Adios, Grapeland-Zone, and on to Houston. We decided to go with speed rather than back country and hooked up with I-45 at Huntsville. This only served to remind us why we stay with the blue highways. Nothing but billboards, chain retail and food outlets, and terminal boredom on the interstates. After a couple of hours of tedium, Houston loomed on the horizon.
Having long endured L.A.’s freeways, anything else should be a cinch. NOT. Houston’s worst can compete with any city’s. Spaghetti intersections, disappearing lanes, inadequate signage, combined with a strangely tongue-tied Gertrude made for some salty-comment moments. When we’re in the boonies, Gertrude chirps up constantly with “keep left,” “bear right,” and the like at the most obvious of choices. But in Houston, running hot and heavy with choices and no signs . . . silence. Not one clue on navigating the snake pit other than to “stay on I-45 for seventeen miles.” Great, except that the signage for I-45 at the various intersections was non-existent. Another bone to pick with TomTom.
By dint of terrific swearing, we got through the heart/black hole of the city and came out the south side, heading for League City and the Space Center RV Park. The freight was $35 a night, which is way on the high side for us, but this place was worth it. Spotless bathrooms and showers, and exercise room, a laundry with all new machines at $1.00 a load, a clean pool, and grass-lined concrete pads, and cable tv. All that and within scootin distance of the Johnson Space Center. Highly recommended. We stayed two nights, and spent the first afternoon in the pool (me) and the laundry (Loni). Hey, I offered! With the heat running in the mid 90’s and the humidity at 98, that pool was great.
Next morning we unloaded the scoot, helmeted up, and took off for the JSC. Stopped at the parking entrance and got waived on through; scoots pay no fee! Only a few thousand more places like this and it will have paid for itself. The JSP is actually a combination of a non-profit visitor’s center called “Space Center Houston,” and the adjacent JSC. After parking, we realized we had brought the wrong cable lock and couldn’t lock the helmets, so we faked it with what we had to make it look like they were locked. Guess it worked, or no one was interested, as they were there when we finished the day. And a full day it was. Plan on all day if you have even a remote interest in the space program.
After buying tickets we milled about until the doors opened and then made a beeline, as recommended, for the tram tour, as it generally loads up later in the day with long lines. Plus, we would be outside in the morning instead of the hotter afternoon. The highlights for us were threefold: the original Mission Control room for the Gemini and Apollo missions, and many early shuttle flights; the astronaut training facilities; and a real Saturn 5 rocket with all its stages. The Mission Control room no longer is used as there is an adjacent room now with modern equipment. But it was a gas seeing the real deal looking just like the mockup in “Apollo 13,” complete with all the ancient, tiny computer screens at the control desks.
The training facility had mockups of all types of space vehicles and equipment, all in one huge, long room. 
and of escape hatches
and whatever 
The Saturn 5 is in its own giant enclosure and is truly impressive. This isn’t a mockup, but rather a refurbished/reconstructed authentic article. These pics don’t do justice to its incredible size: 
Back at Space Center Houston, there are IMAX movies chronicling the Space Station, launches, etc., all worthwhile; interactive exhibits and demos like this mockup of the living quarters on the Space Station
Yes, I did.
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