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Apopka, FL and Kennedy Space Center

It’s time! I put on my magic snowbird wings and entered Florida for the winter. I’m hoping to stay 6 months in the warmth and see everything I missed last time. A stop at the Florida Visitor’s Center at the border is a great idea. Grab some free Florida orange juice and bunches of brochures with coupons off the numerous walls. For any questions, staff at the desk can help and they have bags for your brochures.

Driving through Jacksonville got a little crowded but the city is lovely from the I95. The drive took me right past Daytona International Speedway as well. I arrived in much appreciated 80 degree weather at Sun Resort RV Park, a C2C park. The sites are well shaded while mine provided a nice hole through the trees for my satellite dish. The long pull-thru space made it easy to navigate into a good position for my dish. The site is level and sandy with a concrete patio and table. From the looks of the electric boxes, the park has been around awhile. The pool is very large and has music playing. The bathhouse is very clean though old. The location is only 10 miles from Universal Studios theme park and 25 from Disneyworld.

While I was there, I took a day to go tour Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral just a week before the launch of the Endeavour space shuttle. With your ticket, you get 2 days to tour the facility which you really will need because there is just too much to see and do. You also get free admittance to the Astronaut museum nearby.

Welcome to NASAshuttleRocket GardenEndeavour

Getting to go inside a real shuttle was wonderful! The Shuttle Experience Simulator is an absolute must. I could ride that over and over. Tip: have a quarter on you to rent a locker. Loose items are not allowed on the simulator. The Rocket Garden was pretty cool. I got to walk on the same gantry there that Neil Armstrong walked on for his historic fight to the moon. Leave plenty of time for the tram tour. They take you out to the observation tower to see the launch pad. I saw the Endeavour loaded and ready to go on the pad. You will also see the Assembly building on the way and the Saturn V History building. They have great displays of the shuttle science modules and quarters as well as a view into a clean room where items are assembled to go on the shuttles. There are several places there showing IMAX films. I highly recommend hitting the picture booth there as well. I dare you to try and leave without a souvenir. It just isn’t possible after seeing the many gift shops there.

The Cape is a wildlife refuge btw. You will very likely see an alligator or two in the culverts along the road, possibly a manatee, and lots of buzzards. According to our guide, you do not want to be anywhere near the animals particularly alligators during a launch. The vibration of the engines really pisses them off!

For more pics click here.

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