Posted by Monty
So I was right, Vero is a great beach. We even found a way to take the dinghy to the park that is right across the street from the beach, then walk over, thereby freeing us from the bus schedule. Brilliant. But after so much beach time, Carol was ready to move on.
We left Vero Beach after a stop for fuel and water, and anchored in the town of Melbourne. Florida, not Australia. We stayed at the same anchorage we did on the way down. Good holding. (Land dwellers would be surprised at how much peace of mind thick mud and a claw anchor provides.) Rode out a couple of showers, had a late breakfast, and then it was on the road again to Titusville. This is very near the NASA launch facility, which I had resolved to tour. It's been on my list since before High School, way back when the original Star Trek was on TV. I remember I used to go into a trance watching that show, only coming out when it was over. Sometimes I would "wake up" to a house full of people who were not there at the beginning of the show. It was disorienting.
I have been by this place many times over the years, by car, airplane, cruise ship, and even once before on the deck of my own boat, but never took the time to go see it. I even posted on Facebook about it. Then, I did some research.
The admission (for two people) is about $100.00. That just gets you into the facility, and lets you view some of the exhibits. Then the tours start. They are separate, and at least what the price of admission is. Then there is transportation to and from. It is actually cheaper to rent a car for the day than to take a taxi. No bus service. (I realize I was just in Vero Beach, where the bus is a free service. No, I don't expect that everywhere. And I know that bus service, generally, is a money loser for the taxpayers. But still.) And there is the question of lunch on premises...
So I took a decision. Is this worth $300.00 or more?
No.
Especially since NASA is way past it's prime. I won't debate (here, at least. If you want a debate, call me) the circumstances why we, as a country, no longer have the capability to put a man in space. Or that we are now paying the Russians an extortionate amount to PLEASE do it for us? Can we catch a ride to the Space Station in your car? I now have Russian friends, after all, and it's not their fault, it's ours.
I can see a Space Shuttle (the truck that WE made that actually hauled the Space Station into orbit, and is now retired, with no replacement) at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. It's a place I want to go by boat anyway, and has much more to see. I think there is also a Saturn Rocket booster there (you know, the one WE used to put men on the moon?) as well as other American "firsts" that are now relegated to history.
So on we go. I am now making my own history.
We have a day tomorrow of "chores". Prescription refills, boat maintenance (I am replacing a belt on the refrigerator compressor with one researched and specified by my friend Linda. Hope it works.), and mailing off tax returns (and checks. Blah.).
Daytona Beach next, then St Augustine, where Carol wants to spend a few days. Onward Ho!
We left Vero Beach after a stop for fuel and water, and anchored in the town of Melbourne. Florida, not Australia. We stayed at the same anchorage we did on the way down. Good holding. (Land dwellers would be surprised at how much peace of mind thick mud and a claw anchor provides.) Rode out a couple of showers, had a late breakfast, and then it was on the road again to Titusville. This is very near the NASA launch facility, which I had resolved to tour. It's been on my list since before High School, way back when the original Star Trek was on TV. I remember I used to go into a trance watching that show, only coming out when it was over. Sometimes I would "wake up" to a house full of people who were not there at the beginning of the show. It was disorienting.
I have been by this place many times over the years, by car, airplane, cruise ship, and even once before on the deck of my own boat, but never took the time to go see it. I even posted on Facebook about it. Then, I did some research.
The admission (for two people) is about $100.00. That just gets you into the facility, and lets you view some of the exhibits. Then the tours start. They are separate, and at least what the price of admission is. Then there is transportation to and from. It is actually cheaper to rent a car for the day than to take a taxi. No bus service. (I realize I was just in Vero Beach, where the bus is a free service. No, I don't expect that everywhere. And I know that bus service, generally, is a money loser for the taxpayers. But still.) And there is the question of lunch on premises...
So I took a decision. Is this worth $300.00 or more?
No.
Especially since NASA is way past it's prime. I won't debate (here, at least. If you want a debate, call me) the circumstances why we, as a country, no longer have the capability to put a man in space. Or that we are now paying the Russians an extortionate amount to PLEASE do it for us? Can we catch a ride to the Space Station in your car? I now have Russian friends, after all, and it's not their fault, it's ours.
I can see a Space Shuttle (the truck that WE made that actually hauled the Space Station into orbit, and is now retired, with no replacement) at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. It's a place I want to go by boat anyway, and has much more to see. I think there is also a Saturn Rocket booster there (you know, the one WE used to put men on the moon?) as well as other American "firsts" that are now relegated to history.
So on we go. I am now making my own history.
We have a day tomorrow of "chores". Prescription refills, boat maintenance (I am replacing a belt on the refrigerator compressor with one researched and specified by my friend Linda. Hope it works.), and mailing off tax returns (and checks. Blah.).
Daytona Beach next, then St Augustine, where Carol wants to spend a few days. Onward Ho!