Shuttle Launch, Update, Please read

[ajducote]

I am trying to pin down a few details to make this work out for everyone, so please help me out and let me know what you think of the schedule.

Current schedule:
12 Feb Thursday 0700-0730 Shuttle launch if it stays on schedule.
12 Feb Thursday 3 PM start till ?? TGO sponsored Wine and Cheese Social
13 Feb Friday 2 PM till ?? extended Happy Hour, Andre & Ann's house
14 Feb Saturday 4 PM Pot Luck at the TGO pavilion

For some reason, the TGO Real Estate office is under the impression that we are all fine upstanding members of the community and they really want to put on a nice time for us. I need to give them a number so they can provide the correct amount of food and wine for Thursday's event.

Please answer these questions:
1. We will / will not attend the wine & cheese social
2. We will / will not attend Happy Hour on Friday
3. We will / will not attend Pot Luck on Saturday.

I have reserved a large building for all day Saturday 14 Feb. The building is near the rally lot and can hold 100 people. If anyone would like to use the facility on Saturday for any reason (demo's, etc) please speak up. The pot luck will be in this building 4 PM.

The shuttle launch can actually be seen from TGO, but to get a really good view you will need to get up very early (3 AM? ) and go downtown to find a place to park.

Current reservation list at TGO:
I know some of these names are not spelled correctly. I copied them from the reservation printout without changes.

If you are in the rally lot list and would like to be moved to a full hookup site, PLEASE call Billy or Cindy at the main office and ask them to move you. They are starting to get a few openings and MAY be able to provide a full hookup site if you want one.

In the rally lot:
Bradford, Jamie
Bunch, Bill
Foster, Roger
Keller, Jim
Kearly, Michael
Lewis-Mathieu, Buck
Lane, Jim
Neff, Alan
Petree, Pete


On an RV pad somewhere in TGO:
Anderson, Mike
Chilcote, Tom
Dator, William
DeSilva, Richard
Finch, John
Gaidry, Tuga
Hann, Allan
Harris, Bruce
Horner, Paul
Jones, Larry
Roberston, Ken (2 spots)
Smith, Dan
Tracey, Granvil
Winchester, Jerry

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Hey Andre you better make sure your golf cart is charged up thats a whole bunch or riding around commin up

[Pete]

Andre:
1. We will attend wine and cheese social.
2. We will attend happy hour.
3. We will attend pot luck.
Thanks
Pete & E.J. Petree

[Jamie Bradford]

Hi Andre

We will attend all 3 events.........

Thanks

Jamie:cool:

[phorner]

Hi Andre,

We're in for everything.

See you soon....

[jack14r]

Andre,We are only in for #1.Jack

[kenrobertson]

Andre - Put us down for two people at all three events - Myself and one of our trusty service types - Thanks, Ken

[rfoster]

Andre: Put us down for two bodies for all three events
thanks,
Micki and Roger

[JIM KELLER]

Andre,

1. We will.

2. We will.

3. We will.

Jim & Karen Keller

[Coloradobus]

Hi Andre,

Lane (2), Neff(2), Lewis-Mathieu(2)
12th-We will- but No cheese for one Lane, (dairy allergy) crackers?
Everyone else, OK
13th-We will-
14th We will not.

[Alan__]

Andre -

We're in for 1, 2 & 3

Alan & MK

[Jerry Winchester]

Andre:
1. We will attend wine and cheese social.
2. We will attend happy hour.
3. We will attend pot luck.


There will be three of us.

[merle&louise]

Karen & I will attend all 3 events.

[truk4u]

Truk for all 3..

[mike kerley]

Andre,

Mike and Karen will be there for the pot luck.

Damn work, gets in the way of so much!

[MangoMike]

Andre:
1. We will attend wine and cheese social.
2. We will attend happy hour.
3. We will attend pot luck.

Thanks,

Mike

[ajducote]

I want to thank everyone for their quick response. Looks like we will be having a grand old time at all 3 events.

