Chattanoga, TN. River Gorge Cruise

Today, we are in Chattanooga, Tennessee and we are downtown on the Tennessee River ready to take a cruise.

This was a new boat that cost 3 million dollars.  It went fast up to 50 mph and stopped quickly.

We headed down the river.

It was peaceful and very green. Many beautiful homes along the river.

Many beautiful homes on the river and in the hills.

This cabin is the oldest in the area.  Not too shabby for over 100 years old.

This is Baylor a private high school on the river.

We cruised around this island. Cherokee Indians were the first settlers around here and were removed in 1838, along with other American Indians from southeastern U.S. states, to relocate in what is presently the state of Oklahoma.  Their journey west became known as the "Trail of Tears" for their exile and fatalities along the way.

This is Signal Point where Union soldiers stationed here used this spot-the only high point under their control-to help guide wagon trains and communicate with supply bases before Grant opened up the "Cracker Line."   Later this spot used to observe Confederate troop movements.

At one time, Chattanooga was considered on of the dirtiest cities in the nation. Many factories along the river polluted the waters.  

Today Chattanooga is striving to clean up their river and the industries that are on the river are in the lead in being environmental friendly. Alstrom is one of those new industries.

They recycle metal from the Volkswagen plant.Which is the most environmentally friendly auto plant in the world.  The mount in the center is recycled metal.  It will be put on a barge and sent down the river to be reused.

Heading back to our launch site with have a view of the bridges of the city.

Our River Gorge cruise was run by the Aquarium and that is the beautiful building you see here.

 *  I used my new telephoto lens that attaches to my IPhone.  I don't know if it is me or if the focus just isn't that good. I will continue experimenting.

Space Camp

We saw both the U.S. Rocket and Space Museum and the Space Camp in the same day, but if I lived close and had children, I would buy a membership.  Lots to do for children.

Our guide told us they had had campers from all 50 states and many foreign countries.  They have programs for ages 7-107.  I thought it was for  students and teachers, but they have family camp, corporate camp, and three day camps in the summer.  In day camp you can do Space camp, Aviation Camp or Robotics Camp.  Looks like fun!

Students in the Astrotrek building were learning what it was like to walk on the moon.

There was a chair was connected to a circle that spun around to show the students what type of centrifugal forces would be experience in space.

There was a swimming pool, where the students experience weightlessness.

The base camp had lots of different tasks.

Next we walked over to the dorms.

This is what the hallways look like.

Each habitat had 7 campers.

At the end of camp, each camper got a lot of memorabilia.

There is a souvenir store.  If you want a flight suit it is $90.  We saw most campers in T-shirts.  I got Asher a space shuttle that has lights and makes sounds and got Addie an astronaut Barbie.

We are standing in front of the shuttle.  We both learned a lot and had a great time.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center Huntsville, AL

Bob retired from Rocketdyn and worked with the Space Shuttle Program his whole career.  He had visited Huntsville several times for work.  He did not visit the museum but was at the Marshall Space Flight Center. So this was a new adventure for both of us.  This is the home of Space Camp.  As a teacher, I had heard of the Space Camp and knew of their program for teachers to come and participate in the camp to take back knowledge to their students about the Space Program. As we entered the museum we saw the Blackbird, which is a reconnaissance plane.  Otherwise known as the SR-71 it operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats.

We stated with the Von Braun Exhibit.

We had heard his name and knew he was instrumental in the Space Industry, but learning of how they surrenders to the American troops during World War II.  How they made the choice to go with the Americans rather than the Russians was all new to me.

There was a video of a Disney program on when we were growing up.  It was called Man in Space.  This program originally aired on March 99, 1955.  The Disneyland episode (set in Tomorrowland), was narrated by Ward Kimball and also by such famed scientists as Dr. Willy Ley, Dr. Heinz Haber, Dr. Wernher Von Braun and Dick Tufeld of Lost in Space fame. It was amazing to watch Dr.Wernher Von Braun talk about his vision for space in 1955 and know what of his vision is reality today.

Von Braun and his fellow German scientists were granted citizenship in 1955.

We left the exhibit and walked out to the Rocket Park.

Apollo Courtyard & Donor Garden

Saturn V

Next we took a guided tour of the facilities.  The Mercury Procedures Simulator was designed to give Astronauts a feel for the Mercury capsule during flight.

Gemini Mission Simulator designed to train Gemini astronauts to rendezvous, dock and maneuver in space.

The main engine that was built by Rocketdyne, where Bob
worked.

 Evolution of the Space Suits.

Lunar Module

Lunar Vehicle

Apollo 16 Capsule

Apollo 16 with parachute

Moon Rock

After returning from space the astronauts were quarantined in an Airstream trailer for 21 days. After the third flight to the moon, they no longer quarantined the astronauts as they found out they did not bring back any germs or  disease.

Next blog on Space Camp.