Florida: John F. Kennedy Space Center

J. F. Kennedy Space Center on Merrit Island, Florida. It's a place that, for me at least, conjures up memories of childish wonder and awe. A place of space travel, astronauts,  moon walks, and yes, Star Trek. I went back to those memories with a three-day, two-night mini vacation to Cocoa Beach. I would love to say that my childhood came alive again, but to be honest, while there were some interesting things at Kennedy, the overall feeling was one of age and sadness. It felt like a war memorial to the 1980s.

The three and a half hour drive from Tampa to Cocoa Beach was uneventful on a Friday morning. We took the toll roads which significantly reduced the traffic and back tracking and only hit rain on the east-side of Orlando. Finding the Days Inn on Cocoa Beach wasn't hard, it's about half-way down the island on the waterfront, right at the Cocoa Beach Pier (5500 N Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931). The room had a microwave, coffee pot, refrigerator and a large tv and bathroom and two queen-sized beds and cost $173 for 2 people for 3 days/2 nights.

Kennedy Space Center cost $60.99 per person (including tax) for basic admission per person and an additional $10 for parking. The day we went there was a lot of wind and rain, so the parking lot wasn't manned and they never checked our parking ticket. I'd recommend just paying for parking (if you have to) once you get there. We also got in closer to 1pm, which gave us a little over 5 hours to walk around and see everything. We missed the astronaut signing and the IMAX movies, but did the standard bus tour and the shuttle experience. Contrary to what the websites say, you have to pay (~$20) for the signing, so unless you are a die-hard fan (or have a lot of money to spend) I didn't feel it was worth it.

The bus tour was good, but sit in the front and on the right hand side to be able to hear the driver and take the best photos. You go by several of the launch pads (including SpaceX's pad) and can get a good idea of the scale but there isn't all that much to see. Most of the interactive features are now being pushed through the Cosmic Quest game ($20) which limits what you can actually do (hands-on wise) during your visit. The best parts are the  Apollo/Saturn V Center (part of the bus tour) and the Space Shuttle Atlantis building. In Atlantis the Shuttle Experience is the most fun. If you've ever done the roller coaster simulators you'll feel right at home. You need to put all your belongings (purse, bags, phones, and keys) in a locker beforehand since the room gets tipped on its side and your stuff might fall out. They will not let you ride if you have anything on you.

If you are going with kids take the entire day and pace yourself. If you are going as adults, 6-7 hrs is really all the time you need unless you watch both IMAX movies, then you need around 8 hours. I'm glad I went, but I don't need to go back and that makes me a bit sad as I had such great memories of my time there as a kid. I hope they add more features in the future and that the new missions get more exhibits (there's really only one tiny area that talks about future missions). The park is clean and well designed though and the kids we saw seemed to have a good time. If you are in the area it's not a bad day trip, but I would not recommend coming down specifically to go to Kennedy Space Center alone.