The Trip That Finally Made My Wife Haul Off And Slug Me In The Face (COMPLETED 10/2)

[pkondz]

Dang, Randall beat me to it. I was going to say they made out like gangbusters in the last tax deal.

That works, too.
Motorcycle gangs too.

 

[franandaj]

We did a quick check to make sure no one had to visit the hospital due to extreme blood loss before continuing on. After the Debacle At Flamingo, the next item on the itinerary could have been just about anything and it would have felt like paradise in comparison.


Kids: “Where are we going next, Daddy?”

Me: “We’re going to spend 5 hours visiting a distant relative in a 55-and-older retirement community in Boca Raton.”

Kids: “Yay!”

But why does she smell so funny?

He appears to spend his days scuba-diving, sending his daughter scuba-diving, taking photos while scuba-diving, and drinking scotch while barbecuing something he probably caught while scuba-diving. We believe he basically owns the Florida Keys.

This is about what I know about Cj as well.

I might not have all the details correct, but from what I can tell from the photos CJ posts, she basically goes out on a boat and catches sharks with her bare hands, holding their jaws shut while the team tags them for research. Don’t ever get on her bad side.

And yes, same for the Pirate Princess, I've seen pictures of her wrangling sharks. Not someone I would mess with! Plus she's smarter than heck!

“Come on outside so we can eat this pie before it gets warm.”


Wait, there’s pie? No one had mentioned pie before. This day just might be salvaged after all.

Pie definitely makes just about anything better and I agree, as long as it is not Pecan or Coconut.

CJ had figured that if we were going to be near the Florida Keys, we needed a proper key lime pie. Hey, he’s the local, so we deferred to his expertise. And it was really good! Thanks for the treat, CJ!

I am going to have to try this Key Lime pie someday....

Nearby, a family was grilling up some chicken and it smelled amazing. CJ kept trying to goad Scotty into going over and stealing some for us, but Scotty was apparently feeling too cautious (read: chicken) to try it. But at least we had pie.

I bet Drew could have given them the "look at me, I'm such a cute toddler" treatment.

Just across, you could see Miami rising out of the water like Atlantis.

Cool picture!

Actually, I made that up. I have no idea what these are, other than “fish”.

This one had been arranged by Magdalene (@Flossbolna )—she had seen our general itinerary and offered the services of her (then) fiancé, Michael, to be our personal guide through the famed Disney Character Warehouse outlet in Sawgrass Mills.

I've been there too! But not with the luxury of a trained guide.

This, of course, raises the question as to whether or not “Michael” actually exists or is just a figment of Magdalene’s imagination. So I was definitely curious to find out for sure.

Yes, I had wondered too, until I actually met him.

Now that we know this store exists, I’m sure we’ll never, ever spend money on the ridiculous prices in Disney parks shops ever again.

There are two within half an hour of Disney World. The problem is that with Disney's Magical Express people don't rent cars and it is not easy to get to them without a car.

Give Michael a subject—any subject! He will have a forceful opinion on it.

Yes, if you're facebook, you know this for sure.

They had recently been traveling overseas and had visited both Shanghai Disneyland and the Tokyo parks—Magdalene had decided that maps from each park would be the perfect gift for us.

Yeah, Michael I know you're not reading, but those would have been a perfect gift for someone else.....

He forgot them the last couple times we met up!

The heck with it. I’m getting a photo. If nothing else, I want to prove to the rest of you that Michael actually does exist. So, let’s everybody line up. What’s that, Michael? Oh, sure, absolutely. I’d never dream of posting this anywhere in public. Scout’s honor.


Heh. Sucker. I wasn’t a scout.


Everybody ready? One…two…three! Say cheese!

What to order and not order on the menu, the state of Disney Parks, Bob Iger, differences between traveling in the states and abroad...he was very clear on his opinion of our current administration as well.

Yes, these sound like things that he would love expounding his opinion on!

BUT, I too was wondering at Michael's existence.

But we have seen his hands in several pictures now!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

But why does she smell so funny?

