Since we work full time, and use our weekends to travel, we love finding fun day trips to take. As we are not early morning people, we also love when that road trip doesn’t require us to leave home very early. Noccalula Falls Park is one of those places we love to visit because it is only a 2 hour drive from Huntsville.
Noccalula Falls Park is the perfect place to spend a few hours or to spend the night at the campground. The campground offers something for everyone as it offers over 120 sites, from primitive tent camping to RV hookups and even cabin rentals
It’s always a good idea to contact the park first to ask if there is an active water fall. The first time we visited, we were disappointed to find out the Falls area was completely dry. It’s still absolutely worth visiting for other activities, but ideally you’ll want to visit when there is one.
Interesting Fact: Noccalula Falls and Park was added to the Register of Landmarks and Heritage on May 12, 1976.
When you arrive, the first entrance you will come to is the entrance for the Falls and Campground. We usually pull in and park here first. Parking is free and it’s a short walk to the waterfall.
When exiting the car, you normally see a pond of water covering limestone rocks with a pedestrian bridge. Families of ducks and geese can usually be found here as well. To get to the Falls, just walk across the bridge.
The Falls are a 90 foot drop. This picture taken at the top of the Falls shows the railing that runs along the paved walking area of the viewing area for the Falls. This is a fantastic safety feature, making the area family friendly and appropriate for all ages.
Furth down the path, stop to read about the sculpture of Princess Noccalula. There is a plaque that details what is thought to have happened to her and why the sculpture shows her leaning over. Just a warning-it is not a story with a happy ending!
When the Cherokee Indians were pushed into North Alabama, they encroached upon the Creek Indians territory. This led to battles between the two tribes. As a peace offering, Princess Noccalula was promised in marriage to a Creek sub- Chief. She could not bare the thought of marrying outside her tribe as she was in love with a warrior from her own tribe. On the day of her wedding, rather than go through with the ceremony, she jumped to her death in the area her sculpture now stands.
After viewing the falls, to head to the park entrance, we usually get back in the car and head to the second entrance. To enter the park area, depending on age, there is a small fee collected. You can find more information at the link below:
You pay the entrance fee outside to a worker that sits in a windowed area in the arched entryway. The building contains a small gift shop and restrooms. It’s the perfect opportunity for everyone to use the restroom before moving on.
The entrance fee gives you access to the gorge (1.7 mile) trail that runs along the Falls, an aboriginal fort, an abandoned dam, replicated pioneer homestead, the Gilliand-Reese Covered Bridge. You can either choose to walk everywhere, or take a ride on the train around the park.
Watch out for the train tracks you’ll see layed around the park area!
The last time we visited, we rode the train to the animal habitat and petting zoo first. There is both an outdoor and indoor part to the area. You’ll see two llamas, a few goats, a tortoise, a lion, arctic and black foxes. Inside, you’ll see a lot of birds, fish, hamsters and rabbits.
To enter the indoor part, you enter the barn on the other side of the fence.
It was a great day outside, so we walked around first there before coming inside.
I only got one pic of a bird inside. There were turtles, guinea pigs and I believe, even some snakes.
Scarlet Macaw
After spending about 45 minutes in the area, we made our way to the pioneer homestead.
We really had a great time exploring this area. We were the only ones there at the time. The sign states that the buildings are all originals that were taken from Tennessee, where they were built about 190 years ago.
We decided to explore the Pioneer Home first. The buildings were furnished with pieces appropriate for the original time period, but were not necessarily originals. You could also only look in the buildings, not go inside them.
Below are just some of the buildings we viewed. The area is a great spot for kids to run around and also learn about how people use to live. It’s always fun to see when people are amazed that cooking use to be done in another building separate from living quarters when today the kitchen is an essential room in a modern day house.
There are two buildings that provide insight how people made their livings with the blacksmith shop and loom room.
Cook House -behind the Pinoneer House
Ash House-to the left of the Cook HouseLes’s Blacksmith ShopLoom House -Where women would gather for spinning
When we were finished viewing the homestead, we moved on to find the rock garden and covered bridge. The rock garden is a fun area for kids of all ages to run around.
The last stop of the day was the covered bridge. We all have a fascination with finding new covered bridges, so we were super happy to learn about this one. We have a goal of one day visiting everyone of them in North Alabama. This bridge was built in 1899 with rough-hewn lumber and weathered shingles. It was moved to the pioneer setting in 1968, where it was restored.
We spent around two hours in the park area. We did not participate in every activity or see every area possible. It’s a place we can see ourselves returning to over and over again.
ProTips
-There are picnic tables and grills available
-If you would prefer to buy lunch, there is a Jack’s fast food restaurant right outside the park, which the train will take you close to.
-Appropriate for families of all ages and abilities
-Wear comfortable walking shoes
-Decide what activities you are interested in doing ahead of time, so you allow enough time to do it all.
As the largest surviving structure from Ancient Rome, visiting the Colosseum was on our must see list for visiting Rome. Although you can purchase tickets at both the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, we chose to go with an independent tour company. If you choose this route, there are a multitude of tour companies to choose from. We chose Dark Rome and a tour titled “Underground Tour with Arena, Floor, Third Tier & Roman Forum”. The ticket also allowed us to skip the long lines that usually go hand in hand with entrance to the Colosseum.
ProTip– If you plan far enough ahead, you can purchase the same tour directly from the Colosseum at CoopCulture.
After registering, we were e-mailed detailed instructions of the meeting point. We found the meeting point easily, just outside the Colosseum metro station. We arrived about 15 minutes before the tour start time, per the instructions, and found it to be more than enough time to meet the guide.
ProTip-Most group tours meet in the same location, so street vendors gather there to try their best at selling their trinkets. This can be perfect for you-say if you forgot your sunglasses or selfie stick, they will have you covered. For most though, they will be on the unwelcome side. For those that have no need for their items, we found telling them “Grazie” a few times usually gave them the hint to move on.
Once our group was checked in, our guide greeted everyone and handed us a microphone pack with earbuds to begin sound check. It was then that we found out the guide would walk us to the Colosseum and hand us off to another guide for the Colosseum tour before meeting us again for the Forum part of the tour.
ProTip-bring your own earphones for tours. The ones provided are not comfortable for everyone’s ears.
I snapped a few pictures before we walked over to the entrance area.
Once the group was ready, our guide walked us across the street over to the Colosseum. His job at this point was to lead us to the security line and ensure we got through security. Well…let’s just say things didn’t quite go so smoothly. The area leading to the entrance was extremely crowded and it felt like everyone was pushing their way to the security entrance. We, along with many others, could not keep up with our guide. When we made it to the correct security line, we could no longer see our guide. However, after running through the line past other groups, we could finally hear him yelling at everyone to throw away all liquids. We all looked at each other, thinking it was odd, but complied. When we actually got to the security gate, we were told by the security officers that only glass bottles should have been thrown away. Needless to say, there were quite a few unhappy people.
