Connor wants to be an Astronaut

Because the main reason for our Florida vacation was to see the STS-134 launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, our next stop was the Kennedy Space Center. Of course.


I remember visiting the Kennedy Space Center when I was a kid, and other than exploring the rocket garden (which I loved!), I remember spending most of the day inside looking at exhibits, doing simulators and watching IMAX and planetarium shows. Our trip this time was a bit different, as we skipped a lot of that inside stuff to focus on the shuttle launch and Connor's favorite rocket, the Saturn V.

I know that my parents took pictures of me very similar to these space suit photos when we visited. (Hey Mom, can you find the photos from when we went to Kennedy and when we watched a launch for me to show to Connor next time we visit? Pleaseandthankyou.)


In order to go to Launch Pad 39A to see Endeavour, we had to take a tour bus. The wait for that bus was worse than anything we endured at Disney. I'm just saying. Maybe NASA should take some lessons in people moving from Disney. They know a thing or two over there.

The boys were thrilled with the bus ride.

We drove alongside the tracks where the crawler moves the space shuttle from the vehicle assembly building to the launch pad. And then we drove right past the crawler!

Crawler = Huge!
See the truck parked next to it?

Obviously, NASA doesn't allow scores of tour buses and civilians onto the actual launch pad the day before a scheduled launch, so we had to view the launch pad and shuttle from the observation deck, pictured below on the right. In the distance to the left, you can see the launch pad and shuttle.


Before tackling the stairs for the long climb up to the top of the observation deck, we stopped for a little bit of astronaut ice cream.

Space Shuttle Main Engine
Retired after 15 space flights on 3 different orbiters over more than 8 years
Started a total of 78 times, including 63 test starts
(Yes, Kevin is the one responsible for all the mechanical parts photos)

There she is! Endeavour!

This is us with the space shuttle behind us.
But you can't see it.
Because it is behind us.

Mental Note: When you ask a stranger to take a photo for you, you must be explicit in directions that you want the shuttle behind the family, but still visible in the photograph. I mean, right?

After we were done at the Observation Gantry, we re-boarded the tour bus to go to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Connor was in heaven!

It's the largest rocket ever made. Ever.

A smaller model Saturn V
This is what Connor has been saving his money for.
Only he wants one he can launch.
(Hello, birthday!)

Apollo 14 Capsule "Kitty Hawk"
January 31 - February 9, 1971

See how Lex is sleeping? He fell asleep on the tour bus after we left the Observation Gantry. At each stop along the tour bus route, there are these very comfortable looking (read: sarcasm) blue plastic strollers that you can borrow, since you had to leave yours at the first stop. I poured Lex into one, and he didn't wake up for hours. I don't know how he could sleep with his neck like that, but he did.

Our little astronaut got himself a flight suit. Which we had to take off after about 10 minutes because it was 95 degrees outside.

Inside the payload bay of Space Shuttle Explorer

This was another perfect vacation day!