This is about what I know about Cj as well.

Good, I'm glad I got my facts straight.

And yes, same for the Pirate Princess, I've seen pictures of her wrangling sharks. Not someone I would mess with! Plus she's smarter than heck!

She is pretty impressive, for sure.

Pie definitely makes just about anything better and I agree, as long as it is not Pecan or Coconut.

Hey, look at that! We agree on something food related!

I am going to have to try this Key Lime pie someday....

Oh, man. You've been missing out.

I bet Drew could have given them the "look at me, I'm such a cute toddler" treatment.

That's his one saving grace.

Cool picture!

Thanks!

I've been there too! But not with the luxury of a trained guide.

Well, you have Fran. She qualifies.

Yes, I had wondered too, until I actually met him.

Well, back me up with @pkondz , then. I can't get him to believe me.

There are two within half an hour of Disney World. The problem is that with Disney's Magical Express people don't rent cars and it is not easy to get to them without a car.

I think I've been to one of them. But I do remember it being somewhat hard to find.

Yes, if you're facebook, you know this for sure.

Yeah, Michael I know you're not reading, but those would have been a perfect gift for someone else.....

He forgot them the last couple times we met up!

D'oh! I'll have to yell at him for you.

Yes, these sound like things that he would love expounding his opinion on!

Just once or twice. He's very subtle.

But we have seen his hands in several pictures now!

Those were probably Magdalene's hands.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Chapter 13: The One With Rocket Power


Our plan for Monday was pretty straight-forward. We left W. Palm Beach after breakfast, driving 2 hours up the coast with the intention of reaching the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex right around when it opened. The date was August 14, and many of the Southern school districts were back in session that day. I figured between that fact and arriving early, we’d have a great head start to see everything the Space Center had to offer. Because, as we all know, the Rope Drop strategy always works.


So, we drove up I-95 for two hours, got on the highway to the coast, turned right onto the road that leads to the Kennedy Center…


…and came to a full stop. Wall-to-wall cars as far as the eye could see.


What the….?


But…but…Rope Drop always works! Doesn’t it?

Apparently, I’d miscalculated on the crowds. Everyone and their mothers, along with their mother’s old college roommates, were visiting the Kennedy Center today. We crawled along in the right lane. I don’t know how long it actually took us to reach the entrance to the complex, but it felt like the entire morning. The longer we crawled along the road, the more my stress level rose.


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.


We finally inched our way into the parking lot, and hope sprang anew—we would be bypassing the regular ticket window and heading to Will Call. We’d stopped by our local AAA office before the trip and bought discounted admission there. We just had to exchange our vouchers at Will Call for actual tickets.


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.


I would love to take credit for once again pulling off an amazing vacation-planning coup. But no, this was pure dumb luck. Until that moment, I had absolutely no idea what was going on, and had spent most of the drive cursing our luck and the crowds.


I would also love to tell you that my attitude immediately improved at that moment, and that I was mature enough to realize that a rocket launch was a once-in-a-lifetime event and we were fortunate to be there to witness it. But that’s what a wise, mature adult would do. Instead, I became even more frustrated, because now I was sure the bus tour would be closed to the public, which meant we’d spent all this money to be there and wouldn’t get to see the main attraction.


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.


We finally got inside the gates and the line for the bus tour (taking people out to the observation area) was mobbed. So we didn’t bother with that. 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.

I’ve written about the Kennedy Space Center before, but it’s heaven for science geeks. The Atlantis is one of four retired space shuttles, on permanent display in a giant exhibit hall built just for this spaceship. Visitors are shown a short film about the space shuttle program—it was our very first re-usable spacecraft. Then you’re brought into another room and shown a simulated space shuttle launch, and then the screen lifts and you get to see Atlantis in all her glory. It’s all really well done.


It’s also hard to fit the entire shuttle into one photo.

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.

They also had a model Hubble telescope on display (sorry about the blur).

They do a great job of keeping little kids busy. There was a model space station built for kids to crawl around in on an endless loop. Which they did.