ProTip-Prepare for crowds, be ready to power walk/run and be familiar with security rules before you arrive.
Once we made it through security, we were met by the Colosseum guide, who would lead us through the Colosseum.
While we started toward our first stop, the arena floor, I snapped a few pics of the outer ring.
Notice the holes…Our guide pointed out to us the holes in the walls and informed us that they are made with travertine stone and set without mortar. The builders used the holes to attach their iron clamp scaffolding in order to keep building higher up.
Most of the exterior walls have been destroyed by earthquakes and pillaging over the last centuries. In fact, much of the remaining walls are actually the original interior walls.
We learned that without two Roman inventions, concrete and vaulted arches, the Colosseum probably would not have been possible. The vaulted arches, made of concrete and stone, made the ceiling much stronger than it otherwise would have been. The support beams for the arches were made of Travertine which was quarried from Tivoli, 20 miles from Rome.
We were taken by surprise to see a cross as we entered. It is there to commemorate Christian martyrs who some believed died at the hands of various Roman Emperors. The cross now stands in the area where those Emperors once sat.
Entering the Arena:
When entering the Colosseum, it felt similar to entering a medium size outdoor sports arena. Although it once held around 50,000 spectators that were entertained with gladiator fights, animal fights and even naval battles, it was easy to picture these things possibly still taking place in a setting such as this.
It was overwhelming to be standing at the exact same level that gladiators would have entered from back in the day. The fact that this area is tightly controlled to allow only a certain number of visitors at one time, makes for a pleasant viewing experience. It made it easy to concentrate on the guide and roam around and take pictures without much distraction.
With most of the arena level platform missing, your view is directly into the series of underground tunnels where prisoners and animals were kept.
View into the underground. Notice the scaffolding.
After a few minutes, the discussion turned to the scaffolding and ongoing restoration project. With the outside part now complete, they are currently focusing on restoring the interior. They are restoring passageways, underground vaults, the arena floor and building a visitor’s center.
Side note: On another tour, the guide told us there are discussions to extend the metro under the Colosseum and build an underground shopping mall.
The Colosseum once had 80 entrances that also doubled as exits. The design met safety standards to allow people to leave and enter as quickly and efficiently as possible. It is a similar method that many architects use today in many modern day arenas and stadiums. We were surprised to learn that in cases of emergency, the entire Colosseum could be vacated in 3 1/2 minutes. We highly doubt, once panic sets in, we would be able to clear even one set of stairs in the same time frame at a modern day arena.
A person’s status in society dictated where people entered, sat and exited the arena. The higher your status in society, the closer your seat was to the action. All male visitors had seats, but females had to stand and watch from the balconies at the top. Special boxes were provided at the north and south ends for the Emperor and Vestal Virgins, giving them the best views. Senators were seated at the same level, giving them the option to either bring their own chairs or etch their name in the one they occupied in the arena. Some names are still visible today.
Below (first row, left side) are marble seats that have been restored or replaced, where the Senators seats were located. You can see how close they were to the action.
Hypogeum (Underground)
After taking a few minutes for pictures, our guide led us to the gate where we entered the underground. The gate is closely guarded- an official opened the gate for our group and closed it immediately behind us. We walked down a staircase to enter the hypogeum, or underground.
Upon entering the underground area, you notice a definite drop in temperature. The chill in the air made for a great break from the heat, but felt a bit spooky. This area was at one time two levels and was added by Emperor Domitian some years after initial construction of the Colosseum.
We listened as our guide told stories of the inter-working’s of the area. The area is comprised an intricate network of tunnels, passageways, rooms and storage spaces primarily used to hold slaves and animals used in the games.
It was the area where slaves and animal keepers would have performed their duties of operating elaborate mechanical devices to lift up animal pens and gladiators to the arena floor. Stage props were stored here.
There were thirty-six hidden trap doors which allowed for seamless transitions between different battle scenarios and allowed each master of ceremonies to customize battle scenes to their liking. The area was updated a few times to increase the variety of entertainment options. The updates allowed for bigger and more spectacular entertainment to keep surprising the crowd.
Animal Cage
The picture above is a replica of the lift that took the animals to the arena floor.
We also viewed the aquaduct where water and sewage was moved in the underground.
After nearly a half hour, we started the ascent back up to the upper levels. We began the walk to the Third Tier. This is when not having water became an issue. Erica had to opt out of the final climb to the Third Tier due to the steepness and large size of the steps as she became dehydrated making the climb from the lower levels. She was happy that our original guide met back up with the group at the entry point for the third level as he had water with him that he willingly gave to her.
The views were spectacular and the climb was definitely worth doing for those that could do it. Everyone except Erica in our group made the climb. Although there are elevators in other areas of the Colosseum, there isn’t one leading to this level.
Palatine Hill and The Forum
After descending down the stairs of the third tier, our Colosseum guide officially handed us back to our guide from Dark Rome. Erica and my mom left the tour, so Erica could get some rest. My dad and I continued with the group onto the Forum and Palatine Hill.
The entrance was a quick walk across the street, situated between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia. Once we arrived, we were given a chance to take a short bathroom break before walking to the Forum/Palatine Hill area.
We first walked to Palatine Hill. At this point my dad and I were both tired, so we felt every bit of the steep climb. What initially looks like piles of rubble, is actually what remains from the most ancient part of the city and one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Archaeologists have sited evidence of people living in the Palatine Hill area as early as 10th Century B.C.
As Roman citizens attended performances at the Colosseum and went about their daily lives in The Forum area, many probably looked up at Palatine Hill envious of the opulent palaces belonging to the Emperors with their own private stadiums and thermal baths. The Hill towers look over both The Forum and Circus Maximus. After a brief 30 minute visit, we walked down to the Forum.
The Roman Forum was built as a compromise between the Latins and the Sabines, who live in the two hills (Campidoglio and Quirinal) which formed the valley in which the forum was constructed. The construction was an engineering marvel. The land was essentially marshland, so a canal was built that still is in use today that drained the land. Once built, It was the Administrative, Religious and Judicial center- first for the separate tribes and finally for the City of Rome
One must use their imagination to picture the masses that would have gathered to hear speakers, attend criminal trials, or just socialize. It was during Caesar’s time, when Rome was the capital of an empire, that the Forum was used for celebrations and became a symbol for Rome.
