Robo56
Look into my eyes
- Joined
- May 8, 2015
Saturday, February 11th
After a good nights sleep it was time to get up and moving. I got up early and took a nice bubble bath. I had already packed by back before I went to bed. So I dressed grabbed by suitcase and out the door I went.
I stopped at the desk to check out and Hope who had checked me in few days before was there and she checked me out. She is a wonderful young lady with a fantastic happy personality.
Checking out is not hard as I know I will be back to Universal again. I will be back this summer and again in September for HHN. I do enjoy coming to my HAPPY place and it is always nice to look forward to.
As I have grown older I have found a nice balance of relaxation at the pool, a little retail therapy and park time and enjoying good food on my vacations to Universal.
I had a wonderful time celebrating Mardi Gras at Universal this trip. Universal has done a wonderful job of hosting events during the year and concerts. They have grown so much in the many years I have been coming to visit. It has been wonderful to see the progress and I look forward to Epic Universe.
This morning I was excited about my trip to Kennedy Space Center. No matter how many times I go during the year I always find something I have not explored the time before.
A little back story. I‘am a Star Gazer….LOL….always have been. I do enjoy taking my telescope out and looking at the moon, planets and stars.
I remember the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20th 1969. I was 10 years old. Neil Armstrong’s words when he stepped off the Lunar Module (The Eagle) and said “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind“ was something to see and left an impression on me I would never forget. I like everyone else around the World was glued to the TV in awe.
Of the 3 astronauts on Apollo 11 Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon that day. Collins stayed back on ship and the next day the lunar module ascended back to the ship and docked after Armstrong and Aldrin had spent the night on the moons surface in the module.
They left a plaque on the moon which read “Here men from the planet Earth- first set foot on the moon-July 1969 A.D.-We came in peace for all mankind”
I first went to Kennedy Space Center when we took our son when he was 12 years old. That was 33 years ago. Many years later we then took our son, daughter in law, granddaughter and grandson which was about 15 years ago. There was another gap of about another 13 years until I would return again and boy had Kennedy Space center changed. I‘am getting ahead of myself here…..LOL
The trip up to Kennedy Space Center is easy. From the resort I take the I4 to the 528 East. Just follow the signs. It is about 54 miles from the Resorts at Universal.
The 528 is a toll road so you can pay for your tolls (if you do this keep to the right once you are approaching the toll area) or you can be preemptive with your travels in Florida and buy a SunPass toll pass transponder and put some money on your account and use it to cover all your travels in Florida that have tolls. It is easy to set up. You can purchase them at the welcome centers in Florida and the Travel centers on the Turnpike. Florida has done away with lot of their toll booths and if you don’t have SunPass or EZ Pass they will take a picture of your license plate and bill you and that will end up costing you more.
If you have a rental car they give you and option for an upcharge of using their SunPass card on the windshield of your rental car. If you do not use it and you go through a toll without paying or having use of SunPass they will take a picture of your license as you go through and the rental company will charge you an up charge for the toll.
Also if you rent a car you can just take your portable transponder off your front windshield put it on the windshield of your rental car and go into your account and add your rental car license plate for the amount of time you will have it and your good to go. JUST DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE YOUR TRANSPONDER WHEN YOU TURN IN YOUR RENTAL CAR.
I wanted to get to the KSC when it opened at 9am as I knew it would be busy today. It was Saturday and KSC is busy on the weekends. Best time to go if you can is during the week. The weather is nice during the winter months up until May. It is hot in the summer and then becomes pleasant again at the end of September on through the winter months.
It was time to renew my AP so I planned to do that first thing when I arrived. With your AP you get free parking and 10% off your food and merchandise.
If you know you will be visiting more then once it pays to get an AP.
Also there is a family AP that could come out to be a big savings for a family of 6.
Tickets, AP’s and add on experiences are easily bought online on Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Website.
I arrived at about 9:15 am and there was a line to get in already. There are some nice photo ops outside of the gate.
Once inside I went to the office to renew my AP. You get your picture taken for your hard plastic AP and a nice lanyard comes with it. There are nice pins and keychains to hang on your lanyard to purchase within the different stores.
I noticed that the new AP photo was of the new Gateway Building that opened last Spring.
It can take a couple of days to really appreciate all there is to be seen at the Visitors Complex. If you only have one day make sure to be there as soon as the complex opens to take advantage of all there is to see and do.
Once you enter the complex to the left is the Heroes and Legends building.
To the right of that building and straight ahead is the Rocket Garden. A new addition to the rocket garden a couple of years ago was the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket with the shark face on the payload fairing. It stands a 132 feet tall and really stands out from the other rockets in the garden.