And a slide was built at 22 degrees, which matched the precise re-entry angle for the shuttle when returning to Earth’s atmosphere.

It’s a worthy tribute to one of the longest-running and most dependable spacecraft ever built.


In the same building is an attraction called the Shuttle Launch Experience, which is billed as a high-intensity white-knuckle simulation of…well, a shuttle launch. Parents of small children and those with heart conditions or back injuries are strongly cautioned against riding, blah blah blah. So of course we had to try it. Julie took the short straw and took Drew to the “observation room”, where they actually had a setup so you could watch those on the ride.


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.


We checked our watches and saw that we had about ten minutes to launch time, so we hustled outside. We found a grass clearing to the side of the building and saw a crowd of people gathered and looking to the east, so we figured we’d do what everybody else was doing, because you can never go wrong by following the crowd.


From our home in Delaware, we are occasionally fortunate enough to be able to see a rocket launch from Wallops Island in Virginia. However, the skies have to be clear, and we can only see a distant orange light rising into the sky. It’s still cool.


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.

But it was awesome to see. Another magnificent vacation moment, just the way I’d planned it.


When the rocket became a faint orange dot, we turned and made a beeline the snack bar, beating the hordes by approximately two minutes. No PB&J today—we’d just wanted something to hold off hunger but not fill our stomachs. You’ll see why in the next chapter.


Now the big question was whether or not they’d start running the bus tour, which is the best part of a visit here. I didn’t want Sarah or Julie to miss out on that. Julie took the kids to see the rocket garden while I went to the restroom.

When I came back, I saw a long line forming at the entrance to the bus tour. So I quickly hopped in line to get a spot and then texted Julie that they were opening up. It actually worked out pretty well—I had our place in line and Drew was distracted and didn’t have to stand there baking in the sun.


I did, of course. But I’m the dad and low man on the totem pole, so that’s how it works.


In any case, they did a nice job. Since the buses had stopped running during the launch, they had them all lined up at the tour entrance and ready to go, so they got us boarded in fairly short order.


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:

Each of the stripes on the American flag are wide enough to form a travel lane for our tour bus.


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.

The crawler was visible as well. This speed demon transports spacecraft from the VAB out to the launchpads at a speed of 1 mph. Once its cargo is offloaded, it races back to the VAB at a top speed of 2 mph. Its roadbed is made of pure Tennessee River Rock, which is trucked in from Alabama.

And this is the mission control area during launch events. A NASA launch would be controlled from here. Once it’s away, mission control in Houston takes over command of the flight.

The last stop on the tour is the massive Saturn V building, which might be worth the price of admission by itself. This building is full of exhibits on the Apollo moon missions. A pre-show sets up the history of the Apollo program and gives a window into the space race that pitted the U.S. vs. Russia for superiority in space travel. It all leads up to the story of the launch of Apollo 8, which is shown in real time with the actual mission control setup of that time.

I think it’s fair to say we were all suitably impressed.

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.

We spent at least a couple of hours there, just taking in everything the place had to offer.

We even got to touch a moon rock! Spoiler alert: it feels like a rock.

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.


At the end of the day, it was a total success. Despite the hordes of people, we saw everything we’d wanted to see and even witnessed a live rocket launch. Now, it was time to finally reward the kids for all of this crazy driving we’d forced them to suffer through.


Coming Up Next: Just a little taste of Disney.

 

[pkondz]

Back later to read the update.

Hey, look at that! We agree on something food related!

Ditto on the pie choices.

Well, back me up with @pkondz , then. I can't get him to believe me.

That’s my go to position.

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

Awesome

 

[Steppesister]

Awesome l(a)unch time reading!!

Back to comment another time.

 

[pkondz]

driving 2 hours up the coast with the intention of reaching the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Been a looooooong time since I've been there. Last time I was there, the Shuttle wasn't even an idea yet.

Because, as we all know, the Rope Drop strategy always works.

…and came to a full stop. Wall-to-wall cars as far as the eye could see.

What the?

But.... but.... but...... rope drop!