The Senate was one of the most enduring political institutions in Rome, being established right after the city was established. For many years, being in the Senate came with great power. In Imperial Rome, the Emperor had absolute power. Senate seats were still highly sought after for prestige and social standing, but held little power.
Red Building is Curia Julia, the seat of the Imperial SenateMany people believe Julius Caesar was assassinated in front of the Senate building, but evidence exists that rules this out. It is believe that he was assassinated closer to where his temple resides.
His death had a devastating impact on Rome. His adopted son, Augustus, built a temple dedicated to him in 29 BC after the Senate deified him. Although he was the emperor to be deified, all subsequent emperors were made gods after their deaths. People that want to honor him still leave mementos at the alter. There is evidence that suggests the original temple was much more grand. What is left today are the remains after centuries of pillaging. This is the area he was cremated, but no one is certain where he is buried. His memorial stone translation states that “Roman people gathered tables, chairs and any other type of wood that they found. They lit the fire and all the people witnessed the burning of the fire during the night. In this place they built an altar and then a temple to the same Caesar as a god.”
The Roman Senate building along with the other intact structures owe their current good condition because they became christianized. These are the bronze doors (see picture) are from the Temple of Romulus that became the Church Giovanni Battista Falda.
Most of the remaining structures are in ruin. The Forum has been impacted by flooding from the Tiber and changes to elevation of the landscape. Final Thoughts: The consensus from the gang was the the tour was helpful to understanding the history of the places we visited, but too long to pay attention the entire time. If we had to do it again, we would have chosen to break up the Colosseum and The Forum tours. There was free time to take pictures at the Forum after the tour, but after not having nearly enough water to last 4 1/2 hours,, our first priority was finding somewhere close by to sit down and eat lunch.
ProTips-
-The steps are steep and many, so prepare accordingly. There is an elevator available at for certain levels, but it isn’t well publicized.
-Bring enough water to last 3+ hours
-Good activity for teenagers and above.
-Be familiar with the history of the Colosseum & Forum areas-know what areas you are interested in learning more about.
Recently a dear family friend of ours lost her cancer battle. It was especially upsetting because she had been diagnosed less than a year ago. I could write an entire article about the role she played in our life, but suffice it to say she was such a gentle and kind soul who made an impact on so many.
Most of our conversations over the last several months had centered on her trip to Europe she had taken last summer and our recent trip to Rome in March. Both were big deals. For her, it was her trip back to where she was born. She loved every minute of reconnecting with her family in Germany. Her favorite city was Paris. She didn’t fall in love with Rome, but was super excited when we told her we were going to surprise our parents with a trip there. She wanted us to tape the surprise reveal when my mom, who had never flown overseas, would find out she would have to finally have to face her fear of flying over an ocean. When we returned, she asked a million questions. She shared her pictures and stories and we shared ours. These last conversations, along with the numerous kindnesses she graced us with over the years, are how we are going to remember her.
When we found out she passed and began reminiscing, the conversation turned to a discussion about what we thought it was in our background was that has led us to make travel such a major part of our life.
When we were kids, we went to the beach nearly every summer. We loved these trips. I remember being so excited to be back playing in the sand, visiting the latest restaurants, catching sand crabs and staying out for late night beach walks. I also remember being so excited when we were finally old enough to get in a jacuzzi at the condo we usually stayed in.
We were definitely born with a love of the water, but we yearned to discover more landscapes. We grew up in a small city, but had dreams of seeing the world’s largest. Our first trip to a major city was to Atlanta to attend the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. We had a blast riding the MARTA and exploring different restaurants and neighborhoods. We were sad to leave and bugged our parents to take us back over and over again.
We are certain that it was our maternal grandmother who unknowingly made us fall in love with the idea of traveling around Europe. We didn’t know anyone growing up that traveled as much as she did. We loved looking at her pictures and listening to her stories. She took a cruise to Alaska the summer before she passed away and it’s been on our list since.
It was our grandfather that introduced me to photography. He collected cameras and enjoyed taking us on road trips to take pictures. He bought me my first camera and is responsible for me taking an interest again as an adult.
Unfortunately, my grandfather got sick during our sophomore year of high school. It forced my grandmother to find replacements for a trip to Greece and Turkey she had paid for. Tara and I were the lucky ones that got to take their place. It was a trip with mostly teachers at the high school we attended, who took on the responsibility of keeping an eye on us. It was a bit overwhelming for a lot of reasons. It was a trip of a lot of firsts-our first flight, our first overseas trip, our first cruise, first time away from home for longer than a few days. It was a lot do take in, but we were hooked.
We saw pictures of a trip our grandmother and uncles had taken one summer to Colorado. The pictures decorated our house because it was the last trip my grandmother had taken with her son before he passed. We were ecstatic when we found out the summer before our Senior year in college we were actually going. We spent a week in Lyons with family and took some amazing day trips. To this day, Colorado holds a special place in our heart as it turned out to be the last trip we had taken with our grandmother.
Today, we travel for those we’ve lost. For they are who continue to inspire us. We travel for those that can’t, for those that are afraid, those that need guidance to plan their next adventure and for those that can’t wait to hear our stories. We travel to escape the mundane of our work life, to discover what’s around the next corner. We travel to continue to build confidence and self-assurance. We travel to keep learning, growing and moving forward.
Although we often choose to travel together, we are two very different people with very different personalities. Travel has taught us sacrifice, compromise and patience, which has grown to make us even closer. We consider ourselves lucky to be able to have shared so many experiences with our best friend by our side. We look forward to the next great adventures, including our parents in some more trips, for they are who initially provided us with opportunities to travel.
Do you ever reflect on how your past has shaped your reasoning for traveling to a destination or made travel a priority in your life?
Ever since someone said to us, “Italy is my country and Rome is my city”, we had an interest in visiting Rome! We had been looking for flight deals for close to a year so we could afford to take our parents along to a city they had also dreamed about visiting. After nearly a year of not having any luck, Tara found an airfare sale to Europe that fit within our budget and date range. We were both thrilled our plans worked out and we were all able to jointly experience this magical place.
We grew up Catholic and our father is still practicing. Since Rome contains so many places that are historically important to the Catholic faith, we spent much of our time exploring them. We talked to locals, took tours given by archeologists and history professors, walked and walked some more -Oh & Yes! We ate! If you’re planning to visit Rome in the future, which we highly encourage, we hope our itinerary provides you with some inspiration.
Day 1:
After a not so fun flight on a cramped Delta/KLM plane, we landed bright and early in the morning – around 6:00 AM in Amsterdam. We only had an hour layover, so we spent most of our time standing in line at customs. It was inconvenient at the time, but it was nice once we landed in Rome 2 hours later. All we had to do once we landed was grab our checked baggage and walk through the non-declare door.
