Ever since I was a kid and saw the movie Space Camp, I’ve wanted to see a shuttle launch. Last spring when Scott told me that NASA was cancelling their shuttle launch program and their were only 3 left, I began scheming a way to get there and see one.
We planned our entire vacation around the November launch. And while our trip to Florida last November, was one of our best family vacations ever, we didn’t get to see a launch.
When a tour company approaches you as you board their boat offering the chance to back out with a full refund, a normal person would heed the warning, take the money and run.
But we aren’t normal. Because we have a quest to visit every national park during our married life together. And this quest brought us all the way down to Key West. And we didn’t drive all the way down to Key West only to turn around and head 100 miles north without first taking a boat 70 nautical miles further west to Dry Tortugas National Park.
Our time at Biscayne National Park was fun, but way too short. We took a 3 hour tour (which thankfully turned out much better than the infamous 3 hr tour). I think the kids favorite part was the 45 minute ride out to Boca Chita Island. They described their ride out their as “the best rollar coaster ride ever!” The wind was really blowing. I thought it felt much like those super sonic hand dryers that look like they are ripping your skin off.
When we arrived at Everglades NP it was shortly before midnight and raining quite hard. Scott got out of the van to attempt to put up the tent, but when he remembered the top of our tent is open screen (which we then put a cover over after set up) he realized it would be futile as the entire inside of the tent would be soaked before we even set it up.
Because we were only planning to do one day in Disney (I hope to take the whole family back later for a longer Disney vacation when all of the the kids are old enough to truly enjoy and appreciate it. This day in Magic Kingdom was just to hold them me over for the next 5 years or so) I didn’t even try to pretend we’d be able to do or see it all in one day.
We chose this year and even this specific week to take our Florida trip because the Space Shuttle Discovery was supposed to make it last launch into space. Both Scott and had always wanted to see a shuttle launch and being as it is one of the last launches ever, we really wanted to take the kids to see this historical event.
The launch was originally planned for Mon Nov 1st.
Normally, I consider myself pretty laid back. Messy faces, germs, they all go with the territory of life with small kids and I don’t sweat em.
Then last year we took our grand Texas vacation… during which you may recall I caught the circus children licking the airplane window.
Then we spent our grand Texas vacation with multiple ear and sinus infections, suspected pink eye, laryngitis, and asthma episodes culminating with a day at a clinic in downtown San Antonio.
The outing started out so beautiful and picturesque. The drive there was lovely… leaves just starting to change, sipping my pumpkin spice latte, even the clouds looked “fall like” (amazing how everything looks lovely when the kids aren’t requiring you to referee from the drivers seat…thank you Psalty the Singing Songbook) We got to the farm and the kids happily ate their lunches while I nursed the baby. Then we were off to pick apples.
It’s been almost a year since our grand Texas vacation and already I’ve got the planning bug for another grand circus family trek. Remember how I thought we’d just swing by Houston since we’d be in El Paso? Well, I have similar aspirations for a trip to California in the fall. (I know originally I’d been thinking we’d do a Florida trip, but baby number 4 has changed that aspiration a bit)
Here’s a random Crystal factoid for you.
I hate flying.
It not the getting to the airport hrs early or the waiting in lines for security that gets me. It’s the act of actually flying that I am opposed to. Don’t get me wrong. I do it and though I am no frequent flier I would say I fly with some frequency; at least once sometimes twice a year. But, I hate the feeling of queasiness I get during take off and landing.