EPIC Space Road Trip so far! And I keep hearing the Smokey and the Bandit theme song in my head by Jerry Reed, LOL... "We've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there!" Good times.
Day 1 Route
We started in Pacific Beach, San Diego, where we bottled some ocean water -- which we will literally take from the Pacific to the Atlantic! And when I say "we", I mean my two-time Tweetup buddy Jeff, aka @Rocketman528, and the mascot @Camilla_SDO of NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory.
Together we crossed the rocky lower-California desert through Yuma, and crossed into Arizona... where 111 degree heat greeted us! Wow. Oven hot air, so thank heavens for strong air conditioning.
In the great state of Arizona (where I also once lived for over a couple years), we stopped at Stovall's Space Age Lodge and Restaurant, a must-see for any space enthusiast... and also took a nice tour around Tombstone to enjoy the Wyatt Earp Museum, the OK Corral and Wild, Wild West history. Click on any of the maps or pictures to view all our adventures in the newset Picasa Gallery, including Tombstone's newest town Marshal and the many space artifacts in Gila Bend, AZ!
Day 2 Route
Interestingly, there is no way to time and date anything. Our goal is to reach Florida, and we do have a rough time frame, but no real route or dominating schedule. It is all about the freedom of the road! Each day we discuss what is nearby and the things we wish to see, just keeping in mind that we want to be in Florida by July 8th for the launch of Atlantis.
However, that launch may or may not occur. If weather or other issues cause a scrub, there are launch windows on the 9th and 10th, too. But sometimes delays can happen for weeks or months, and we embrace the idea that we have no idea when our road trip will end... or where!
If one of us has to fly home or anywhere for work unexpectedly (more likely for Jeff or Camilla than for me), one of us will have to get the car back to California... and again, on whatever route we please. I wish everyone had the experience of being able to take the time and brain space to just cross the country so freely, and with no scheduling! What a liberating feeling!
Follow us on Twitter to see our daily visits to space spots! Roswell was amazing yesterday afternoon, even if the UFO museum is a bit cheesy. Today we are beginning at Carlsbad Caverns, and moving on into Texas!
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