1. Wine & Cheese Social is provided by TGO, we may have to provide our own chairs.
2. Happy Hour, I will provide drinks, (beer, booze, sodas) and some food. Bring a snack or dessert type dish if you like. Or if you have a special drink that you just can not live without, bring that. Might need to bring a chair or 2 if everyone shows up all at the same time. We have the room, but not 40 chairs.
3. Pot Luck, Bring your own plate, utensils and some dish to share. Chairs and tables are provided.

When you check in at the reseravaton desk I will have a letter there for you with the location and time for each event. And phone numbers that I can be reached at. Parking may be tight at event 1 & 2, so car pool if possible.

[lewpopp]

Hey Kerley,

You can thnk your lucky stars that work at Clear Channel DOES get in your way. Good for it.

[rickdesilva]

Andre
for the DeSilva's and Dators
1. yes
2. yes
3. no
Thank You

[Jamie Bradford]

Andre

Where will we actually need to be to watch the launch???:rolleyes:

Are there viewing sites near TGO or will need to drive over to Kennedy ????

Thanks

Jamie

[ajducote]

It is possible to see the launch from TGO. We are 13 miles or so from the launch pad. But to get a real good view you need to go to downtown Titusville. If you look at a map, Hwy 50 is at the front entrance of TGO and if you take that due east it goes until it hits Hwy 1. Go north on Hwy 1 and there a lots of places to park to see the launch. I have actually never gone downtown to watch. The afternoon or night launches have so much traffic, it is 1 big traffic jam.

This is an early morning launch so it may not be so crowded. I will ask around for recommendations for the best spots to use downtown. I figured everyone could make their own plans for watching the launch, depending on how early they want to get up, how much traffic they want to fight.

I would suggest considering going downtown for a better view, since everyone is coming from so far to see this, and there will not be many more launches.

[merle&louise]

What are the chances of getting NASA to postpone the launch until about 9 AM or so. 3AM is a little early. Jon will be the only person who is awake at that time!:eek:

I may record it and watch it when I wake up:p

Man, 3 AM is early!

[ajducote]

If you watch it from TGO, you can get up at 630, wander on over to the golf driving range to watch. It is not as close as going downtown, but you get a lot more sleep!
Actually, 3 AM may not be neccessary. I will ask around and see if any of the old timers here have a better recommendation for time and place to watch.
I have always been to lazy to go and fight the traffic. I just watch fro TGO.

[merle&louise]

Andre,

Would it be a good idea to drive my coach into Titusville and park somewhere along Hwy 1?

If we found a parking spot early on Wednesday we could dry camp and be in a "premo" spot to watch the launch Thursday morning!:D

How lenient are the parking restrictions for a launch?

[0533]

Pam and Bruce will attend: Andre, please let us know what we can bring.

Please count us in for the following:
1. We will attend the wine & cheese social
2. We will attend Happy Hour on Friday
3. We will attend Pot Luck on Saturday.

[phorner]

Andre,

Isn't there a public park along US-1, south of 50? Might that be a good location to view the launch?

[ajducote]

There a several place along US-1 that could be used for viewing. Problem is, I have no first hand knowledge of how crowded they are for a launch. So it is just guess work on my part of what is the "best" thing to do for the launch viewing.

I am going to ask around today and see if I can get some of the old timers here to give me a clue as to the best place and time to view.
There are several large empty Mall parking lots on US-1 north that may work out.

I will start a new thread in a day or 2 to get input for pot luck dishes that people want to bring.

[Jamie Bradford]

Andre

Any idea how long it may take the morning of the launch to get to Kennedy?
Here is a link I found for tickets- I just do not know if I would need to leave at 2am to get there?? Any input would be GREATLY appreciated.


http://www.ksctickets.com/stspshat.html


Thanks

Jamie

[ajducote]

Jamie,

That link is showing that all tickets are sold out at KSC. But the alternate site:
http://www.ksctickets.com/adstashaloff.html

Is showing tickets available.
The Astronaut Hall of Fame is only 15 to 20 minutes away from TGO on a normal day. I would think you could get there in 1 hour worst case scenario.

