corner of Main and Washington, site of his grandfather's original Nimitz Hotel. The renovated building now presents the story of the Admiral's career.

Adjacent lays an offshoot for memorabilia gathered over 25 years and now housed within the George H. W. Bush Gallery, dedicated in 2009. The massive 39,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art collection portrays the WWII Pacific War against Japan through interactive media, archival film, and unusual artifacts.

You'll find Allied and Japanese aircraft, including the only remaining Japanese Rex floatplane, tanks, jeeps, uniforms, guns, and a mini-submarine. Recorded oral histories add authenticity and capture voices now lost, or soon to be. Admission is good for 48 hours; a second visit is definitely needed to appreciate fully the depth of the historical records here.

Also part of the museum complex is the Combat Zone, a mock-up of a Pacific island battlefield. Staged 75-minute re-enactments attract sell-out crowds, so visit the