Josh, the kids and I went to the Kennedy Space Center yesterday. We wanted to pick a theme park in the area that wouldn't be mobbed on the day after Thanksgiving. This was a good choice as there were crowds but not feeling packed in like sardines. In fact, there are so many different places to go to that the after the entrance, one didn't really notice the crowd.
So.... first up was a bathroom.
Second up was the Shuttle Launch Experience. This is a new addition to the park, as they added it in 2007. I would rate the actual "ride experience" a 7. Mission: Space would be rated higher like 9.5 or even a 10. However, I enjoyed it and liked how we were sitting at a 90 degree angle looking up. There was a countdown, and some genuine rumbling and shaking. My face got a good workout.
Next up was lunch - very mediocre. In fact, nothing to write home about, so I shouldn't really even be writing about it now.
Then we saw a waaaay cool IMAX movie about man's landing on the moon. It was narrated by Tom Hanks. He has a nice narrating voice. The movie was very touching and inspiring with some funny moments added in as well. I left wondering why we haven't been back to the moon since 1972?
There was a spot for a live briefing from a NASA dude. He showed live pictures of our current shuttle in space. Then he told us how they were doing and that they were scheduled to arrive back on Sunday. Then he showed a video presentation of NASA's next goals: to retire the shuttle and make the Orion - a rocket based on the Saturn(?) rockets of the 60s that brought man to the moon. NASA's goal is to return to the moon in 2020. Only a mere 12 years away. Then onto Mars in 2030. Ambitious? Perhaps? We'll see what happens in the political arena to move this forward or not.
Then we visited the inside of a shuttle and later some rockets. There was kiddie climbing rope/slide thing the kids enjoyed. Then we went and saw an exhibit on early space exploration and one on future possibilities that we didn't stay long at.
Finally, snack time for the kids and we went to see the second IMAX movie about the International Space Station. This was narrated by Tom Cruise. He does not have a nice narrating voice. I am biased, of course since I prefer the Hanks over the Cruise. But, this is besides the point of the movie. The movie itself was not as touching and inspiring as the moon movie, but still cool to see: floating astronauts and watching them do their spacewalks which looks kinda scary.
Then a stop at the souvenier store and off back to home to eat Thanksgiving leftovers.
A lovely family day.
2 comments:
oh my, that sounds like such fun! Sean and I absolutely need to visit there. Do you remember what those movies were called?
Yes, the moon one was called "Magnificent Desolation". The Space Station one is called "Space Station 3D". Very cool stuff. You guys would loooove this place! We were there all day and didn't even go on any of the bus tours. The guide books we read said the tours are good but can get too lengthy for kids.
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