Space Shuttle Atlantis and more at Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center – Titusville, Florida

Okay, the last time I truly visited Kennedy Space Center was in the 1970s. And in the most recent years, I had been there for a meeting or two but it was always in and out and for business. This time, I was going as an adult and we specifically chose to see the new Space Shuttle Atlantis Experience.

As we were traveling with dogs, we chose a motel that accepted dogs. The Days Inn in Melbourne was very clean and allows small pets. This is about 15 to 20 minutes away from the Kennedy Space Center and there is a pool if that makes a difference.  The breakfast (included) was pretty good actually in a self-serve breakfast room.

I wrote about the Brevard Zoo and downtown Cocoa and Melbourne in another post so Ill focus on the space center here but they all go together for a great getaway.

It would be hard to visit the Kennedy Space Center in a day and take it all in.   But more than just a visit to a theme park or other attraction, this one fills you with an emotion that I wasn’t quite expecting.  It was truly awesome.  It was truly inspiring.  I didn’t expect that at all.

We spent a considerable time walking around the Rocket Garden which is quite a well-featured attraction.  And for good reason.  There is incredible space history right in front of you, everywhere you turn.

We headed for the Space Shuttle Atlantis Experience because it has recently opened and I had seen the shuttle in a hangar building when I was there for a meeting once and it was really quite interesting.  They were working on the tiles to it and you could have reached out and touched it we were that close.  But I’ll return to the experience you will have with the exhibit.

The point of this is that nothing really can prepare you for the overwhelming feeling you will have when you leave the series of films and see the actual space shuttle Atlantis right before you.  The designers did an incredible job of displaying it just as you depart one of the theaters.   The history of the space shuttle fills you with pride in mankind for its ability to do such an incredible feat and do it over and again.

There are a lot of things for children and adults to do in this area once you go through the excellent films and experiences to finally see the Atlantis.  We spent a lot of time here and could have spent even more without thinking of it.

We took the bus tour and it was incredibly interesting.  Each building we went into was special along the way and afforded interesting views and experiences that really sank in as to their historical importance not just for Floridians or Americans but for the entire world who shared in the exploration of space.

The coaches ran frequently and the drivers provided interesting commentary along the way.  It was a nice way to spend the afternoon after doing the Atlantis exhibit.  There were IMAX films and other experiences that we didn’t get to do due to time.  We had lunch in one of the cafes and it was a perfectly pleasant experience.

It was nice to witness so many people sharing the experience Kennedy Space Center.  I couldn’t help but look at some of the children and hope that this inspired them to do even greater things and I wondered what those would be.  This is what Kennedy Space Center is all about.  It is about the future.  And it is awesome.