This is what we drove all the way for

All of the amusement parks aside, we really drove to Florida to see a shuttle launch.  Only a few are left before American astronauts will be sticking their thumbs out for a lift on a Russian space shuttle.  I’m not quite sure if flying the family to Russia to see a shuttle launch will be in the budget.

In order to prepare the kids for the launch, and so that I felt a little less guilty about taking a three-week vacation in the middle of prime teaching time, we visited Kennedy Space Center.  Kennedy was really quite amazing.  If we lived closer we would definitely be annual pass holders.  It had the right mix of interesting exhibits for the adults and cool things to explore and climb on for the kids. 

Because we had toddlers we opted out of the lunch with an astronaut and some of the other cool tours.  We did enjoy the bus tour that came complementary with our admission.  On the tour we saw the crawler that moved the shuttle from the building to the launch pad.  The kids were amazed at its massive size.  Being about the same size as a baseball diamond and almost 6 million pounds, without the shuttle on it, was pretty darn impressive.  They were a little disappointed to find out that it inches along at 1 mile per hour.

The massive size of the crawler was just the beginning of being able to put the ginormous shuttle into perspective.

Do you see that little bit of water?  Crocodile infested.  Not that we saw any, but we were told.  Also, a manatee or two reside at Kennedy Space Center.  Supposedly we saw them, but I don’t think anyone spotted them but the bus driver.  He could have been pulling our leg for all we know.

This is how our kids looked during most of Kennedy Space Center.  Kennedy sold refillable space ship shaped soda cups.  According to the kids it was the best thing ever!  An unlimited supply of root beer, who wouldn’t love it!  The S U G A R!  I was able to justify all of those refills by saying to myself, at least it’s caffeine free.   But after the constant running and jumping and fist pumping and running and jumping, I was starting to rethink the whole sugar thing.  I was just hoping that the sugar crash would wait until we got in the car, not while we were experience the awesomeness of the space program.

Just as the kids were beginning to complain about the absence of rides and the never-ending reading.

Marshall:  “We are on VACATION!  Why do I have to read?

We entered the last building on the bus tour where the kids began to complain and grumble and I noticed the sugar starting to wear off.  We were hustled into room where we watched a movie without seats.  Complain, complain.  grumble grumble.  I’m tired.  My space ship is out of root beer.  complain complain.  This movie is boring!

The doors opened into a mock control room where we got to hear the control room during Apollo 11.  We got to experience the anticipation and excitement, we got a taste of the intense noise and the windows shaking.  We got a little bit of the taste of joy and relief of months and months of hard work.

And then the doors opened on the far side of the room and there she was, Saturn V.   We all stood for a moment in awe of her massive size, the huge rockets that thrusted her into space.  And we walked and walked and walked what seemed like for ever until finally we saw something besides the rockets that housed thousands of gallons of fuel to propel them into space.  There was the small tiny cabin that the astronauts sat in.

They got to see space suits and the astrovan.  They got to hear stories from the astronauts.  They got to see the watch that one of the Apollo 1 Astronauts was wearing during the fatal fire.  I think here, in this building the kids finally appreciated the space program.