Apparently, I’d miscalculated on the crowds. Everyone and their mothers, along with their mother’s old college roommates, were visiting the Kennedy Center today

August, not May, so... not Mother's day... hmmm....

The longer we crawled along the road, the more my stress level rose.

Breathe, dude... breathe.

it was Julie, Sarah and Drew’s first-ever visit

Nice!
And totally envious.

My heart sank when I saw the Will Call line was just as long as the regular ticket line.

Ugh... they didn't have an Oblivious family fastpass line?

There was a rocket launch scheduled for this particular morning.

WHAT?????? LUCKY!!!!!!!!!!

which meant we’d spent all this money to be there and wouldn’t get to see the main attraction.

Dude! A launch is the main attraction!

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.

Yes they were!

Wow! Just.... wow!

I’ve written about the Kennedy Space Center before, but it’s heaven for science geeks.

I really need to get back there.

It’s also hard to fit the entire shuttle into one photo.

You did pretty good. That's a cool shot taken from the nose like that.

Hey look! It's the Oblivious kids with someone's mother!

You can never go wrong with allowing a 3-year-old to assume the controls of a multi-billion dollar spacecraft.

What could possibly go wrong? This is how discoveries are made.

They also had a model Hubble telescope on display

Very cool.

They do a great job of keeping little kids busy. There was a model space station built for kids to crawl around in on an endless loop. Which they did.

Really! Cool!

And a slide was built at 22 degrees, which matched the precise re-entry angle for the shuttle when returning to Earth’s atmosphere.

Like that. Smart.

It was cute, but not something I’d wait longer than 10 minutes to do.

Good info for future reference.

We found a grass clearing to the side of the building and saw a crowd of people gathered and looking to the east, so we figured we’d do what everybody else was doing, because you can never go wrong by following the crowd.

One guy sees a duck and watches it... crowd forms... rocket lifts off behind them.

From our home in Delaware, we are occasionally fortunate enough to be able to see a rocket launch from Wallops Island in Virginia. However, the skies have to be clear, and we can only see a distant orange light rising into the sky. It’s still cool.

Really! Cool!


I'm saying "cool" a lot... because it all is.

This was a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. That’s about all the useful information I have for you.

Big rocket! But... here.

But it was awesome to see. Another magnificent vacation moment, just the way I’d planned it.

Man, I'd be wandering around there for hours.

Gemini capsule, no?

When I came back, I saw a long line forming at the entrance to the bus tour. So I quickly hopped in line to get a spot and then texted Julie that they were opening up. It actually worked out pretty well—I had our place in line and Drew was distracted and didn’t have to stand there baking in the sun.

Nice move.

I did, of course. But I’m the dad and low man on the totem pole, so that’s how it works.

Also

We saw the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, big enough to house the Statue of Liberty with room to spare:

That thing is so deceptive.
The mind just can't quite make sense of the scale of the thing.

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.

Huh. Hope it happens.

Its roadbed is made of pure Tennessee River Rock, which is trucked in from Alabama.

Um.... what?

And this is the mission control area during launch events.

No way! That's the first time I can recall seeing that.

The last stop on the tour is the massive Saturn V building, which might be worth the price of admission by itself. This building is full of exhibits on the Apollo moon missions. A pre-show sets up the history of the Apollo program and gives a window into the space race that pitted the U.S. vs. Russia for superiority in space travel. It all leads up to the story of the launch of Apollo 8, which is shown in real time with the actual mission control setup of that time.

Another place I could spend a loooooot of time in.

I think it’s fair to say we were all suitably impressed.

Awwwww....

We even got to touch a moon rock! Spoiler alert: it feels like a rock.

Who cares if it feels like a rock! Dude! It's a piece of the moon!


The moon!!

we visited the one place that can rival Disney for maxing out your credit card: the NASA gift shop.

Did you manage to escape unscathed?

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.

 

[pooh'smate]

KSC looks really cool. The one time we had a trip planned the government shut down 2 days before we were to arrive so they were not open (well I think they were but only a small part) so we haven't been but one day we will make it there.

