Yes, we are finally there? For now.

 Good Morning, it was a beautiful sunrise in Melbourne, Fl. What will we do today?

Toni let me see a NASA Astronaut (Don't tell her that it was just a cardboard cutout!!).  I told her that  many of the NASA astronauts are graduates of US Navy Test Pilot School at Pax River!

Toni and Rob then surprised me and instead of going south to Fort Lauderdale, we went back north to Cape Canaveral, Home of NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

We saw the Vehicle Assembly Building from a long distance. That is where they assemble the entire rocket before carrying it out to the launch pad.

We got to our spot at Jetty Park (just south of Cape Canaveral Space Force Center).  They had a sign that was warning the boaters that there would be a launch today.

     

   

But we were there a couple hours before the launch so to pass the time, I walked on the beach, watched some birds, and saw a Navy and a Coast Guard ship.

  

   

While we were waiting, we talked to a family from near home. They were from King George, Va. Just across the Potomac River from Maryland.  Then it was time for launch.  We were able to see the rocket rise above the tree, then up into the sky above our heads.

   

The rocket rose and left a trail that stayed in the air for many minutes.

  

Not only did that Rocket's first stage go up before the second stage rocket took the satellites to orbit, but the first stage came back down and landed back at Cape Canaveral.

  

  

As the rocket was coming down, it created two quick sonic booms as it slowed from Supersonic speeds.  The planes that my Dad and Grampy work on sometimes create sonic booms when they break the sound barrier.  When this happened, it scared the birds and they all started flying in circles.

After that we got back in the van and headed south.  I finally saw the Fort Lauderdale exit for Port Everglades. This is the port where we will get on the cruise ship.  And then we reached our hotel.

  

Wow, down here in Fort Lauderdale, they have trees we don't have in Maryland.  Trees with bananas and trees with coconuts.

  

    

Also around the hotel, they had a few things that Toni really thought I would like.  An orange and a pirate!

   

When we went back to the hotel, it was back up steps again with these little legs.

Supper was good again with some chips and dip, and a sausage sandwich

   

When I asked what fun will we have tomorrow, I was confused. I heard laundry, packing, covid tests, and a haircut.  That doesn't sound fun for tomorrow but then we are on the ship for the real adventure!