Titan II Missile Museum

Tuesday, 18 December

As forecast, woke up to a sunny, 39 degrees.  We had a tee time at San Pedro Golf Course in Benson, AZ for 9:30am, just before a large group was to go out.  We arrived a few minutes early and got off early.  We both started off with double bogeys on the first two holes, which had us wondering about the day.  Perhaps because the range was closed and we did not have our usually warmup.

Darrell then made three pars to take the lead, and was up by 3 strokes at the turn.  The back nine was more challenging than the front with narrow fairways at the landing area, rewarding well struck shots, and penalizing wayward shots.  Darrell continued to make several pars to finish the back nine three more strokes up.  We both played well for a course we had never played before.  The course was more challenging that other courses we have played recently, which we enjoyed.  And one that is on our “play again” list.  Nice fairways, excellent greens, and a layout that made you think.  Fortunately there was a Starbucks in the Safeway in Benson, which was on our way out of town, for Darrell to pay up, again.

Kris keeps all sorts of stats on her golf - average driving distance, score, etc.  Her log shows that San Pedro Golf Course was the 102nd different golf course we have played this year.  Sprinty-enabled for sure.  And we still have 13 more days in 2018.

Finishing golf early allowed us to change our travel plans and do the Titan II Missile Museum (http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org/home) in Sahuarita, AZ today instead of tomorrow. 

We just did the basic tour, which started with a video about the Titan II missile and its significance in the Cold War, as well as how it was constructed, and operated.  

The Titan II Missile was operational from 1963 to 1986.  The silo in Sahuarita is the only one of 54 Titan II silos preserved as a museum.  The rest were destroyed as part of the strategic arms treaties.  The Titan II Missile Silos were clustered in three areas of 18 silos each in the United States:  Tucson, AZ; Little Rock, AR, and Wichita, KS.  The Titan II missile was 103 feet tall, and 10 feet in diameter, and carried a single 9.5 megaton warhead.  What made the Titan II different from predecessor missiles was the use of liquid fuels which could be stored in the missile.  Prior to the Titan II, missiles had to be fueled prior to lunch, which could take up to 45 minutes.  The launch time for a Titan II Missile was 58 seconds, and 30-35 minute flight to destroy its assigned target.

The docent led us down a descent 35 feet into the underground missile complex via the same doors as the launch crews would have used to enter the silo complex.  We visited the launch control center and went through a simulated launch of the missile. 

We got to cross the cableway to level 2 of the missile silo and see an actual Titan II missile in the silo.  As the docent said, an actual Titan II missile in its native habitat. 

The museum was amazing, and a sober reminder of the bigger geopolitical tensions that have played out over recent history, and continue today.  

We first learned about the museum from Joe Russo of Weretherussos:  

Jump to 3:20 for the Titan Missile Museum part

Afterwards, once we were back up to ground level, we could stand on top of the launch duct and look down on the Titan II missile from above.

With only 4 other people on the tour (much smaller than normal), the docent was able to provide a more tailored presentation.  

Tonight Sprinty is at the David-Monthan Air Force Base FamCamp.  All 287 sites with hookups (full or water/electric) sites were occupied, so Sprinty is dry camping again.  The FamCamp also has 53 designated dry camping spots ($11/night), and the staff said no one gets turned away - there are even more dry camping opportunities besides the ones on the regular site map.  Right across the street from Sprinty’s site is the military aircraft boneyard, which has hundreds on military aircraft in mothball status.