Our host had offered to arrange transportation from the airport to the apartment, but we declined and decided to get our own. We were so tired though that instead of waiting in line, we went with the first ride offer we received, which was a non-official taxi. After a super fast ride, that we were told would be twice as long, we arrived intact at our apartment where we had arranged to stay the week. Since we arrived so early in Rome, it was hours before our official check in time. Our host was gracious enough to meet us at the apartment and assist us with our luggage up to the apartment. We paid the city tax and he gave us a short overview of the apartment and neighborhood, recommendations and answered our questions.
Our dad wanted to attend a mass in Italian, so our host suggested we visit the church he grew up in that was in very close to the apartment. The church we attended is named Basilica of San Clemente. It’s a minor Basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I (d.99 AD).
We were greeted warmly at the door even though mass had already began and quickly found seats in the back. Although the service was in Italian, my parents familiarity with Latin, found it easy to follow along. After it concluded, we stayed with a few other curious ones to explore the main sanctuary.
There was a sign that said no pictures, so I just sneaked this photo of the area we were sitting in just for our own memories. And although Tara and I hadn’t attended mass since we were teens, we found it to be a fascinating experience.
We all wished we had planned for a return visit to explore the Bascilica more in depth. For just 10 Euro, one can tour both the 4th Century church the current Basilica was built on top of and the 1st Century shrine of Mithras.
After exploring some, were hungry and ready to find somewhere to eat. After asking for suggestions, we walked down the street and were immediately seated at a table at Valore Ristorante Pizzeria.
It was my first time trying an Italian pizza. What can I say? I was a bit shocked at their enormous size!! It’s the size of a normal American medium size pizza that I usually share with 2 or 3 other people. Evidently, Tara knew this but didn’t think to say anything before we both ordered. So, we both had huge pizzas to attempt to tackle. If you’re looking for good sausage pizza though, this is one of the places to come.
Obviously Tara’s mind was not so much on the food, as she was overtaken by her excitement of being able to drink some good Italian wine.
I mean she just looks so happy with that glass on wine. Just not sure she could look more sleepy…haha!
We even got to enjoy some entertainment for a few minutes when a traveling musician stopped in. He was really accommodating when I wanted to take his picture. He saw my camera and immediately came to our table. We stayed for probably 20-30 minutes in the restaurant playing for tips before moving on.
Once we finished our lunch, we decided to walk some calories off by going to find place to purchase a metro pass . We took the advice we received from our VRBO host and walked to the Colosseum metro station (Colosseo) where we found a tabaccoist stand. We purchased a 7 day pass for each of us for €24 each. the metro in Rome is very easy to use, comes often, and is efficient for most places we needed to go.
The area around Colosseo station is very busy. There are vendors vying for the attention of every tourists to buy visitor passes and other trinkets. It was also the first time we would walk by the Colosseum. We saw 2 armed military officers (anti-terrorism forces) with heavy machinery outside. At the time we were unfamiliar with these people and their role so we didn’t take any pictures. We were unaware at the time that we would see them virtually at every other site we visited during our stay.
On our walk back to our apartment on Via Labicana, we saw a site that caught our attention. We stopped to look around and found out it was Ludus Magnus, or the Great Gladitorial Training School. The school had 2 levels, one an arena. The part visible on Via Labicana are the partially excavated gladiator cells that use to be in the northeast part of the training arena.
After spending a few minutes looking at the ruins, we continued the few blocks back to our apartment for the night.
We spent the rest of the night unpacking, talking about what our first day was like -oh, & discovering the unexpected-my dad’s backpack was missing. His backpack had his medications in it, so that was quite a shock. We figured he lost it at some point between getting out of the taxi we took to the apartment and waiting to be let in. It served as a reminder for everyone to remind each other to stay aware at all times, especially in crowded places.
Lessons Learned from Day 1:
Official Taxi’s should only charge 48 Euro from Fiumicino Airport to the city center and 30 Euro from Ciampino airport. Here’s a list of official taxi fares in Rome. The hassle of haggling for that price though, that’s another story!
Pay attention to the taxi company you take in case you leave things in the taxi. It’s true of anywhere, but especially in a foreign company when you’re not familiar with the companies.
There is no minimum drinking age in Italy, though 16 is the age one can drink wine/beer in public.
Restaurant tipping: Our host told us that if the bill is 113 Euro to round up to 117 Euro and it served us well.
We left the morning completely open for sleeping. Our track record of attending morning tours on the first full day: exactly 0. We don’t sleep on planes, so we tend to sleep 12 hours to acclimate to the time change and we assumed our parents would do the same. We didn’t end up sleeping that long, but it was still great to have the extra time before we had to be somewhere. It gave our dad time to go to a couple of pharmacies to get replacement medications and the rest of us time to get breakfast from a neighborhood store. Truthfully,we only planned ahead about lunch and Villa Maraini and left the rest of the day open to chance- just set out and see what we see.
Lunch Time
We had been given recommendations from our host regarding the best places to eat in the neighbourhood. We chose one of them and set out to find it. Eventhough it sounded pretty easy, Tara and I are nearly completely directionless. We grew up being told, “no, the other left or the other right” and it’s never gotten much better. We began with Tara leading -relying on her phone GPS. It wasn’t quite as easy as it appeared to be though because her GPS kept re-routing. After walking in circles, our dad took out his phone, put on GPS and tried to give us different directions. When we were deciding what to do, our dad decided to sit down on a wall beside Ludus Magnus and regroup to figure things out, but Tara thought she had it figured it out and kept walking. I thought it was funny and snapped a picture to capture the moment. At least we enjoyed our walk around the neighborhood with scenery of the Colosseum and Ludus Magnus to admire.
After a few minutes, we all agreed to let our dad lead & made it easily to our destination, Trattoria Pizzeria Luzzi. We were really happy to arrive and not have to wait for a table, even if it was outside and it was threatening to rain.
Of course, drinks were the first order of business. Tara was excited to have a Fanta again and she and our mom were thrilled about the 3 Euro table wine. We enjoyed lunch of mostly bread, lasagna and ravioli.
After finishing our lunch, we decided to explore the neighborhood for a few minutes. We started with walking around the neighboring streets before deciding to go walk around Parco di Colle Oppio.
Parco di Colle Oppio
Upon entering the park, we immediately saw many people out exercising, just enjoying the breezy weather. After a short walk inside, we noticed the statue of Alfredo Oriani. He was an Italian writer, author and social critic, who was admired by Mussolini. The statue was completed the thirteenth year rule during the Fascist regime, 1935. His works were banned by the Catholic Church in 1940 when they placed them on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.
