programs, the ship library, and provided aid to foreigners at the various ports. Outside the senior officers wardroom, a board announces the movie of the night! Check out the display of silver teapots, candlesticks, salt and pepper shakers, and cutlery. Learn which haircuts were allowed at the salon. Read about the harsh conditions in the laundry room, where servicemen had to work shifts. The crew made 650 pies a night in the aft bakery, when pie was on the menu! Ponder the sweet letters written by the men to their wives back home, and look at their belongings and lockers. Admire the heavy equipment in the engineering area. Imagine surgeries taking place in the confined sick bay. Shudder at the fire exhibit that brings to life the fire on the USS Oriskany in 1966.
You learn about interesting things, like that there was a job created after the Vietnam war, called CMC. The Command Master Chief was responsible for walking the ship and talking to the crew, assessing their morale.
After, have a wonderful meal at Puesto at Headquarters, a 10 minute walk south.
To find out more about military life, visit Cabrillo National Monument, a gorgeous spot high above the city. It is a 26 minute drive away. 
It's also wonderful to spend time at Liberty Station, a former naval training center, that now has cafes, a bakery, a coffee shop, and a promenade.