 

[luv2sewtjr]

I’ve been lurking on the trip reports for an awful long time but I HAD to log in after seeing your KSC report.

I was fortunate enough to visit KSC as part of a NASA social and see a launch in person. I’m so glad your family could see it! It’s pretty amazing.

But I really logged in to say that your blurry Hubble picture is either a happy accident or understated comic genius. Not sure which. I just remember in college when Hubble was launched...

 

[pkondz]

ut I really logged in to say that your blurry Hubble picture is either a happy accident or understated comic genius. Not sure which. I just remember in college when Hubble was launched...

 

[Cinderella's Fella]

But I really logged in to say that your blurry Hubble picture is either a happy accident or understated comic genius. Not sure which. I just remember in college when Hubble was launched...

 

[Terra Nova guy]

There was a rocket launch scheduled for this particular morning.

Very cool. I have a story. My first trip to Florida (as an adult) was in 2000. I went to Kennedy one day, loved it (I guess I'm a science geek too). By pure coincidence (certainly not due to my complete lack of planning skills back then, although to be fair in a pre-internet age, was there much planning?), anyway, by coincidence, I saw there was a shuttle launch scheduled in two days. It was Atlantis, in fact. I bought a ticket to come back and watch the launch. Took the buses out to the viewing site. Was very disappointed the launch was scrubbed due to winds. In fact the shuttle didn't get off the ground for more than a week, after I had already gone back home.

In another trip planning failure/missed opportunity, I was in New York City the day they flew in Enterprise for it's installation at Intrepid Museum. Sadly, I did not consider going to watch it.

We finally got inside the gates and the line for the bus tour (taking people out to the observation area) was mobbed. So we didn’t bother with that. 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.

I would love to go back and see the Atlantis exhibit, especially considering it's the only shuttle I've actually seen on the launch pad.

They also had a model Hubble telescope on display (sorry about the blur).

Well, that's rather appropriate in this case. You must have had your millimetres and inches mixed up when you took the picture.

Julie took the short straw and took Drew to the “observation room”, where they actually had a setup so you could watch those on the ride.

Well, too bad everyone couldn't do it, but being able to see people on the ride is actually a great bonus.

We even got to touch a moon rock! Spoiler alert: it feels like a rock.

I touched that rock! Now you have cooties! (Does cooties stick to a rock for 18 years? I wonder if they wash it?)

 

[MNtwinsplus1mom]

I'm all caught up on your report!

Btw right when I started it, back when you first posted, I was impressed & surprised that you mentioned a place we are visiting soon: Skyline Drive. Never been there, but it looked like a nice place to visit during my family's upcoming visit to the DC area.

That restaurant in Shreveport looked great! Can't believe the bathroom walls, even. I'm glad you took the time to grab photos. On rare occasions I've taken pics inside a bathroom (e.g., the Tangled bathroom at Magic Kingdom) and it can be awkward. Gotta time it right if it's not a single-use bathroom.

Too bad the Everglades area didn't go better, but nice to see manatees! You're just providing me with even more support for my habit of limiting my family's Florida activities to those inside the Disney bubble. I know we should do so many other things (my family did so when I was a kid & we went to Florida; however, Disney World was so much smaller then), but all we've bothered doing on our 4 family trips was one outing to Legoland.

That's so nice that in 2020 that all the Harry Potter fans in your family will get to see the inside of Universal. It looks like they were such good sports about just sampling a little this time (including pausing for Toothsome - yum!). Kind of nice that everyone gets a little lesson in financial responsibility/self-control/patience, to boot. I'm a big fan of long count downs. I already know I'm taking my two youngest to Universal for a day as part of a conference in 2020 & am looking forward to it. I like Disney so much more, but it is interesting to see a new place, and the Harry Potter section I saw last year there was beautifully done.

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Steppesister]

But…but…Rope Drop always works! Doesn’t it?

Except for launches.

