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Kennedy Space Center, Florida

KSC slideshow
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This was actually the second time I'd been to Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The first time was in 2001. I was coming down the East coast of the US, and went to KSC instead of going straight to Orlando.

All it did was thunderstorm on me. I didn't go out on the bus tour for precisely that reason, and ended up driving down the Beeline to Orlando. I took a couple of pictures of the Rocket Garden before it was done. The rest was video, or the camera stayed inside due to the rain...

Rocket Garden (still under construction in 2001 when these images were taken)...
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450px Map
Click on the map for a larger view... Map ©Delaware North Parks Services of Spaceport, Inc.
In December 2006, PiC and I drove down to KSC to see a shuttle lift off. We were at mile marker 52 on Route 528, which looked to be a great place to watch the night launch from. At T minus 5:00, the very last moment a shuttle launch could be scratched, the launch was scratched. Bummer. I saw the shuttle lift off the next evening from Universal Orlando... Bummer, again.

If they still had shuttle launches, I'd tell you how to park there. There's a trick to it. :-)

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In October 2007, I was coming down from a disappointing trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and once again found myself on I-95. We decided to stop in, since there was going to be a shuttle launch in 3 days. I ended up buying an Up-Close tour, which got you as close to the Shuttle as any mere mortal can go, without NASA's blessing. It was a very cool tour. I'd recommend it if they still had it...

Kennedy Space Center
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This place is the real deal, not theme park dressing or make-believe, but the place where the last frontier was explored. Well, mostly. With the shuttle program dead, this place doesn't come close to the crowds it once did, but it's still worth a visit to see the place where history was made as you grew up when you were a kid...

Revisions:
  • 05/01/2010 - Entire page re-imaged, pictures added
  • 09/09/2012 - Update to v3
  • 12/30/2012 - Update to v3.1
  • 08/31/2014 - Update to v3.2
  • September 2022 - Upgrade to v5.0.
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