Final Mission -- Atlantis

We decided we needed to watch the space shuttle launch since we are so close and will not likely have the opportunity again. We were warned the traffic would be horrific. They were right! We left Orlando a little before 10:00 a.m., and we reached the Space Coast about 3 hours later. It is normally about an hour. We really weren't sure where to park or view the launch, so we just kind of followed the crowd for the most part. We ended up in front of a hotel or retirement home with a packed lawn of spectators. The crowd cheered as the shuttle started its ascent, and another cheer went up as the rumble of the rockets reached us. Of course, then we jumped back into the flow of traffic heading back to Orlando. All in all, it was a fun family adventure of historical proportions!