Why spend all of your time in southern Florida if you can see other parts of the state just by driving a few hours (unlike Texas)? That started our dilemma….
When deciding between a getaway somewhere else in Florida or a cruise, we picked a road trip. Since we had deposited a timeshare week in 2015 that we haven’t used, we looked at our options within Florida, and not surprisingly, Orlando had the most choices.
In the end, we picked a Marriott Vacation club property that is conveniently located to everything. Our one bedroom unit was recently updated with a modern new look. The full kitchen was stocked and it came furnished with a washer and dryer. I think we made a great choice!
On our first morning, we drove east to Cape Canavarel to see the Kennedy Space Center. Why not see the east coast too, right? It was about an hour drive, but definitely worth it for two adults since we didn’t plan to be theme park junkies all week.
Neither one of us can remember much about visiting here when we were kids. Plus, you look at things very differently as adults. It was a cool outing for sure! The entrance fee was $50 per person but you can easily spend most of the day looking around.
After watching a couple of videos, we loaded up in a bus to see the launch pads. The bus ride took over 30 minutes to arrive at the Apollo building. We couldn’t get close to an active launch pad because a rocket was laying down at the launch site, full of fuel.
Luckily, the weather held off and we stayed dry all day. The clouds parted a few times, but the temperature was a little cool. Most of the displays are inside, so you can still see a lot if it were raining.
It’s hard to tell the scale of the buildings where they assemble rockets, until you see a person, car, or doorway for entering. These things are massive!
We missed seeing an actual launch by one week. You can buy a ticket to watch from two miles away or from five miles away. NASA is currently working on a couple of projects that will be launched by the end of the year.
Several school groups were walking around the complex. What a field trip! It sure beats a lot of other options for kids! Lucky dogs!
We saw a memorial set up for the two crews who lost their lives. It was sad, but also represents the danger that astronauts face every time they go on a mission. It takes brains and bravery to be an astronaut. I don’t think I have the bravery for it.
Seeing some of the old technology makes you appreciate how far we have come as a society. I wish we could see the current mission control center, but I bet it is top secret.
I don’t think small children would be very interested, but boys around ten years or so would love seeing spaceships and astronauts. I highly recommend a visit! Even though it is educational, it is so much fun!
We got a big surprise every time we entered a building. You never knew what was coming up next, besides a lot of walking. I forgot to ask Darin how many steps we took all day. Ha ha ha!
I was impressed by the knowledge of the bus drivers as they toured around the property. I didn’t ask, but I felt like they were retired NASA engineers. If so, what a great way for them to make a little extra cash (not that they need it)!
If you want to eat lunch with an astronaut, you can pay a little extra for the experience. We saw him walking around after lunch. I don’t know his name, but he was a retired famous astronaut that appears in some of the recorded interviews we watched. They have thought of everything here!
I was disappointed that we didn’t ride the take-off simulator. Someone I know, doesn’t do well on some types of rides. No names, but I’m sure you can guess.
This place is HUGE! We walked all around and felt like we missed something. Actually, we did miss the IMAX movie. One show started at 3pm and we walked up at 3:05, but they would not let us enter. We didn’t want to stick around until 4pm for the next show. Bummer!
Near the entrance, and essentially the exit, you can see this mural on a building. When you enter inside, they play two short movies in two different rooms. I was shocked that there was no seating for anyone. Just beware, if you have someone in your party that doesn’t get around well, I recommend a wheelchair because walking and standing take up the majority of your time, with the exception of the bus tour.
We took a different route back to Orlando and this huge alligator on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere caught our attention. Apparently the attraction has closed, but the largest alligator was living here at one time or another. We had a great day and now a great laugh!