To be continued
After a good nights sleep it was time to get up and moving. I got up early and took a nice bubble bath. I had already packed by back before I went to bed. So I dressed grabbed by suitcase and out the door I went.
I stopped at the desk to check out and Hope who had checked me in few days before was there and she checked me out. She is a wonderful young lady with a fantastic happy personality.
Checking out is not hard as I know I will be back to Universal again. I will be back this summer and again in September for HHN. I do enjoy coming to my HAPPY place and it is always nice to look forward to.
As I have grown older I have found a nice balance of relaxation at the pool, a little retail therapy and park time and enjoying good food on my vacations to Universal.
I had a wonderful time celebrating Mardi Gras at Universal this trip. Universal has done a wonderful job of hosting events during the year and concerts. They have grown so much in the many years I have been coming to visit. It has been wonderful to see the progress and I look forward to Epic Universe.
This morning I was excited about my trip to Kennedy Space Center. No matter how many times I go during the year I always find something I have not explored the time before.
A little back story. I‘am a Star Gazer….LOL….always have been. I do enjoy taking my telescope out and looking at the moon, planets and stars.
I remember the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20th 1969. I was 10 years old. Neil Armstrong’s words when he stepped off the Lunar Module (The Eagle) and said “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind“ was something to see and left an impression on me I would never forget. I like everyone else around the World was glued to the TV in awe.
Of the 3 astronauts on Apollo 11 Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon that day. Collins stayed back on ship and the next day the lunar module ascended back to the ship and docked after Armstrong and Aldrin had spent the night on the moons surface in the module.
They left a plaque on the moon which read “Here men from the planet Earth- first set foot on the moon-July 1969 A.D.-We came in peace for all mankind”
I first went to Kennedy Space Center when we took our son when he was 12 years old. That was 33 years ago. Many years later we then took our son, daughter in law, granddaughter and grandson which was about 15 years ago. There was another gap of about another 13 years until I would return again and boy had Kennedy Space center changed. I‘am getting ahead of myself here…..LOL
The trip up to Kennedy Space Center is easy. From the resort I take the I4 to the 528 East. Just follow the signs. It is about 54 miles from the Resorts at Universal.
The 528 is a toll road so you can pay for your tolls (if you do this keep to the right once you are approaching the toll area) or you can be preemptive with your travels in Florida and buy a SunPass toll pass transponder and put some money on your account and use it to cover all your travels in Florida that have tolls. It is easy to set up. You can purchase them at the welcome centers in Florida and the Travel centers on the Turnpike. Florida has done away with lot of their toll booths and if you don’t have SunPass or EZ Pass they will take a picture of your license plate and bill you and that will end up costing you more.
If you have a rental car they give you and option for an upcharge of using their SunPass card on the windshield of your rental car. If you do not use it and you go through a toll without paying or having use of SunPass they will take a picture of your license as you go through and the rental company will charge you an up charge for the toll.
Also if you rent a car you can just take your portable transponder off your front windshield put it on the windshield of your rental car and go into your account and add your rental car license plate for the amount of time you will have it and your good to go. JUST DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE YOUR TRANSPONDER WHEN YOU TURN IN YOUR RENTAL CAR.
I wanted to get to the KSC when it opened at 9am as I knew it would be busy today. It was Saturday and KSC is busy on the weekends. Best time to go if you can is during the week. The weather is nice during the winter months up until May. It is hot in the summer and then becomes pleasant again at the end of September on through the winter months.
It was time to renew my AP so I planned to do that first thing when I arrived. With your AP you get free parking and 10% off your food and merchandise.
If you know you will be visiting more then once it pays to get an AP.
Also there is a family AP that could come out to be a big savings for a family of 6.
Tickets, AP’s and add on experiences are easily bought online on Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Website.
I arrived at about 9:15 am and there was a line to get in already. There are some nice photo ops outside of the gate.
Once inside I went to the office to renew my AP. You get your picture taken for your hard plastic AP and a nice lanyard comes with it. There are nice pins and keychains to hang on your lanyard to purchase within the different stores.
I noticed that the new AP photo was of the new Gateway Building that opened last Spring.
It can take a couple of days to really appreciate all there is to be seen at the Visitors Complex. If you only have one day make sure to be there as soon as the complex opens to take advantage of all there is to see and do.
Once you enter the complex to the left is the Heroes and Legends building.
To the right of that building and straight ahead is the Rocket Garden. A new addition to the rocket garden a couple of years ago was the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket with the shark face on the payload fairing. It stands a 132 feet tall and really stands out from the other rockets in the garden.
To be continued
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