We only had a few minutes to stay, but we all agree we would have enjoyed staying longer to explore more of the area. It is considered an archaeological park. Much of Domus Aurea lies under it and contains the ruins of the Baths of Trajan and Titus. It’s also an easy walk along a central avenue in the park to a view of the Colosseum.
Although we found it to be a great place to take a break from the noise and traffic the Coliseum area is synonymous with, it is recommended not to visit after dusk for safety reasons.
VillaMaraini
After the park, it was time to go to Villa Maraini for our scheduled tour. Villa Maraini was one of those unique places that is not generally on the itinerary of a first time visitor to Rome. When looking for activities to do on a Monday though, you will find that many places are closed. I happened to read about the Villa on TripAdvisor and found out it was open for tours. It has the highest rooftop view in Rome, so we wanted to check it out. St Peter’s Cathedral is higher, but it’s located in Vatican City.
When are tours offered? Monday’s are the only day in the week tours are offered and reservations are necessary. Currently, they are only offered at 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM.
How do I make a reservation? You can make it through their website, call or contact them through TripAdvisor.
How much does it cost? €5.
How long is the tour? Roughly 55 minutes
Closest metro? Barberini metro. It’s about a 15 minute walk, mostly uphill from there.
When we entered, we immediately went to the office to confirm our attendance and pay the tour fee of €5/person. We were told to go back outside to wait until the rest of the group arrived. We spent that time enjoying the man made cave and pond.
Once the confirmed group was gathered, our guide joined us outside. She introduced herself and began telling us the history of the Villa.
The Villa was built in 1903-05 by Otto Maraini, the brother of Emilio Maraini. Emilio was a wealthy Swiss businessman that made his fortune turning beets into sugar. He married Carolina, who later donated the Villa in 1946 to the Swiss Confederation to be used as a cultural center, intended to be used for scientific and artistic collaboration between Switzerland and Italy.
Today, the Villa is an active property. There are residents living in the house that are taking part in a residence program that was established that is primarily available for Swiss Citizens or Residents that work in the arts and science field for 4-10 months timeframes. There is also a full time staff that works at the property. For this reason, only part of the house is available for touring.
The Villa was built on a fake hill, which was made using rubbish resulting from workers who initially used the site as a dumping ground. Instead of finding the rubbish a nuisance, the owners took advantage of it.
She then led the group up the hill to the back entrance.
View of the back of the house walking up the driveway to reach it.
Original pottery salvaged from rubbish.
Back of house, where we entered
View of the expansive gardens of the back part of the house.
The outside porch area had a seating area and sculptures on the walls that had been salvaged from the rubbish.
We entered the house in a back foyer. It’s a relatively small room with a group of 10-12 standing in it. I was immediately drawn to the ceiling, but didn’t have the best angle for taking pictures.
Our guide spoke mostly about the staircase. Unlike most other places in the house, the staircase is made of red marble. The majority of the house is made out of travertine.
Moving on from the foyer, we next went to the dining room. It had been recently used for a function, so they had removed most of the furniture from the room.
Grand Piano
Next, we made our way to the gentlemen’s recreation room, which I found the parquet ceiling fascinating.
After completing the tour of the main house, we made our way up the staircase to the top floor and then we’re led to a spiral staircase that led to the rooftop. As someone who has problems walking up stairs a lot of times for various reasons, these were not too difficult & everyone was very courteous about letting people walk at their own pace.
We thought the view was great and had a great time chatting with our guide as she pointed out the various landmarks in the distance.
St. Peter’s Basilica in the back
We stayed on the roof for about 10 minutes before having to leave as our guide had to lead the next tour group.
Overall, we enjoyed the tour. The property itself is spectacular and it was great to experience a birdseye view overlooking much of the city.
After leaving the house, since we were in the vicinity of both the Spanish Steps, we decided to head in that direction.
Spanish Steps
If coming by metro, they are walkable from both the Spagna and Baberini metro stops.
The steps were built in 1723-1725, financed by a French diplomat, to link the Trinity dei Monti church with the Spanish Square (Piazza do Spagna)below.
We didn’t get gelato and sit on the steps, like many do. We climbed to the top, snapped a few pics and moved on. We were there around 4:30 pm and there wasn’t a huge crowd.
It’s also a great area to grab a snack, or indulge in some shopping!
After leaving the steps, we decided to grab some food and then close out our night by going to see the Trevi Fountain since we were fairly close by.
Trevi Fountain
If you plan to arrive by metro, Baberini is the closest. By the time we finished our dinner and waked, it was around 8: 00 pm. It was crowded, but not overwhelmingly so. We were able to find a seat for a few minutes and snap some pictures in front. People were quite aggressive trying to jostle their way in to find a spot to take pictures.
This is every bit as spectacular in person as one can imagine. The fountain as seen today was originally designed by Salvi, although it wasn’t completed and functional as a fountain until 1762, after Salvi’s death. It was designed in the Boroque style with various mythological deities featured. The fountain recently underwent $2+million dollar restoration completed by Fendi on November 3, 2015.
We enjoyed seeing the fountain at night because the lighting adds an element you otherwise don’t see during the daylight hours.
Make sure when you visit you partake in the local custom of dropping a coin or two in the fountain. Legend has it that if you throw one, two or three coins into the Trevi, with your right hand over your left shoulder, ensures 1) you’ll return to Rome, 2) you’ll fall in love with an attractive Roman, and 3) you’ll marry that same Roman. And, even if you aren’t into the entire legend reward system, you can feel good knowing that your contribution is donated to charity. $1.5 million was collected just in 2016.
We stayed close to an hour. If we weren’t as tired as we were, we could have stayed for hours.
The Trevi Fountain was a great way to end our first full day of sightseeing in Rome! We walked back to the Baberini metro to metro back to our apartment stop. We stopped by a local store, bought a bottle of wine and a snack and walked back to our apartment for the night.
ProTips-
Wear very comfortable and well fitting walking shoes. Otherwise, you’ll end up like me-shopping for shoes that come in your size 🙂
Metro was easy and convenient to use to these stops.
Hang on your valuables and be aware of your surroundings. Pickpockets target crowded areas often and we saw a few victims in our week there.
Labor Day weekend in the US marks the unofficial end of summer and people love to celebrate over the long weekend. I wanted to go somewhere different and some place not too expensive which meant I didn’t want to fly. While browsing Pinterest, I saw a pin of the Nantahala National Forrest that caught my eye. I had been rafting there as a young child and always wanted to return, so thought this would be the perfect trip. As Erica already a prior commitment, I used this trip for some father/daughter bonding time.
