Saltwater to Space Cowboy

 

Our girls are are big time into the planets, stars, and space. In fact, for months now, both girls have been saying they want to be astronauts when they grow up. Not to mention all four of our kids have always had a thing for the moon.

When we were headed down for the cruise, we saw the signs for the Kennedy Space Center and decided if we felt up to it when we got off the boat on Monday, we’d take the kids before heading back home.

It was a short drive from the cruise port and because we disembarked so early off the ship, we were at the space center when they opened. There was hardly anyone else there and it didn’t take long to see we’d made a great choice.

I had been to the space center once, in fourth grade, but it was much bigger than I remember then.

There were several Imax movies that I wish we’d been able to see, but they were all like 45 minutes long. That wasn’t happening with the baby, and I’m not sure for even Mamie.

We walked around the rocket garden and other outside exhibits. Touching and climbing in whatever we could. Ha.

We went in to see the Atlantis exhibit and it was fantastic. The movie before on the history of it gave me chills and made me so proud to be an American.

The shuttle was so neat to see and we enjoyed walking around the double-level exhibit for about an hour.

We did the big slide (the exact slope and material that the astronauts slide off of the shuttle on) and let the girls do some of the space simulators.

Mamie and Tucker weren’t big enough for the blast off simulator, so I took them to the outside playground while DW & AB suited up and did that.

We also happened upon the spacebot. Tucker thought he was neat, but after he said his name, he wouldn’t get any closer. Ha.

After a little more exploring the visitor center we decided to take the bus tour. 

It takes you by the production facilities, launch pads and drops you off at the smaller visitor’s center.

DW had also been to Kennedy once before, but he was 6 or 7 years old and it was after his first cruise. He remembers having a bad sunburn and sleeping for the entire bus tour. Someone followed along in his Daddy’s footsteps. It was his first cruise and he slept the entire bus tour.

Over at the smaller visitor’s complex, there’s another I-Max like show about astronauts, but it only lasts 20 minutes. It was really good and all three of the kids enjoyed it. Tucker was so excited to see the “MOOOOOOONNNNNN!” We loved seeing all the different astronauts’ space suits through the years and even reading some of their journal entries from space travel. Mamie loved touching a real moon rock.

The center had really started getting crowded by this point in the day. It was a little bit of a wait to catch the bus back to the main visitors complex.

It was at this point Mamie leaned over on the bus and told me, “momma, I decided I’m NOT going to be an astronaut when I grow up. I want to be a bus driver.”

We took the kids to the gift shop to pick out a souvenir and then headed out.

At the very front of the park, we ran into Van, Amber and the kids! They’d gotten off the cruise ship a little behind us, and we didn’t know they’d decided to go to Kennedy, too. We went the whole day and never ran into them until the end. That’s how much there is to do there, and how big it really is.

It was a great day and everyone enjoyed our time there.

~amw~