R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Camping Adventures
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Shuttle Launch (updated with pics)
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedShuttle Launch (updated with pics)

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 9>
Author
Message
techntrek View Drop Down
Admin Group - pHp
Admin Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9059
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Shuttle Launch (updated with pics)
    Posted: 25 Mar 2011 at 2:15pm
We were going to pull the kids and my wife from school (she's a teacher) and make a mad dash w/o the 'pod down and back to FL to see the shuttle launch on April 19th.  Then we realized that is their Spring Break! Star  We were jumping for joy, we could now stay for the week.  Now the 'pod is going with us, we are staying at a state park just north of Orlando called Wekiwa Springs.  We got the last site open on that Saturday through Thursday morning, and we'll have to change sites for one day on Thursday until we leave on Friday.  No problem, I'm just happy we got so close on such short notice. 
 
We did Disney in a big way 3 years ago so no mouse this time, but we will be working in trips to Universal or Sea World, plus the Kennedy Space Center, and possibly Downtown Disney again (ok, so we may see a little bit of the mouse, but at least this is "free" excluding the shopping).  And of course a long day of waiting on Tuesday for 8 minutes of intense fire and sound!  Then I can check "shuttle launch" off my bucket list.  Finally.  I've only wanted to see one since the first one took off.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
Back to Top
psaman View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 26 Jun 2010
Location: Corpus Christi
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 231
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2011 at 3:41pm
I am so envious! Back in 2007, my wife and I were vacationing at the Disney complex, during which time one of the shuttles was going to launch. We bought a package through one of the local tourist companies that would put us at the cape , as close as they could, to the launch. It was supposed to launch on a Thursday morning, but was re-scheduled for Friday. Friday morning early, they called us and told us it was canceled again and reset for Saturday morning . But we had to leave Saturday morning and missed it Cry. We were so disappointed, because we knew it was probably a once in a lifetime event .  Anyway, hope you have a wonderful time!
2011 R-177 "Sponge-Pod"
2011 F-150 XLT "Texas Edition"
Back to Top
Outbound View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 19 Nov 2009
Location: Oshawa, Ontario
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 767
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2011 at 4:49pm
Make sure to head to Universal Studios Island of Adventure to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  What they've done there is absolutely amazing.  I really enjoyed myself when we went last December.

And, if you're up for something different that's a lot of fun, entertaining and educational (and cheap!), visit Gatorland.  They've got the right mix of redneck fun and serious zoo that makes this a great place to spend 5-6 hours.
Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150
Back to Top
profmagickb View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 15 Oct 2010
Location: New Iberia, LA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 37
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2011 at 5:35pm
That will be a BLAST, looks like it might be dark too, that will be very impressive..... I like your style.....The one shuttle launch I watched was a guerrilla camping trip with the family, and I had a great time (pre RV days).... We drove straight to Titusville, FL and watched from the A Max Brewer Memorial Pkwy Bridge. It was awesome, we didn't realize where the shuttle would launch from, so some of us fumbling with cameras missed the very beginning...... There is a campground in Titusville that they say you can see the shuttle launch from, and when we went still had spots available...might be worth checking out, I'm not sure where wiketa is, but it seems kind of far away, but am told told you can see the shuttle from Orlando. 

It may only be 8 minutes of sight and sound, but you get to watch the shuttle take off, then hear it a little while later, well worth the trip.....

Had some good pics, resized them, then realized I had to host them somewhere...... so maybe later.
I can't even begin to describe it.... you would just have to see for yourself....
Back to Top
Guests View Drop Down
Guest Group
Guest Group
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2011 at 7:23am
That sounds way too cool!  I wish I could go! Smile
Back to Top
techntrek View Drop Down
Admin Group - pHp
Admin Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9059
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2011 at 1:18pm

profmagic, the campground you are thinking of is at Jetty Park.  There is a day-use park on the beach too, just south of the campground, which is where I plan on watching.  I didn't even try to call the campground, there is a negative chance that they have anything open.  Map of Jetty Park here  

psaman - my biggest worry about our original plan was that it would get scrubbed and rescheduled for the next day and we would have to go home.  Now we have more flexibility if that happens - as long as it doesn't get rescheduled for a week later.  I did see that 2 tour carriers have tickets available to get on the KSC grounds for the launch, but it would be nearly $450 to do that.  I'll stick with Jetty Park, we have 2 other week-long trips this summer and I'm still not sure how I'm paying for all of this!

Outbound - we asked the kids last night and they voted for Sea World.  I would have preferred one of the Universal parks.  The wife wasn't too enthusiastic about Gatorland but I did suggest it.

Can't wait!

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
Back to Top
Outbound View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 19 Nov 2009
Location: Oshawa, Ontario
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 767
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2011 at 1:50pm
Originally posted by techntrek

The wife wasn't too enthusiastic about Gatorland but I did suggest it.

No one ever is, including myself.  A friend of mine had suggested it, and I wasn't expecting much.  We had a half-day to fill, so we thought why not?  Maybe that's why it was such an unexpected surprise.

You'll have a great time at the launch.  Kennedy Space Centre is a fantastic destination - I could have spent another day there exploring.  I still remember being 10 years old, standing on the side of a highway watching the launch of a Venus Orbiter on an Atlas-Centaur...
< ="-" ="text/; =utf-8">
Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150
Back to Top
techntrek View Drop Down
Admin Group - pHp
Admin Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9059
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Mar 2011 at 5:27pm

Sweet!

I remember taking the bus tour in the mid-80's, they let the kids get off while we were parked on the landing strip.  I took off running looking for any possible pebble or chunk of concrete I could take home as a memento.  I think I gave the tour leader a heart attack he started yelling at me to come back.  LOL.  Never did find anything, the strip was still too new and too well maintained.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
Back to Top
techntrek View Drop Down
Admin Group - pHp
Admin Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9059
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2011 at 12:03pm
So much for those plans, the Shuttle launch is being delayed by a week and a half due to a conflict with a Russian supply ship.  They couldn't have figured this out months ago?!?
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
Back to Top
Guests View Drop Down
Guest Group
Guest Group
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Apr 2011 at 4:19pm
Thumbs DownThumbs Down
Oh well, there's still fun to had camping.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 9>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz