Summer is officially in swing, at least it is here in the South–and I guess it must be gearing up pretty soon in the rest of North America. Sorry Australia. As the weather warms up and my nephew collects spare change in his vacation jug, it puts me in mind of some of my best vacations. Actually it’s hard to choose a best. I’ve been pretty lucky.
Definitely one of the best vacations of my childhood would be the combined summers at Space Camp. I was technically a teenager, technically a middle-schooler, but I can be nerdy enough to admit that space absolutely turned me into an excited little kid and although it wasn’t really anything like the movie, Space Camp was an incredible adventure.
The first year was a whirl-wind. I didn’t know anyone, but it didn’t matter because everyone was a lot like me. I met Heidi right away, a girl who became a very dear, lifelong friend. Much from the two years actually blurs together now, in fact every time I think of a memory from the first year, I start to wonder if it was actually the second year. Which year did I get my head stuck between the bunkbeds? Which year did we build the rocket that was rather hideous and was named The Load Toad? Which year did we look at Jupiter in the giant telescope? Which year did we tour the training facility where astronauts practice weightless maneuvers in dive suits inside a ginormous tank?
I honestly can’t remember anymore. (My memory is terrible. Just ask D. He’s my official memory-keeper. As in, “Remind me to go to the bank. Remind me to eat dinner. Remind me what day it is.”)
What I do remember is that I had so much fun. Every moment was as thrilling as the breathless 4Gs of the Space Shot. Technically, it wasn’t Space Camp. Technically the first year was Space Academy (Level I) and the second year was Advanced Space Academy. Heidi and I were the only girls on the “pilot” track that year, but we hung tough with the boys and loved it. We trained hard and then executed 3 separate missions: We flew the shuttle, we performed experiments on the space station, and we assisted the other teams from the safety of Mission Control. I swear it was exactly like Apollo 13. Except without, you know, Gary Sinise. Or Ed Harris.
There were movies in the OmniMax and private tours of the museum. And So. Many. Dippin’ Dots. We even had our own turn in a big “weightless” metal water tank. Unfortunately I had allergies and was terrified of getting the benz (in 30 feet of water…), so I snorkeled instead. Probably for the best because a tornado choose that moment to make an appearance, and we were unceremoniously hauled from the tank early and sent down to the safety of the basement museum, our wetsuits still dripping. I am, however, slightly haunted by my fear of scuba diving, and as I have never had a good snorkeling experience (stories to come, I’m sure), I hope some day to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef.
One of the highlights of camp was meeting an actual astronaut, and somewhere there may still be photographic evidence. I wish I could say that Space Camp was where I learned not to lose my camera, but alas, remember what I said about my memory? If not, then perhaps your memory is worse than mine. That’s a scary thought.
I can’t speak for other programs, but my time at the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center was truly unparalleled, and I would encourage everyone to go–at least for the day. In fact, given what a good time he had at the Ren Faire, it might be time to haul the Star Wars obsessed E down to Alabama for the day.
What are some of your favorite vacation spots? Best memories? Feel free to share–I’m always looking for someplace new to go. As my dad always says, “You want to do everything.” Well maybe not everything–bungee jumping just doesn’t sound like something I should do.
Tagged: Astronauts, Being Brave, Dippin' Dots, friends, Middle School, snorkeling, Space Camp, Summer, Vacation
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I lived in Ponte Vedra Beach FL for 3rd through 5th grades, and was a member of my school’s Junior Astronauts chapter (yeah, nerd). We took a club trip to Kennedy Space Center and I remember doing some of their tests and learning that I have the reflexes of an astronaut – something I remind my kids of from time to time. The main deterrent for me wanting to be an astronaut was all the shots they had to get. Just not a needles kind of guy.
A few years ago I took my son to the space center in Huntsville. He was a bit young for it, but the destination was as good as the drive. Taking Highway 231 from Murfreesboro to Huntsville is a fun drive. On that trip I got an old school NASA shirt that’s still in regular rotation for me.
One last thing, I was at home sick in Florida the day of the Challenger explosion in 1986. Even though we were pretty far away I went outside after seeing it on TV and could see it in the sky, something I’ll never forget.
Wow what a powerful memory to be a part of. Such a heartbreaking event.
Funny that you lived in Pointe Vedra–a set of twins on the pilot track with Heidi and me were also from Ponte Vedra! How old was your son when you took him to Huntsville? I’ve been to Canaveral a few times, but sadly I never got to see a launch.
Thanks for sharing, Alan!
I think it was around Kindergarten or 1st grade. His grade also took a field trip there a year or two later.
<3 I want to say Space Academy was '96 and '97 if you went twice (which I'd forgotten and thought it was just the once, but '95 was the year we moved, and '98 I graduated, so it had to have been between there. *L*
And I, too, for some reason had a fear of scuba… either that or didn't want to spend the money on the training session needed for the GBR. I did snorkel there, though.
As for my favorites, while I miss the beach now that I'm in the Midwest and Pete can't tolerate the heat that would come with a summer beach vacation, and as awesome as Australia/New Zealand and England/Ireland/Wales were (despite the many fiascos there, haha!), my favorite place to get away to will always be the mountains. Doesn't even matter WHAT mountains, apparently. I loved the cabin in Asheville. I loved hiking the Manzanos south of Albuquerque and going up to the peak of the Sandias. I went to a camping retreat on Cloudcroft one year and twice in another spot in the New Mexican mountains. The two trips P. and I have taken to the Badlands and Black Hills were always amazing, and the Rockies… well… those may well take the cake–to the point we may eventually move to Colorado to actually live in the mountains. Even A. loves the mountains.