Mickey and the Rockets

In order to celebrate the end of semester, my roommate and I elected to go to Florida and spend a few days off over there at the end of May. This was initially scheduled to coincide with the launch of the space shuttle Discovery from Cape Canaveral but the launch got delayed. We subsequently missed it as I had to return to Atlanta in order to catch my flight back to Paris.

• Atlanta to Cape Canaveral

This was the first leg of our journey South to Florida and it could not be any simpler: stay on the very same interstate I-75 for at least seven hours between Atlanta and Orlando and then head East towards Titusville in Florida. However, things never go as planned and soon enough we were on I-85 to Montgomery, Alabama…

Not fearing the extra miles, we decided to continue on this way until Lagrange where we would head South to Columbus and then East to Albany and Tifton… Obviously this added several hours to our otherway very long journey since this new route goes through smaller roads... Not very surprisingly, we were still in Georgia at dinner-time…

Anyway, we drove through Valdosta, Gainesville, Ocala, Orlando and finally reached Titusville around two in the morning.

• Cape Canaveral

The following day was dedicated to the visit of Cape Canaveral. Learning from my mistakes of the past, we got up quite early to be there at the opening and to get the tickets for the so-called up-close tour. We started the day with the usual exhibitions one would expect in a scientific park : the rocket garden.

The rocket garden is a static display of several intercontinental ballistic missiles and early rockets. The display emphasizes on the evolutionary side of rocket science. Mankind did not come up one day with a whole new rocket design. Instead early rockets were simply slightly modified missiles. As demands to send heavier loads into space increased, early ICBMs got modified and tweaked to accommodate boosted engines. When this band-aid solution reached its own limits, engineers started stacking additional stages below the original missile leading to what is now called the multi-stage rocket.

The inactive launch pad is open

Later in the day, we had the opportunity to board a tour leading to the launch pads 139A and 139B. The North one was not being used at that time but the South one was displaying Discovery in all its glory. Of course because we are lucky we could not actually see the Orbiter itself as it was hidden by other pieces of equipments. We were nonetheless able to see the solid rocket boosters and the main external tank.

It is this very external tank that delayed the launch of Discovery as Lockheed Martin which designs them in Louisiana got trouble during the manufacturing process and had to delay the shipment to Florida. No need to say that it is a very strange feeling to stand next to a real Orbiter that will be in space thousands of miles away in just a matter of days…

Discovery baking in the sun while awaiting its launch

We finished the day by visiting some other exhibits, going into simulators and finally watching an IMAX movie. In the evening, we drove West through severe thunderstorms to Orlando where we did overnight.

• Orlando

The next day was one of the highlights of the trip as it was the visit to DisneyWorld. This visit was split in half with the morning dedicated to Magic Kingdom, the very essence of Disney Park and Epcot Center during the late afternoon.

I had already gone to these two places but it was long long ago and it felt really really strange to get back there twenty-two years later…

Upon arrival in the park, we were greeted by the iconic and colorful Cinderella Castle shaped like the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.

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Cinderella Castle at the Walt Disney World Resort

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A very nice and sporty ride...

Magic Kingdom features some very nice attractions like the Mine Train, Space Mountain and the Haunted House. I will nevertheless remember it mostly for the Mickey and Minnie village. So cute!! It brings back alive the little child that is sleeping inside each of us !!

Mickey's home...

Epcot Center is more or less an educational park devoted to the achievements of Mankind and tries to pay a tribute to the cultural diversity worldwide through its villages representing the World.

Epcot Center and its famous giant golf ball is the only thing I still remember of my '86 Disney visit.

The day finished with a nice fireworks display over the lake at Epcot and the awesome and charming Disney Characters parade at Magic Kingdom.

The iconic golf ball at Epcot

• Orlando to Saint Augustine

Early the following day, we got into Seaworld, one of the other iconic theme-parks in Orlando and one of the very few things I still remember from my previous trip. I did remember that because at that time I was scared by those huge and frightening orcas…

Welcome to Seaworld...

Seaworld, as the name implies, is a theme-park focused on water-related matters. So besides the famous dolphin, sea lion, and orca shows, there are quite a few aquariums to gaze at. From Floridian wildlife such as gators and manatees to polar-bears and belugas, there should be something for everyone.

Orca's extravaganza

The large shark and ray aquarium which features an underwater glass tunnel is also an interesting feature as we are literally walking in a glass tube beneath sharks. 'On a marché sous la mer' cartoonist Hergé would say...

The Atlantic Coast north of Daytona Beach

In mid-afternoon, we headed Northeast towards the Atlantic coast and Saint Augustine. We enjoyed a few splashes in the Atlantic in between Flagler and Beverly Beach. The water was actually very warm for the season and it was a pleasure relaxing and taking full advantage of the soothing effect of the sea.

• Saint Augustine to Atlanta

The last day was dedicated to the visit of the oldest city in the United States. Saint Augustine or San Agustin as it was called during those days was founded in 1565 by the Spanish admiral Pedro Menendez, only seventy-three years after Cristobal Colon discovered the New World. The city is one of the few American cities that have their own character with monuments made of stones and are plainly said to have a European look.

Saint Augustine historic center

We then headed north to Jacksonville where we reached the sea for the second time during our trip. It was quite a windy day and the sea was a bit rough. But I like rough seas…

Late in the afternoon, we headed back to Atlanta. All in all, a very nice week-end that will stay carved in my memory for a while. A short movie of this trip is available here. Please enjoy!