Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched!

We spent most of the day yesterday driving down the coast of Georgia and into Florida, with very few stops, since we had to pick up tickets for the big Monday event by 5pm the night before.  That accomplished (phew!) we headed over to Cocoa Beach to see whether or not there are good (big) waves in Florida (a subject of some debate).  On the way there, we actually had to stop while a highway drawbridge was raised to let a sailboat through - that has never happened to me before.  Once we got there, Mason was relieved to see that people were surfing quite successfully.  

Monday morning we headed to Cape Canaveral, to the Kennedy Space Center, where our tickets allowed us to view the launch.  In between Atlantis launch updates with live coverage on the jumbo-tron, we walked around the rocket “garden" and went to a cool 3D space station IMAX movie, and watched the alligators and turtles in a nearby pond.  The whole thing was pretty exciting – it had the feel of a really big play-off game or SuperBowl or something.  When the Atlantis passed each check-point without delay, the whole crowd would cheer.  Over half of the people there were not from the US; many had traveled just to be there for the launch.  There were astronauts from other flights who came out on an outdoor stage to talk about what was happening and answer questions etc…  Then when Atlantis finally launched, it was amazing.  I never realized how bright the jet flames are – so bright that it made it hard to watch.  And it was so loud that the windows were shaking even the several miles away that we were.  It really was an amazing experience to be there in person.  

Sunday we checked into “SonRise Christian RV and Rally Park”  having no idea what that meant.  Since there were no revivals going on while we were there, I guess it just meant crosses in the bathroom tile work. Monday we checked into Fort Wilderness in Orlando and the RV across the road had these decorations up - and no, they do not work for Disney.