Inside they have a range of classical and choral music playing at a quiet level, making a great atmosphere for the learning exhibits. They had little house-fronts set up with a display at each for the various holidays coming up now on the calendar- from Christmas to Kwaanza and Hannukah to Ramadan. We started at a math exhibit and went on to problems of weight and motion. Jonathan and Rebecca did a couple of science experiments while Elena and Jeremiah climbed up and down a giant climbing maze made of hard rope and platforms.
Also a big hit was the'Miniopolis'-type section where the kids could try working in the grocery store, at City Hall, as a reporter or even as a Café owner. They were given an ATM card which, although not real worked on the 'city' bank machine to draw out or deposit their paycheques. There were as almost everywhere, a lot of school classes visiting, making it quite busy in the morning, but it was easier for the kids to play in the afternoon.
We were some of the last to leave and we didn't manage everything, and we had arrived 15 minutes after opening! We started with movie presentation about the history of the space program, from the earliest rockets through the race to get man on the moon to the present day space station. Following that we were let out into the museum section which houses some of the actual original rockets, a Gemini space capsule, a Moon Buggy used for training (the used ones are still on the moon) and sand and rocks brought back from the moon. There was a small rock from the moon that we were allowed to feel. It was black and completely smooth and worn from being touched by so many hands.
Coming out of there was a display for the kids with an 'Angry Birds' theme. They could weigh themselves to see what they would weigh on different planets, at the same time looking in a mirror which distorted their image to be either tall and thin or short and fat. We went to another theatre where we saw a film chronicalling the history of the Shuttle Program. We snatched a quick lunch and looked around the nose-portion of the shuttle before running over to the Blast Off Theater for a talk by Astronaut Tom Jones. All that he had to say was interesting and he spoke so that the kids could also understand most of what he had to say.
Our next thing to do was the tram tour. When we arrived at NASA, at the Houston Space Center, it had been pouring rain. Now, in the early afternoon, it was merely drizzling. That was better because the tram has a roof but open sides! We sat on the inside seats but it was pretty misty. A man sitting in the front row of our car got absolutely soaked from water draining off of the roof of the car in front of us. He changed seats after our first stop! The tram took us over to the Johnson Space Center and we were told what is in a few of the buildings. We then stopped at Mission Control and visited the control room used for the Space Program up until the early 1990's. It was a historic room and being there to see it, sitting where the invited guests and families of the astronauts had been was sobering. The volunteer who spoke to us there had great information and details to share with us. Feeling appropriate awe we treked back out into the mist and were taken by tram to see a memorial arbour, planted on one side of the road for deceased employees who had significantly contributed to the work at NASA, and on the other side for astronauts who have died while trying to get into space. Our final stop was to see an Apollo rocket, housed in a huge warehouse. We were all suprised at it's size....it was absolutely massive!
After the tour we had time for one last briefing- this time about the International Space Station. We learned about the astronauts on board, where they come from and what they do while on the station. I hadn't realised that the only way to get there at present is via a Russian rocket- for which the Americans pay dearly! In 2017 there should be an American company offering that service. Elena was happy to hear that the female Cosmonaut currently on the station is also named Elena! We got a couple of good website addresses to look up when and where we might see the space station as it orbits the earth!
We tried to have a look around the gift shop but we were out of time. To celebrate our Space Experience we finally found a Cracker Barrel Restaurant for supper. It had been recommended to us and finally we seem to have found lots of Cracker Barrel's. Jonathan and Rebecca had fun playing checkers on a barrel after eating.
The next morning it was still raining as we packed up, happy that this night we would be staying with another acandleinthewindow family. Saturday was a big day for us because we were going to the Houston Aquarium, included in the City Pass, and then to a Gun Show north of the city. We had been toldd that a Gun Show would really be a cultural experience for us so we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.
First stop was the Aquarium. We absolutely loved the Monterey Aquarium so we were ready for more but....we were disappointed. The 'background' music in the parking garage, halls and toilets was SO loud that you couldn't talk properly with anyone. The Aquarium itself was fairly small, with small displays. There was a diver in a tank of fish for a short display, but he didn't really tell us anything. Finally, there were the tigers. Yup, Tigers! They were interesting, poor things. They were white tigers and we watched the trainer leave food around the enclosure and one of the four tigers came back in to eat it. It didn't look as if they had very much space. When a man asked the employee how offen tigers can reproduce he, like the guy at Natural Bridge Caverns, pretended that he knew the answer when he clearly didn't. He hummed and hawed and then guessed at 'about every year'. You'd think that this sort of basic information would be taught to employees who will be dealing with the public. Sorry for complaining, I could have just skipped over this but if anyone might be wanting to visit the Houston Aquarium they should know that there are much better aquariums for the money.
So, naturally being a bit let down we spent less time in there than we had planned. We happily left to drive up to Conroe, TX for the Gun Show. I learned to shoot a gun when I was about 7 years old, and we got the kids to try target shooting when we were in Alberta. We were curious because the gun culture in he States is quite different than that in Canada. Most friends in Canada have rifles of varying sorts for duck, grouse,deer and wild turkey hunting. We're used to that. But to see machine guns and even bazookas for sale- that was different. Who needs those? Even hand guns I might understand, for target shooting. That would be fun. Anyway, I dressed the younger boys in their camoflage clothes and off we went!
Upon arriving we ate our little picnic in the parking lot and then header in. The first man that we met, even before entering, was an older gentleman who stopped to chat with the kids. He asked Jonathan first if his Daddy had taken him shooting yet. Then he asked the other kids too. Thank you, Dwayne and Rachelle, that we could say yes!!! We had a nice chat and then went on. We discovered that the Gun Show was a relatively family-friendly event: kids got in for free! As we went up and down the displays people smiled and said hello, they talked about the kids and were quite friendly. We saw not only weapons of all sorts, including displays of knives, but also cases and backpacks for hunting, t-shirts, water filters, grain mills, freeze dried foods, seeds and even a solar oven and food dehydrator! There is an emphasis on being able to protect and provide for yourself if and when the government either fails or turns against you. We met more Christians and openly friendly people here than anywhere else in the previous few days.
That night we stayed with a very young couple from acandleinthewindow. We went with them to church and then bid them farewell and headed to the Kemah Boardwalk. This was also included in the Houston City Pass and is located right on the ocean south of Houston. It was a beautiful sunny, warm afternoon and the amusement park wasn't overly crowded. We started with a two-level carousel and then moved on to the ferris wheel, the Pharaoh's Fury (a big swinging boat- back and forth), a swinging rocket (around and side to side), rides for younger kids, a giant circular swing and, the most insane ride which I agreed to go on with Rebecca, The Drop! On that we were strapped onto seats on a lift on an octagonal tower, lifted high above the park and then dropped! There was a sudden but smooth slow-down about 10 feet off of the ground. I was nervous only when we were quite high up, and then, even though I knew what was coming, the fall was a shock. Our feet flew up high and we plunged down! Only once! Wow!!!
P.s. When I look at our blog stats it says that there are people looking at our blog in not just Austria, Canada and the States, but in the UK, Irland, Russia, Poland, the Ukraine, Australia and sometimes places like Thailand and Vietnam. We would love to hear from you, just a little comment, to hear where you are. Thanks!
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