The KSC Visitors center is just a few more miles down the road from the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

Whoever you get tickets from, ask them about travel time from the intersection of HWY 50 and I-95 to whatever location they are at. Add 5 minutes to that and you have your travel time.

I wish I could be more specific, but I have always watched the launch from TGO and have never even tried to go anywhere else during the launches.

[Jamie Bradford]

Thanks Andre:)

[bonhall41]

We have gone to KSC on launch day and it's a parking lot. The road that goes by the Astronaut Hall of Fame doesn't move. Also, you can probably see the launch better from Titusville. The trajectory takes the shuttle north and away from the Space Center. The Hall of Fame isn't far out of the KSC gates. You should have a clear view from across the river in Titusville.

We'll be in Daytona and hope it's clear that morning so we can see something also. Don't feel like fighting the traffic to get closer.

Hope you all have a fun time.

Bonnie

[phorner]

Andre,

Have you ever been to Manatee Hammock? Friends of ours have been there to view launches and were very happy.

It looks like a day pass is $4/car.

Comments ?

http://www.campingspacecoast.com/manateehammock/index.php?pnl=1_6

[ajducote]

I have never been to Manatee Hammock
http://www.campingspacecoast.com/man...ex.php?pnl=1_6 (http://www.campingspacecoast.com/manateehammock/index.php?pnl=1_6)
BUT, a few people here have mentioned it as a place to view the launch.

I have asked a few locals here and this is what they have to say. Leave 2 to 3 hours prior to he launch. Take HWY 50 to US-1, turn north and look for a place to park. They all say it just depends on the traffic and number of people coming to watch. There just does not seem to be a better answer.

I would suggest that if you are here on Wednesday before the launch, take the toad and scout out US-1 for potential sites. It will be a lot easier to spot a place to use in daylight then O dark thirty on Thursday.

[rfoster]

Andre: How is the view from the Rally Lot? Laying down? One eye open?

[MangoMike]

Andre: How is the view from the Rally Lot? Laying down? One eye open?

Fast Roger,

Sounds like just another day at Parkway.

mm

[0533]

The last time we were at TGO we took our kayaks and went across the Max Brewer Causeway (rt 406) to the wildlife preserve at Gator Creek. Once across the causeway there is a road to the right about a quarter mile beyond the causeway heading East that goes back into the preserve around Gator Creek, the fisherman go way back up there to fish. We drove about a mile back into this area, no fees and it is allowed (not sure about during launch days?/) I bet the locals know about this one.

This view would be a home run if allowed.

[ajducote]

Andre: How is the view from the Rally Lot? Laying down? One eye open?


From the Rally Lot, not so good. Just a 5 minute walk gets you to the golf driving range. That is where a lot of TGO residents go to watch the launch. You get a decent view, especially with binoculars. We take our golf cart, drink in hand and watch from the driving range. You see it about 5 or 6 seconds after it launches. And if it is not cloudy, you can se it for a long time as it climbs out. The golf driving range / TGO is about 13 miles from the launch pad.

[jelmore]

Andre & Ann (the party planners?),

We're late to the party, actually just really indecisive. We'll be there on the 12th in the rally lot and we'll join you all for the wine and cheese and then for the pot luck on Saturday if you can still fit us in.

[ajducote]

Andre & Ann (the party planners?),

We're late to the party, actually just really indecisive. We'll be there on the 12th in the rally lot and we'll join you all for the wine and cheese and then for the pot luck on Saturday if you can still fit us in.


We have plenty of room. Everyone is welcome. No shuttle launch, so now it's just a POG Mini Rally / party.

[MangoMike]

Andre,

With the change in launch date we're going to have to pass and hope to make the May launch.

Hope you guys have a blast without the "blast".

Mango Mike