I would love to take credit for once again pulling off an amazing vacation-planning coup. But no, this was pure dumb luck. Until that moment, I had absolutely no idea what was going on, and had spent most of the drive cursing our luck and the crowds.

The kids thought you were SuperDad for about 4.5 seconds though.

I would also love to tell you that my attitude immediately improved at that moment, and that I was mature enough to realize that a rocket launch was a once-in-a-lifetime event and we were fortunate to be there to witness it. But that’s what a wise, mature adult would do. Instead, I became even more frustrated, because now I was sure the bus tour would be closed to the public, which meant we’d spent all this money to be there and wouldn’t get to see the main attraction.

But you did eventually come around.... so not all's lost.

This is so perfect!

We checked our watches and saw that we had about ten minutes to launch time, so we hustled outside. We found a grass clearing to the side of the building and saw a crowd of people gathered and looking to the east, so we figured we’d do what everybody else was doing, because you can never go wrong by following the crowd.

That's why you ALWAYS take the line on the left!!

That’s about all the useful information I have for you.

So a typical Captain's TR.

When the rocket became a faint orange dot, we turned and made a beeline the snack bar,

This is sick strats. Pro move there!

A

I've heard that if you stack up all the national debt in $1 bills... it still wouldn't fit in there.

(Totally made that up, but am now curious.)

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.

Convenient. That way you can take home your own Falcon 9.

This speed demon transports spacecraft from the VAB out to the launchpads at a speed of 1 mph.

So, you're saying it could easily handle Portland rush hour traffic.

They also had a model Hubble telescope on display (sorry about the blur).

I about died laughing at this. Nicely done!

 

[docsoliday1]

I've heard that if you stack up all the national debt in $1 bills... it still wouldn't fit in there.

(Totally made that up, but am now curious.)

No, it would not...not even in $100 bills based on this...
go to usdebt dot kleptocrasy dot us (don't know if that will make it past the sensors or censors[both])

 

[pkondz]

No, it would not...not even in $100 bills based on this...
go to usdebt dot kleptocrasy dot us (don't know if that will make it past the sensors or censors[both])

It did work and.... that was kinda cool!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Awesome

Been a looooooong time since I've been there. Last time I was there, the Shuttle wasn't even an idea yet.

Man, you need to get back over there. It's such a cool place to visit.

What the?

But.... but.... but...... rope drop!

That's what I was saying!

August, not May, so... not Mother's day... hmmm....

Breathe, dude... breathe.

I was. Into a paper bag.

Nice!
And totally envious.

Now they've all seen it. And all are glad they got to go.

Ugh... they didn't have an Oblivious family fastpass line?

I hereby declare that every attraction needs an Oblivious Family Fastpass Line.©

WHAT?????? LUCKY!!!!!!!!!!

Dude! A launch is the main attraction!

I know, I know! You don't have to yell.

Yes they were!

Ok, I get it already! Sheesh.

Wow! Just.... wow!

If nothing else, go see the Atlantis attraction and the bus that takes you to the Saturn V building.

I really need to get back there.

You did pretty good. That's a cool shot taken from the nose like that.

Thanks! I think that one was Julie's.

Hey look! It's the Oblivious kids with someone's mother!

Just grab the shot and go. We're not waiting around forever.

What could possibly go wrong? This is how discoveries are made.

Like that. Smart.

Good way to teach it to kids. And me.

Good info for future reference.

If you're short on time, you're not missing anything.

One guy sees a duck and watches it... crowd forms... rocket lifts off behind them.

Really! Cool!


I'm saying "cool" a lot... because it all is.

I said it a lot, too!

Big rocket! But... here.

Hey, thanks for the link! My turn to say, "Cool."

Man, I'd be wandering around there for hours.

It's truly nerd heaven.

Gemini capsule, no?

Hard to believe it's so small. Gives you a new respect for the guys who sat in there with a rocket strapped to their backs.

Nice move.

Also

This is our lot in life.

That thing is so deceptive.
The mind just can't quite make sense of the scale of the thing.

It's really true. It's so out in the open it just looks like a regular building. But it's massive.

