The next day we were up early (but not quite early enough to catch the shuttle departing) to make use of the car and visit Kennedy Space Centre. John and Kath enjoyed the birds that we could see while breakfasting in the cockpit, particularly the osprey who insisted on taking his breakfast to the top of a nearby boat’s mast before devouring it. The fish remains must play havoc with the wind instruments!

The Space Centre was an awesome experience. The immense size of Saturn V and the vehicle assembly building (the largest building by volume in the world according to the guide) contrasted with the primitiveness of the early Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules, combined to overwhelm us with the incredible technological achievement that had all happened in our lifetimes. We were all very aware, as we walked round the series of missions which lead up to the moon landings, just how brave the men who flew them were. We also saw a film about repairing the Hubble telescope at an Imax theatre, which was amazing. To see the astronauts working outside the shuttle merely restrained by thin lines and toe clips fighting to undo screws and nuts and bolts while wearing huge gloves brought into perspective the difficulty of some of the repair jobs that have to be done on the boat. The time flew by and we hardly seemed to have been there any time before it was time to head back.

We had been recommended Dixie Crossroads by several people as the place to eat for shrimp, so we took advantage of the car and went there to eat that night. I’m not sure what we expected,  the food was very tasty, but fine dining it was not.

The next morning Ted and John washed the boat down, while Kath and I took the car to the Publix to stock up on beer and other essentials. When we got back there was a positive manatee fest round Moorglade as they enjoyed the fresh water pouring off the decks, and yet another excellent photo opportunity.

Jobs done we walked into town to explore the small local museums and enjoy a light lunch at the Sunshine bread shop (and buy some bread). The local history group museum contains exhibits relating to Colonel Titus and other city founding fathers , as well as  everyday items donated by people, with significance to Titusville. The little space museum was a marked contrast to the Space Centre as it contained a lot of items donated by individuals who had worked on the programme. After the museums we wandered along a street looking at the old houses that still  remained after fire and hurricanes, coming back through a space memorial park, which is maintained by the same team as run the small space museum. There was time for tea in the cockpit and a last bird watching session before it got dark

Osprey                                                                                                               Breakfast in the cockpit

The Rocket Garden                                                                           Saturn 1B Rocket

Wildlife all around the Space Centre                                            

Gemini was very cramped                                                                          Kath and John check out if they will fit in

Kath on the gantry to the Shuttle (but at ground level)                                  well you have to do these things.

John at the Imax                                                                                      

Appollo 14  (back from the moon)                                                                       Where it all started

Manatees

The blue patches are our antifoul paint. You can feel them bumping into the boat.

Dixie Crossroads                                                                                           Sugared corn balls offered as a free horsd'oeuvres

Titusville Memorial Park

The oldest remaining house in Titusville (it's for sale)                                           Early twin tub washing machine