Planning is important. We knew we wanted to go to Johnson Space Center. We knew we had "time" because we were staying the night. We wandered in around 10 not expecting to spend more than two hours there. No lunch was packed. We arrived anticipating a museum type feel. We entered to be greeted by a multi-storied
play structure (think Chik-fil-a on steroids) and 
a "sportsplex" ball activity center sponsored by Pepsi. No rockets, astronauts, space things. Overload! Panic! Disappointment and do any of these things cost extra? Yikes! Chris turned us to our left where he spied NASA things....simulators....computer screens and buttons, oh and some helmets to try on plus a talk about life in space for astronauts.
Moods darkened; grace was hard to extend. 25 minutes in we thought it was a wash out and 
couldn't've imagined paying full price (Jessica caught a sizzling deal on-line for half price!). Chris stepped away and wandered right discovering the information center and a map and a list of show times, tram rides, and tours. Ah, Shullenbargers in their element! Happy Shullenbargers! Excited 
Shullenbargers! We sat in Mission 
Control listening to Terry Hartman just "talk" about NASA. He served with Gene Krantz, mission director during Apollo (including XIII and on into the shuttle program, who he still runs into at the grocery store), and reminded us all that today July 21 
2011 at ~4 a.m., as Space Shuttle Atlantis returned home closing the shuttle program, it's Houston that opened the program and closed it telling us "Mission complete, Houston" as the last exchange with Mission Control. 
What a day to be there! Backing up, we needed to take the tram to go to the center work areas (blue was mission control, red was astronaut training). Fancy that, everyone wanted to go to astronaut training and it was full, no one was in line for mission control which is where Chris, the one time astronaut hopeful before his height 
precluded his admission to the program, wanted to go. Did I mention once we found the guide to the center Chris and Jessica were more like kids than the 
kids? So there's a security check to get on the tram and a green screen with attendant and a camera. What? Yeah, so we hear "Everyone together now." Trust me we're pros at this; and wait they're going to take our picture? Sure enough. Chalked it up to more security thing and went through the metal detector and got on the tram. When we returned they had photoshopped us into their greatest hits so-to-speak and it's an AWESOME family picture. There's another one that we haven't scanned that is holographic in
front of the shuttle. Awesomesauce! Just for the picture of us together we were happy, for the photoshopping OH YEAH, and for the bonus DVD included Chris brought home a Virtual Tour for his classroom....He is so excited! So we listen to the Mission Control talk, Chris and Jess bubbling with excitement but near tears as he talks about the mirror from Apollo XIII that now hangs over the water fountain in mission control (the green room, the shuttle missions were run from the room below and the ISS is monitored from there as well). We personally thanked him, and yeah the kids wanted a picture too. What does our 5-year-old do to him? Hug him around the leg! Jessica 
belatedly asked if he had grandchildren. No (uh oh), and he shared his wife had passed away a few years ago; they never had kids, but he did not appear put off by little man's affection either. We took in the full astronaut talk and bubbly Chris and Jessica grabbed front row seats. When a volunteer was asked for, we're speaking out the side of our mouths saying "Raise your hands." "What?!?!" (small clueless offspring) "RAISE your hands." Up went Rebekah's hand and wouldn't you know, Astronaut Nicole Passonno Scott picked Miss Rebekah to be her helper. Proud Daddy videoed all the way! At the end of both 
rides they take you through Rocket Park which includes the Hangar painted with the
Saturn V rocket...that's actual size and inside is the Saturn V rocket that was never used for Apollo XVIII which was cancelled when Congress shut down the Apollo program for budget reasons. We were driven past a stand of young trees called the Astronaut Memorial Grove. "One tree has been planted in honor of each astronaut who has died, whether in the line of duty or from accident or disease.
Until Feb. 1, the grove had 33 trees. George W.S. Abbey, who began the grove in 1996 when he was director of the Johnson Center, planted 7 more for the crew of Columbia [in 2003]."
The cattle kept on the property are raised by the local high school's 4H club and are auctioned and the proceeds go into scholarship funds.
We trammed to the astronaut training facility that contrary to popular belief is NOT home to the Water Tank training area--that's
located 4 miles away. Here astronauts learn the layout of the 
ISS, the Soyuz, and how to work vehicles like Rovers and Arms.
The podium Caleb is pictured behind is the one that was used by President John F. Kennedy was he announced America's intent to go to the moon. Everyone got their picture
behind but Caleb is our suspected future public servant.
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