KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Our last adventure was a visit to the Kennedy Space Center located 53 miles from here on the east coast of Florida at Cape Canaveral.  We drove most of the way on the 528 Toll highway which has a straight and long section that is nicknamed “The Beeline.”  The highway (also called the turnpike) has 4 toll plazas along the way and the various options for payment:  cash given to an attendant, exact coin dropped into a basket and the E-pass transponder that automatically records your vehicle.  Three of the tolls were $1 and one was $1.25 which adds up to $8.50 as you pay them both ways.

The weather was sunny but cool so we decided to watch the two Imax films that were offered before going on the bus tour.  The first film (3D of course) was about the Hubble Telescope and they showed some amazing photos of the planets, stars, solar systems and galaxies out there.  They also showed the astronauts doing repairs to the telescope and the robotic arm designed in Canada was used in almost every task.  The second film was about the international space station and showed how they attached the different sections and how the astronauts lived and worked in the station.  Cramped quarters and not much privacy.

The bus tour went around the vehicle assembly building where they put together the rockets and attach the shuttles and then move the entire assembly out to a launch pad using tractor treads.  They move at 1 mph so it takes 7 or 8 hours to get to the launch pad.

We went to the Saturn rocket display next and the size of the components was incredible.  There were many displays explaining the functionality and power of the rockets, a film on the lunar landing in 1969 and even a piece of moon rock that you could touch.  Back at the visitor center, Stuart went on the Shuttle Launch Experience which simulated a real launch with shaking and G forces, angle of ascent, variations in speed and the jolting when the first stage rocket was released.  I was just an observer this time—had enough jolting and shaking at the theme parks.

We bought hats and T shirts as souvenirs and headed back to our resort at 3:30 p.m.  Kennedy Space Center was another worthwhile place to visit while in the Orlando area.