The Pirate of the Pacific

Not only will you find barges and riverboats on the banks of the Mississippi River, but you'll also spot the USS Kidd, a destroyer which saw service in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean War. The Kidd is now restored and docked at the Veterans Memorial Museum. Not only can visitors tour the Kidd, but they can also camp overnight as part of a special educational program.

Here's a fun fact: the USS Kidd is the only ship in the US Navy which is allowed to fly the Jolly Roger! If you click on the photo, you may be able to spot the skull and crossbones flying from the mast. The Kidd is not named for 18th-century pirate William Kidd, but for Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd, who was killed on the USS Arizona during the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 (but while attending the US Naval Academy, Kidd's nickname was Cap). After the first crew of the Kidd chose the legendary pirate as their mascot, they received special permission from the Navy (with the help of the admiral's widow) to fly the Jolly Roger.