franandaj
I'm so happy, I could BOUNCE!
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2009
Hey, look at that! We agree on something food related!
There are actually lots of things we agree on that are food related. BBQ (although you like the brisket and I prefer the ribs), Burgers, Fried Chicken, Chicken Parmesan....
Well, you have Fran. She qualifies.
True. She can navigate her way around just about any store.
Well, back me up with @pkondz , then. I can't get him to believe me.
I'm not sure my testimony will help any, but I have met him on several occasions, and dined with him as well. He does eat real food so I know he isn't a robot.
I was worried because a) we were on a schedule—we had a reservation for dinner that evening and some traveling to do to get there, so our time at the complex was fixed, and b) it was Julie, Sarah and Drew’s first-ever visit to the Kennedy Center, and I was scared to death that they were going to miss out on one of the major attractions there if it was too crowded.
Valid fears....
My heart sank when I saw the Will Call line was just as long as the regular ticket line. Not to mention the backup at the security gate. With a deep sigh, we got into the Will Call line and I immediately started panicking that we wouldn’t be able to get our money’s worth due to the crowds. And then we heard the reason the place was packed.
There was a rocket launch scheduled for this particular morning.
Sweet.
Thankfully, the rest of the family was excited about the launch, and they chastised me for my attitude. And they were right to do so. Eventually, I came around, without needing to be punched in the face again.
Well that's good. Has that bruise from the last one healed yet?
Instead, we went straight for the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit. Since most people were trying to get on the buses, there was hardly anyone here.
That's cool, it wasn't there the last time I visited. And the exhibit area looks way cooler than the exhibit currently in LA, or at least the one they had about three years ago.
The exhibit hall is massive, and there are a ton of exhibits geared toward all ages to teach you anything you want to know about the shuttle. Don’t expect me to remember any of it now, though.
You can never go wrong with allowing a 3-year-old to assume the controls of a multi-billion dollar spacecraft.
Of course not. Especially when it's no longer in service.
And a slide was built at 22 degrees, which matched the precise re-entry angle for the shuttle when returning to Earth’s atmosphere.
I'm sure they loved that!
It was more buildup than anything. They had a pre-show explaining the shuttle launch procedures and what you experience. We piled into the capsule and strapped ourselves in. The ride basically involved being shaked a bit and then tilting up so you were facing the ceiling. It was cute, but not something I’d wait longer than 10 minutes to do.
I remember doing it 10 years ago at the same time I had my first ride on Mission Space and decided that Mission Space was the better ride.
But it was nothing like this. A rumbling sound filled the air, and soon we could see the rocket rising just above the treetops and into the sky. This was a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. That’s about all the useful information I have for you.
Were you guys there in June? If so i found some useful information on the launch. If not, i got nuttin for ya.
The tour itself was slightly abbreviated—we couldn’t go all the way out to the launch pad, since, you know, it had just been used—but they hit all of the highlights. We didn’t feel cheated in the slightest. We saw the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, big enough to house the Statue of Liberty with room to spare:
That's always a cool sight!
This was a new launch pad being built for the Ares rocket, which is being designed to go to Mars. If that project ever gets proper funding, anyway.
Whoa, cool! I hope it does!
The last stop on the tour is the massive Saturn V building, which might be worth the price of admission by itself.
Totally! That's definitely the best part of the tour!
The piece de resistance is, of course, an actual Saturn V rocket, which is laid down in sections inside the building. Just thinking about the massive power of this rocket is mind-boggling. If you want to know what it’s like, go back and watch the memorable launch sequence in the film Apollo 13.
Just standing under those thrusters is mind blowing!
After returning to the main complex on the bus, we visited the one place that can rival Disney for maxing out your credit card: the NASA gift shop. It was nice of them to have forms available right at the store to apply for home equity loans as you wait in the concession line.
i couldn't help but walk away with the shirt that reads, "Just what about (insert insane formula here) don't you understand?"
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