Alameda, California
Pier No. 3, Alameda Naval Air Station
GPS coordinates: 37.7728,-122.3027
Take a photo of your rally flag with the above image.

The Jimmy Doolittle Pier is part of the decomissioned Alameda Naval Air Station across the bay from San Francisco. The pier is named after the daredevil/champion racing pilot/MIT graduate/Shell Oil chemical engineer/aeronautical genius/Lt. Colonel who came out of retirement to lead 16 dual-engine B-25 bombers in the first mission to raid Tokyo in 1942, only five months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Never before had mid-range bombers been used for aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings, but Doolittle found a way and he chose the Yorktown-class USS Hornet (CV-8). Taking off in gale force winds, the mission was a success that served as a morale booster for the country and a turning point in the reign over the high seas. The CV-8 version soon became a marked ship and was sunk in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in 1942 and the present-day Essex-class version carried on it's legacy.

Alameda's USS Hornet, the eighth naval ship to bear the name, was also the retrieval vessel of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission on July 24, 1969, and includes the quarantine trailer (for those pesky moon germs), an Apollo space capsule, and several other exhibits relating to that day.

The ambitious restoration project of the aircraft carrier is made possible by a team of area volunteers and includes many restored planes and helicopters. There are 11 different memorials onboard, honoring other Essex-class aircraft carriers.

Bonus stop: If you visit the NAS on the first Sunday of the month, you might also be interested in the Antiques and Collectibles Faire, billed as the largest show of its kind in Northern California, with over 800 vendors. Not a flea market: reproductions or merchandise newer than 20 years old aren’t allowed. There's also a nice selection of food trucks at the Faire.