We chose to drive to Chattanooga, TN the night before going to North Carolina. It’s a city we both really like spending time in. Neither one of us had ever stayed at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel, so we decided this would be a great time to try it out. If you are worried about the price, know the courtyard is totally worth the price to stay. Even if you are not staying at the hotel, drop by for a visit because the courtyard is fantastic for people of any age.
We stayed one night and got up early the next day to get on the road to reach Dillsboro, NC where we stayed for the next few nights. It was a beautiful 4 hour drive that passed quickly. On the way, we passed the Ocoee River located in Tennessee in the Cherokee National Forest which we have already decided to visit next year.
You’ll most likely run into one of these rafting buses on the trip
Hotel
I chose the Best Western Plus River Escape Inn & Suites for scenery and location, but it really exceeded my expectations. The property was quiet and had a quaint feeling and look with only 65 guest rooms. The highlight was the balcony overlooking the Tuckaseegee River, located of the breakfast room. When we were at the hotel, we spent our time on the balcony. The hotel is convenient to several great breweries and restaurants we had a chance to try. It is a 30 minute drive to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where we took our rafting trip.
Nantahala River
The Nantahala River is located on the Appalachian Trial in the Nantahala National Forest located in western North Carolina. The Forest is the largest of four National Forrests located in the state, covering more than 530,000 acres of terrain that varies in elevation from 5,800 to 1,200 feet. It is home to a large number of beautiful waterfalls and serves as a popular place for hiking, camping and white water activities.
The Nantahala River offers family friendly white water activities, with 8 miles of class II rapids and a few class III’s in the last mile. It is perfect for practically anyone including children 7 + , or those who weigh 60 + pounds. White water rafting, canoeing and kayaking are the most popular forms of white water activity on the river. If paddle boarding and/ or duck mobile rides are your thing, you will definitely have plenty of company on the river too!
Nantahala Outdoor Center
There are a plethora of outfitters in the area that can accommodate every white water excursion or need. For this guided rafting trip, I chose to book with the largest one, Nantahala Outdoor Center located in Bryson City, NC. It is a must visit for every outdoor enthusiast. The 500 acre campus offers both fully and self guided whitewater activities, ziplining, mountain biking and several others. There are also retail shops and restaurants to visit on property and nearby.
Depending on when you visit, we suggest buying tickets in advance online to avoid long lines. We arrived 20 minutes early which gave us plenty of time to check in at the Adventure Center, take some pictures and meet up with our rafting group. The rafting tour we chose says it is 3 hours, but one hour of that is on the ground- listening to instructions, watching a safety video, life vest checks, meeting rating group and guide and riding to the rafting site.
We spent 2 hours on the river which was just perfect. There were a total of 6 of us in the raft including the guide. If you do not want to get very wet, do not sit up front! There were a lot of people there with Go Pro’s, which this trip is perfect for. The river was really busy because it was a holiday weekend, but it never felt overly crowded. We saw a few birds, but not much other wildlife. The trip will take you past several campgrounds and houses, but otherwise the scenery consists the beautiful Nantahala NationL Forrest. If you would like to see a short video of our rafting trip, here’s the link: https://youtu.be/H7DQbcXALEQ.
Tips:
Take a change of clothes. There are changing facilities and you will most likely feel like changing afterwards, regardless if you get wet or stay dry.
Leave as much as you can in the car, but they will hold keys and phones for you.
Take the time to take in the scenery and enjoy yourself!
San Diego had long been on our wish lists, so we were beyond excited to get the chance to visit this past Memorial Day weekend. Initially, we had dreamed of a relaxing beach vacation spending our days sunning on the beach, drinking cocktails & soaking up those rays of sunshine California is so famous for.
However, when we began packing for the trip, we ruled out beach time when we learned the temperatures were only going reach the low 70’s. If you are thinking that’s a bit strange, you’re probably not from the Deep South where it’s not considered the perfect beach day unless the temperatures are at least in the mid-80’s! So, we revamped our itinerary and packing list.
Upon arriving in San Diego, it was nearly midnight. We wearily grabbed our bags from baggage claim and found our way to the exit where we took a taxi to our downtown hotel. We commented to our driver about the chill in the air and were promptly told that the forecasted temperatures and overcast skies were completely normal for the May/June time frame. We even learned the weather pattern had names – “May Gray and June Gloom”.
Where We Stayed:
While many people choose to stay in the Gaslamp district, we decided to stay in the downtown area also known as the “Centre City” at the Westin San Diego. It was the perfect location because it put us within easy walking distance to Little Italy, the Gaslamp district, Broadway Pier and public transportation.
Day 1: Shopping, Food and a Ferry Ride!
We began our first full day a little late as we had a late arrival the night before. When we were ready to leave the hotel, we headed to a nearby coffee shop to grab a cup of coffee and a quick snack. We figured this would hold us over until our lunch we had planned for later. We needed to make a stop in a nearby CVS in Westfield Horton Plaza to pick up a few things we had forgotten to bring. As we arrived, the bold colors and architecture of the indoor/outdoor mall, amazed us. We had not planned to spend much time there, but once we realized there were over 100 stores on various levels set up like a maze, we spent a few hours window shopping and taking in the scenery.
When we decided our bank accounts were done with the mall. Since we were already in the trendy Gaslamp Quarter, we set off to find the 94 restored Victorian era buildings the area is famous for. When it was founded in the 1850’s, it was well known for gambling halls and brothels before cleaning up its act during the 1980’s. It is now a thriving district offering eclectic dining and shopping options. After spending some time window shopping, the smells coming from the surrounding restaurants had made it impossible to ignore our hunger. We headed to Little Italy, where we found the restaurant that had been recommended to us, Filippi’s Pizza.
We were advised to check out this location because it is the original and operates as both a grocery and a restaurant. Even if you aren’t hungry, it is worth stopping by to check out the ceiling covered with wine bottles. Our waitress told us we should not miss their famous homemade meatballs, so we choose to put her recommendation to the test. We agree, it was delicious!
Wine Bottles that adorn the ceiling at Filippi’s Pizza
After we finished lunch, we headed to Broadway Pier. We bought ferry passes for $4.75 , and took the 15 minute Coronado Ferry to Coronado Island. We choose to take the ferry because it gave us time to take water pictures of the picturesque area and was the first US ferry we had the chance to take since we were children.
