Once we got back from Florida, we asked Jefferson what he wanted to learn this summer. He said "space." And, brother, he learned about space. As a reward, we took him to the US Space and Rocket Center in Hunstville, AL. This the view from our hotel window.
When you're a kid, there are museums and there are MUSEUMS!!!! This is the latter. There is a ton of stuff for kids to do. Stuff to climb.
Stuff to click.
Stuff to ... ???
Jefferson announced that he's going to Space Camp when he's 9 or 14.
The rocket park was excellent.
The scale of these rockets is incredible.
We saw a Saturn V in Florida and it was astonishing. When we found out there was one only 6 hours away, we had to go see it. It's as tall as a 36 story building. The engines are enormous. These were purpose built to go to the moon. I know we're amazed what our smart phones can do, but think about this: people walked on the moon. There was a time when going to the moon was something that seemed impossible. Then they did it. With this!
Jefferson got to climb in the Mercury simulator. The Mercury astronauts said you don't ride it so much as wear it.
Looks good on him!
We both got in the Apollo trainer. It's a little cramped in there.
Alan Bean is one of my favorite Apollo astronauts. The Apollo 12 episode of From the Earth to the Moon is my favorite (Alan Bean is portrayed by Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall). His story is so compelling. He wrote the inscription below this moon rock.
This is the Apollo 16 capsule which took John Young, Ken Mattingly, and Charlie Duke to the moon and back. We saw Apollo 12 in Virginia a few years ago and Apollo 14 in Florida. Three down. Look out Hutchinson, Kansas. You're next.
If you go the Space and Rocket center, pay the extra $12 for the bus tour of the Marshall Space Flight center. You see incredible things. They take you to the International Space Center Payload Operations Center. They don't announce it, but you might meet an astronaut. We did!
The tour stops at the historic Redstone Test Stand.
This is the bunker where Wernher von Braun would observe the rocket tests.
This is the other side. Listen, if you want a kick, ask Jefferson who Wernher von Braun was. He knows. And it's hilarious.
Well, you can't leave Hunstville without paying respects to Miss Baker, one of the heroic monkeys that was sent into space. She lived a long life after her service in space. People leave bananas at her grave. I can't tell if Jefferson is being respectful or thinking about stealing a banana.
