A Boyhood Dream Fulfilled: Space-Geek Tour of the USA

[Human]

A fantastic trip report @Human. I don’t recall any other one where I’ve logged on and scrolled to see the next instalment.

One benefit that you may not have contemplated is to be able to go back and read your own bits of trip report as a great way to remember or recall details that you might forget along the way.

As @Hvr noted above, keep your eye out for social events and consider coming along. Besides the Olive Tree dinners, there is also the annual AFF get together in Melbourne this year in November.Don’t worry about not knowing anyone - you’ll be made very welcome and they are a lot of fun. And it’s often where the good travel insights are shared.

Thread 'AFF Gathering #18 in MEL on 21-23 November 2025'
AFF Gathering #18 in MEL on 21-23 November 2025

Thank you for your very kind words and for the invitation. Yes, I most definitely believe that I will be returning to my TR often!

I'd love to go to the gathering if I could ... unfortunately that weekend will be the weekend before I'll have to write and submit approximately 250 end-of-semester school reports. I'll put myself down in the thread as "gold" and use the gathering as a motivation to be disciplined and efficient and to try to get the reports done before the deadline!

 

[kevrosmith]

Thank you for your very kind words and for the invitation. Yes, I most definitely believe that I will be returning to my TR often!

I'd love to go to the gathering if I could ... unfortunately that weekend will be the weekend before I'll have to write and submit approximately 250 end-of-semester school reports. I'll put myself down in the thread as "gold" and use the gathering as a motivation to be disciplined and efficient and to try to get the reports done before the deadline!

Just take the reports along to the dinner and have the other members help you grade your students. I mean, what could possibly go wrong with that approach…?

Great TR. you brought back memories of my trip to DC & NYC 10 years ago. (How time flies).

 

[somebol]

Brilliant report @Human

Really happy for you to have lived the "dream holiday".
A lot of us dream but only some are able to do it.

 

[Human]

Brilliant report @Human

Really happy for you to have lived the "dream holiday".
A lot of us dream but only some are able to do it.

So glad you enjoyed reading my TR!

Yes, I was incredibly blessed being able to do it -- I never actually thought it would happen!

My advice would be ... the best things come to those who wait. You can work out from Post #1 how old I am. I was well into middle age before I flew long-haul Business class for the first time, and it was only last year that I flew First for the first time. This specific trip took over a year to plan, but in another sense it was decades in the making.

I obviously don't know your specific situation, but I encourage you to not give up on whatever your dream is -- you never know ... you just never know.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

So glad you enjoyed reading my TR!

Yes, I was incredibly blessed being able to do it -- I never actually thought it would happen!

My advice would be ... the best things come to those who wait. You can work out from Post #1 how old I am. I was well into middle age before I flew long-haul Business class for the first time, and it was only last year that I flew First for the first time. This specific trip took over a year to plan, but in another sense it was decades in the making.

I obviously don't know your specific situation, but I encourage you to not give up on whatever your dream is -- you never know ... you just never know.

An Oscar worthy acceptance speech

 

[Gladstone Tim]

Human, another highly appreciative follower. Thank you!

 

[jastel]

Its like you stole my photos and posted ALL of them, well from the space museums part anyway...
No First Class flights for me...

Been AWOL for a couple of weeks so binged this tonight, glad you did Udvar Hazy and saw a real launch at KSC.

I was similarly geeked out on my first visit but came away with the feeling of "Look what we achieved...but what have we done since??" I was raised on stories of living on the moon by the year 2000, exploring Mars etc etc. But we haven't even got back to the moon yet. I get it is hard to justify spending the dollars when people are begging for basic food and shelter but hopefully Musk and Bezos can spark some interest in Space again.

 

[Human]

Postscript:

Today this arrived: Apollo Remastered. It contains high-quality remasters, from the original negatives, of hundreds of photos taken during the Apollo missions.

I saw it in the gift shop at Space Center Houston (and every gift shop I visited after that) and immediately knew that I wanted it, but it weighs at least a couple of kilograms and so I bought it online on my return, rather than lugging it across the USA and the world in my luggage.

If you're one tenth of the space geek I am, you'll want this book!