Broadway Pier waiting on Ferry to Coronado Island
Tara enjoying the view on the ferryOnce we landed on Coronado Island, we walked to the Coronado Ferry Landing. This is the view you will see when you land and walk towards the island. We were tired after a long day of shopping and walking, so we decided to hang around this area to browse the shops, grab a bite to eat and watch the sunset.
Shops on Coronado Ferry Landing
We enjoyed some time relaxing on the beach. It was too cold to get in, but the views were great.
View from Centennial Park looking back at San DiegoAfter enjoying the views, we decided to check out the restaurant options. We settled on Candelas on the Bay for a quick bite to eat. We enjoyed the views and the food. The service could have been better, but it didn’t bother us because the scenery was great.
It had been really cloudy for most of the day, so we did not have high hopes for a good sunset. However, we got lucky because the sun made an appearance as it got later and cleared the fog to reveal a stunning sunset. This was a great way to end our evening on Coronado Island.
Sunset on Coronado Island Ferry Landing
After the sunset, we took the return ferry back to Broadway Pier where we walked the few blocks back to our hotel. We had an early activity planned for day 2 -a Whale and Dolphin tour that we were really looking forward to and decided called it a night.
On a recent trip to Seattle, we had the opportunity to visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass. The exhibition opened at the Seattle Center in 2012. A Washington native, Dale Chihuly is a world renowned glass artist with current displays all over the world. We have both been lucky enough to see his works at a few other exhibits and have been blown away each time, so this was high on our list of places to visit.
The Exhibit is divided into three main areas: The Interior Exhibits, the Glasshouse and the Gardens.
Interior Exhibit
Glass Forest:
This room is subdued, but eye catching as its only piece is designed with neon colors. For those that are unfamiliar with Chihuly, it is here you will be introduced to the size and scale of some of his designs as well as to the black plexiglass base that is used to display many of his works.
For the Glass House piece, he teamed up with Mr. James Carpenter, a colleague of his at the Rhode Island School of design. They were interested to see what designs could come from their differing backgrounds-combining Carpenter’s background of architecture, light and sculpture with Chihuly’s background in textile and sculpture. These forms were made from standing atop a ladder and letting the glass drop down while inducing neon into the pieces.
The Northwest Room:
Cylinders, Baskets & Soft Cylinders
Chihuly’s goal here was to make Indian Baskets out of glass. He discovered that he could push the boundaries of glass forms using fire and gravity. Pushing the ability to form glass to the edge, just short of collapse, he was able to get the glass thin enough to create new forms that mimic the patterns and designs from Native American culture.
Sealife Room:
This room reflects Mr. Chihuly’s love of the sea. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he always had a love of the water. He saw a lot of similarity between the movement of water and movement of molten glass. Although sea life is only occasionally featured in chandeliers and towers, he designed this 20 ft tower to show how important water was to his work.
This is a room where we spent quite a lot of time just staring in awe at this magnificent tower.
Persian Ceiling:
Created and sculpted by Dale Chihuly and Martin Blank. Walking into the walkway with this eye-popping ceiling sort of catches one off guard. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the top of the room.
You will be surprised at how long you will stand around with your eyes glued to the plethora of remarkable Persian glass designs erected in the ceiling. Although you will recognize many of the designs, you will stand in amazement at others contemplating just who were those geniuses who dreamed such a thing.
Mille Fiori:
Inspired by glass blowing processes and places he’d visited over the years, this piece combines common shapes found routinely in nature with bright primary colors.
Ikebana and Float Boats:
The inspiration for this one came while in Nuutajarvi, Finland while he was working for his exhibition Chihuly Over Venice. He stood on a bridge and threw glass into the water to experiment with its reaction to the glass. Local teens would pick up the glass pieces and place them in row boats. Chihuly liked how his glass looked in the boats which led to the creation of these these pieces.
Chandelier Room:
The concept was inspired by a chandelier he had seen at a restaurant in Barcelona, which was the first time he had seen one at eye level. It was then he got the idea that chandeliers could be made without being functional, just serving as a decoration. A chandelier was first displayed for an exhibit in 1992 at the opening exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. His chandeliers can be anywhere from three to 30 feet long and can contain as many as 1,000 pieces.
Macchiato Forest:
Chihuly was very excited when an expanded color palate was available to him through use of the German colors. Originally, only available for the stained glass industry, he was determined to use all the 300-400 colors that were newly available to him in this exhibit. Macchiato means spotted in Italian.
Glass House:
The glasshouse is the centerpiece of the center. It is 4,500 sq ft and 40 ft tall. It holds a red, orange. amber and yellow 100 ft sculpture , which is one of Chihuly’s biggest.
The Garden:
The garden surrounds the glass house and was our favorite part of the exhibit. On a nice day, allow time for walking along the lined paths between the sculptures. We spent about an hour roaming around the gardens, but could have easily spent longer if time had permitted.
Tips before you go:
Depending when you visit, consider bringing your own snacks. There is a cafe on site, but is usually very busy.
No selfie sticks are allowed, but they do have employees stationed in the various galleries that are eager to take your picture for you.
The exhibit is open Monday-Thursday 9:00 am -9:00 pm and Friday and Saturday 9:00 am – 10:00 pm.
Admission is considered pricey at $27 for ages 13-above with reduced admission for Seniors, Youth and Locals. Costs can be reduced by buying a Seattle CityPass or by buying admission to the Space Needle at the counter.
Everyone has that one thing they must do when they get the chance to visit a certain place. For us, in San Diego, we knew it would finally be our chance to, just maybe, see a whale in the open water. We have experienced many dolphin cruises over the years in the Gulf of Mexico and were looking for something that would be a bit different for this experience. After briefly looking over a few tour options, we registered for a dolphin and whale tour with Adventure RIB Rides. This would be a switch from the usual boat rides in that we would be taking this dolphin and whale excursion in a small rigid-inflatable boat. Erica thought this was a totally crazy idea, but I convinced her that it would be a blast.
When is the best time to see whales in San Diego?
Thousands migrate from Alaska every year to give birth and give their young time to gain the strength necessary for the journey home. It is said the best times to view whales are between mid-June through December. However, we saw a grey whale on our tour at the end of May and we were told several were spotted the day before. If you’re going in the off peak season, just ask around, people will tell you if they have been seen recently.
Meeting Point – Dolphin and Whale Tour
We arrived at the meeting point (Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina) dock around 8:45 am to meet our tour guide. After initial introductions with our small group of 6 which included us, we were escorted into a small office by the dock where we had to sign a liability release. At this time, we were also each given a pair of waterproof coveralls that although were not mandatory, were highly recommended. No one was exactly thrilled to dress in such heavy, ill-fitting attire, but everyone agreed it was best to heed the guide’s advice. And yes, they were totally worth wearing because they kept us warm.