Huh. Hope it happens.

With our debt situation...not looking good.

Um.... what?

That's part of the bus driver's spiel. It's a good line.

No way! That's the first time I can recall seeing that.

Another place I could spend a loooooot of time in.

Easily! Lots of cool stuff to see in there.

Awwwww....

That Florida heat will take a lot out of you.

Who cares if it feels like a rock! Dude! It's a piece of the moon!


The moon!!

It's been polished down to almost nothing over the years! But still, I touched it.

Did you manage to escape unscathed?

No. No, we did not. But maybe we're supporting that Mars mission.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

KSC looks really cool. The one time we had a trip planned the government shut down 2 days before we were to arrive so they were not open (well I think they were but only a small part) so we haven't been but one day we will make it there.

Well, dang. That's a huge bummer. Hope you get to visit sometime, it's really worth it!

I’ve been lurking on the trip reports for an awful long time but I HAD to log in after seeing your KSC report.

Thanks for jumping in! Please, stick around. Most of the people here don't bite.

I was fortunate enough to visit KSC as part of a NASA social and see a launch in person. I’m so glad your family could see it! It’s pretty amazing.

Awesome! It really was a neat experience. Probably once in a lifetime.

But I really logged in to say that your blurry Hubble picture is either a happy accident or understated comic genius. Not sure which. I just remember in college when Hubble was launched...

I really, really wish I could claim to be a comic genius. But I didn't think of that joke at all when I posted it! So I have to (unfortunately) claim happy accident.

Very cool. I have a story. My first trip to Florida (as an adult) was in 2000. I went to Kennedy one day, loved it (I guess I'm a science geek too). By pure coincidence (certainly not due to my complete lack of planning skills back then, although to be fair in a pre-internet age, was there much planning?), anyway, by coincidence, I saw there was a shuttle launch scheduled in two days. It was Atlantis, in fact. I bought a ticket to come back and watch the launch. Took the buses out to the viewing site. Was very disappointed the launch was scrubbed due to winds. In fact the shuttle didn't get off the ground for more than a week, after I had already gone back home.

Aw, man. That stinks! That would have been so cool to witness. My son and I got to see a shuttle on the launch pad a couple of days before launch as well (I think it was the Endeavour).

In another trip planning failure/missed opportunity, I was in New York City the day they flew in Enterprise for it's installation at Intrepid Museum. Sadly, I did not consider going to watch it.

That would have been a traffic nightmare, I'm sure!

I would love to go back and see the Atlantis exhibit, especially considering it's the only shuttle I've actually seen on the launch pad.

You should! It's well worth the time.

Well, that's rather appropriate in this case. You must have had your millimetres and inches mixed up when you took the picture.

I really wish I'd thought of these jokes when I posted the chapter.

Well, too bad everyone couldn't do it, but being able to see people on the ride is actually a great bonus.

It is certainly better than waiting in a boring room.

I touched that rock! Now you have cooties! (Does cooties stick to a rock for 18 years? I wonder if they wash it?)

Cooties?! Crud. Where did I put the bleach?

 

[pkondz]

Man, you need to get back over there. It's such a cool place to visit.

I'd really like to.

Really.

I was. Into a paper bag.

I hereby declare that every attraction needs an Oblivious Family Fastpass Line.©

Well, that was easy.

I know, I know! You don't have to yell.

That wasn't yelling.


THIS IS YELLING!

If nothing else, go see the Atlantis attraction and the bus that takes you to the Saturn V building.

Can I see everything?

Nice to know your life has a purpose.

It's truly nerd heaven.

Sounds perfect.

Hard to believe it's so small. Gives you a new respect for the guys who sat in there with a rocket strapped to their backs.

It's really true. It's so out in the open it just looks like a regular building. But it's massive.

Hard to wrap your head around it.
"It's just a building, right?"

It's been polished down to almost nothing over the years! But still, I touched it.

Time to get another one.

No. No, we did not. But maybe we're supporting that Mars mission.

Thanks! I look forward to the Oblivious launch.