STS-74 - Getting There

November 8th, 1995, Wednesday

We load up Delores del Sol II to the gills and start off on I-20 east for the big adventure. Travelling through the American south is an education. For one thing, there are dixie flag stickers on half the vehicles, which just serves to suggest to you that yes, there will be a gunrack, and yes, there will be a red neck, showing in the window of that pick-em-up truck.

Unfortunately, I didn't record this for posterity... but as a fairly liberal and definitely pro-tolerance person, I was quite chilled to see this billboard in Mississippi, liberally festooned with dixie flags:

PROCLAIM YOUR WHITE SOUTHERN HERITAGE!
Join the Sons of the Confederacy!
Dial 1-800 MY DIXIE

We stopped for the evening at the Comfort Inn on exit 15B of I-10, in Mobile, Alabama for another surreal southern evening at Quincy's Steak House, "Tour Buses Welcome!"

November 9th, 1995, Thursday

November 10th, 1995, Friday

The Kennedy Space Center is a very large complex. Everywhere, the ditches are full of alligators and poisonous snakes; in fact, they have some rather frightening signs posted everywhere stating that the waters are "infested with poisonous snakes." Today's the day the fun started... we began the morning with a special tour of NASA. We loaded onto crew buses and took a driving tour of the facilities.

Today's the day the fun started... we began the morning with a special tour of NASA. We loaded onto crew buses and took a driving tour of the facilities.

start of trip

nasa tour

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