Where to sit on the RIB Boat
Erica and I were placed up front because we were the last in line and the smallest, which meant for an overall more rocky experience. Therefore, if you can, sit in the back. The views are fantastic from any seat and you will also be able to move around when stopped looking at wildlife.
U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP)
The ride started off initially as just a normal leisurely boat ride. We slowly drifted past the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program (NMMP) where we got passing views of the trainers at work. NMMP is based in San Diego and is where dolphins and sea lions are trained for things such as mine detection, equipment recovery and harbor and ship protection. We were aware of the program’s existence, so were fascinated by the glimpses we got as we slowly drifted by.
We also got a glimpse of other Navy boats.
It’s a rough ride!
After we made our way further out into the Pacific Ocean, our guide picked up speed. This is where the ride started to get rough. It literally felt like riding a mechanical bull! It is when you will either feel exhilaration or want nothing more than for it to be over. Both of us felt as though we might fall out at any moment, but of course we managed to stay in.
Wildlife sightings
After only a few minutes out on the water, we sighted a few sea lions sunning themselves on a buoy. We were excited because this was the first time we had ever seen them in their natural habitat. The guide stopped the boat to give us a chance to snap some pictures before continuing the tour in search of dolphins and whales.
Another thirty minutes went by speeding through the open ocean at a high speeds, bouncing our seats in the boat before a fellow passenger alerted our guide of a possible dolphin sighting. The guide stopped the boat to give everyone a chance to see what turned out to be a megapod of dolphins and a few nursing pods. Everyone was encouraged to get up and walk to the very front of the boat for the best possible viewing opportunities. The ones that did, got an amazing show. It was a truly a magical sight to experience! See that here or down below.
After spending about an hour watching the dolphins, we left to head back in in our final opportunity for a whale sighting. Our guide explained to us that even though whale season was technically over, chances were good we would spot a few because the water had been warmer than usual. We spotted a grey whale after few minutes in an area of an earlier sighting . However, we had already been out in the water over two hours, so we watched it from a distance for about ten minutes before heading back in for the day. When we were safely back to our docking point, Erica was more than ready to get off the boat while I felt like I could have continued the trip all day.
Things to know before you go:
If you have any type of back/neck issue, think twice before booking. Erica has a slipped disk and had trouble walking the next day.
Consider taking Dramamine beforehand. Even if the ocean looks calm at first glance, the swells are bigger than you might think. In addition, the ride is rough at times and there are a few long stops where the boat rocks along with the swell of the water which made some sick.
Do not leave your camera at home because you’ll want theses memories to last a long time.
Tip money. The guide will be instrumental to your tour and you will want to reward them for their hard work.
Growing up in Huntsville, AL, nicknamed the “Rocket City” and having family and friends that work(ed) for NASA, the space program has always been of interest to us. Our schools were named after astronauts and we were always excited when our schools managed to snag one to come speak to us. So, when planning this year’s trips, we decided to add Houston to the list primarily for the chance to visit Space Center Houston.
The Space Center Houston is vital for the space program. It covers a lot of ground, approximately 1600 acres. It serves as the home of mission control for the International Space Program (ISS) and human space missions. In addition, it is the facility where astronauts train for future missions.
Since there is a lot of ground to cover, we recommend arriving when the Center opens. It is located a 20+ miles outside of downtown, so you will need to plan for commute time. We found that covering the museum with all the available activities takes most of a day.
We decided to purchase a CityPass ($56/person) which allowed us to save time by skipping the admission ticket line. We also preregistered for the Tram and Shuttle Tours (included with admission), which allowed us to begin our day exploring right away. General museum admission is $24.95/adult or $19.95/child.
We began our visit by making our way to Independence Plaza to tour the historic Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), NASA 905, and the Shuttle replica Independence, which opened in January 2016. Once making our way there, we were surprised to find there was no wait. In fact, we were only surrounded by about 10-15 other people the entire time we were on the shuttle. This is the only SCR and shuttle replica to be open to the public for touring. It is a completely self guided tour, but there are staff members around the exhibit available to answer questions. It is a fantastic educational tool available to those who are interested in learning about the shuttle program, the contributions the program has made, the impact the program has on current and future missions. In addition, much time is spent on the people that contributed directly and indirectly and are ultimately responsible for the failures and successes of the program. It was a moving experience to actually be inside the replica and be able to get a sense of what life was like for many astronauts chosen for missions. We were in awe of the ingenuity and what many of our nations heroes were able to accomplish for our country that will forever be remembered.
Afterwards, we made our way to the Tram tour line. The day we were there, the line was not long and it did not seem to matter if one had a timed ticket because both lines moved relatively quickly. We were able to make the next tram that came, which seemed to run in 10-15 minute intervals. We are told that lines do get longer in the summer months, so securing tickets is recommended. Be prepared as they fill the tram with as many people as possible, which we honestly found a bit uncomfortable. Thankfully, guests are not on them long as they are just used to move guests between sites.
Normally, there are two tour options known as the “red” or “blue” Tours that either take guests to Historic Mission Control, or Building 9 to see mock-ups of ISS and Orion. The day we were there, we did not have an option as there were special events taking place. Instead, we were taken to building 16 to see a simulation of the Shuttle Avianotics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), where the flight software is checked and verified before takeoff. The steps were steep and there are wires everywhere. The number of exposed wires is surreal in person. It really makes one appreciate the workers responsible for this part of the shuttle program and leaves you in awe of their accomplishment. It contains a mock up of a Shuttle titled OV-095 (Orbiting Vehicle, 95-mockup). For those that go on a Level 9 tour, they get a behind the scenes tour of the OV-095.
After spending roughly 20 minutes in the SAIL building, we were taken to Rocket Park. The highlight of the four rockets is the Saturn V, which was restored in 2007 and is only one of 3 still left in the world. The 30 story rocket is stored in a warehouse, where guests are allowed access. If this is your first time viewing one, be prepared to be blown away. This is a popular picture taking place and where you will be sure to see many selfie sticks.
Guests may stay at the park for as long as they need and may return to the Space Center on any tram at the tram station. We stayed for 45 minutes to view the rockets and take photos.
Once we retuned to the Space Center, we made our way to a few of the other exhibits (Skylab, ISS) before calling it a day.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day at the Space Center. The ticket price includes movies, the tours we took and astronaut talks. There are several designated kid areas, which makes this place a great treat for the entire family.
For true space geeks, we recommend signing up early for the more in depth/behind the scenes tour available, known as the Level 9 tour. Unfortunately, tickets were not available the day we were there, but this is something we would probably make the trip back for.
