How not to go see the Space Shuttle

[Chaosratt]

<rant>
So we (My mother, her BF and myself) decided to go see the space shuttle yesterday. Rather than taking the direct route from St. Pete we (*ahem*, they) decided we should take the indirect route and "make a nice ride of it". So we turned a 3.5 hour trip into a 6 hour ride.
TO top it off, we got lost and ended up in Melbourne, about 30 miles too far south, at 2PM. Shuttle launched at 2:20. We boogied up I95 to Titusville and got off on SR50 and went over to US-1. I can see the VAB and the pad from here. Did we stop and watch from here? Hell no.
We turned north and drove FOR TEN ****ING MILES to find a "Friend" who found a "fantastic" spot. We find his friend. At 2:30. I believe I already stated when the launch occurred. I happen to glance back over my shoulder and see the Shuttle about 1500-2000 ft off the pad and pull a "OH ****" stop on this ****-ass little road we were on and try to wip out the camera fast enough to get a pic. I manged to get two .
SO much for taking the good camera, the tripod, and trying to get a nice setup. You know, on the bike, so I could work my way nice and close around all the traffic.
:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
I spent close to 12 hours on the bike, over 350 miles, only to miss the once-in-a-lifetime event. My ass still hurts, and I'm PISSED.
I will be going to the next one. Solo. Taking the direct route, with a planned viewing location.
</rant>


additionally, Its love-bug season. Time to wash the bike, and the helmet, and the jacket, and..... and.....

Pics.
Maximum zoom on my camera as I wiped it out of my backpack.


The ****ty view, note the construction I stopped next to:


My view for the last half of the journey (they thought it was funny, but didn't want to stop).


The Bike

 

[Jblk9695]

Well that sucks, but look on the bright side, you were a lot closer to the launch than I am:BLAA:
Jerry

 

[rjclagett]

At least you got to see it. I was down there working over last summer and drove down to titusville to catch a launch. It was scrubbed with about 2 mins to launch. That was my only day off to, so I couldn't go back the following days.

 

[jokem]

Wow - I haven't decided if the bug thing is really funny or horrifyingly disgusting

 

[BH322893]

Oh how I don't miss bug season in FL, I had a wasp fly into my helmet today which was pretty freaky

 

[Humperdinkel]

Mate , i'd give my 1st born child to see a Shuttle launch ..... Just think yourself lucky that you have the opportunity to see what is probably the greatest engineering feat know to man... The sound alone i think would be enough to make my hair stand up & put a massive smile on my dial ... So jealous of you right now :thumbup:

 

[CCHOUSEKY]

I've seen two and they are AMAZING things to behold. Those are some great pictures you got...I can only imagine what they would've been like had you stopped BEFORE the launch...lol.

For anyone that wants to see a Shuttle launch, you'd better hurry. There are only 2 left. Yesterday was the final launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Discovery makes it's final flight in September and Endeavour officially ends the Shuttle program in November. A sad, sad day that will be.

Personally, I think ending the Shuttle program is a HUGE mistake. While I'm sure NASA has come up with something else to deliver supplies and people to the ISS, we're going to become very dependent on the Russians and their rockets. And with the scrubbing of the Mars plans, I'm afraid the US Space Program is about to stall to a complete halt.

 

[lytehouse]

Wow - I haven't decided if the bug thing is really funny or horrifyingly disgusting

BOTH!!! :rof:

 

[Chaosratt]

BOTH!!! :rof:

I cant even begin to describe to you the smell when one of the ****ers smacked near visor crack or the chin vent. Lucky I didn't hurl on the bike.

What you cant see is all the bugs stuffed up INTO the top vent, which I left open like an idiot until I got off it to take that pic (was at the gas station in Melbourne where I consulted my phone and found where we were, or weren't). *thank god for Android + google maps + GPS*

 

[lytehouse]

I cant even begin to describe to you the smell when one of the ****ers smacked near visor crack or the chin vent. Lucky I didn't hurl on the bike.

What you cant see is all the bugs stuffed up INTO the top vent, which I left open like an idiot until I got off it to take that pic (was at the gas station in Melbourne where I consulted my phone and found where we were, or weren't). *thank god for Android + google maps + GPS*

Again......:rof:


sorry man, I remember the bugs in Flordia, spent a year in Jacksonville.
But getting to see the shuttle take off would :rockon::rockon::rockon:

 

[Chaosratt]

While I'm sure the sound was awesome, from the distance we were at I've heard louder motorcycles. Next time (looks like September, ) I'll have to try and get right up on the coast.

 

[afpreppie04]

Ah, I had forgotten about love bug season. The things I remember most from my years in north Florida were the beaches and the awesome sweet tea.

 

[AngelFZ]

Nice pictures!!!!!

From previous launch days, I would not ride around possible viewing areas (or main roads) since, before the launch, there is a lot of erratic driving of people trying to find a spot to park their cars and plain simple looking everywhere!!!!!
After the launch, the traffic is impossible and these small towns are not ready (or well prepared) for it. The police works hard on helping the situation, but either way, it gets tuff. Even worse, if the launch is cancel, a lot of people kind of take it personal and you can see that in the road!!!!!

Now, regarding the "love bugs" :banghead::banghead:

 

[deeptekkie]

Hey man - If it was easy anybody could do it! All seriousness aside - I appreciate the shots you made. Lovely!
I HATE &*^%$#@ Love Bugs! The last time I was up I-95 (WAY TOO FAST), when I stopped, people were strolling the parking lot taking pics of my car! (Suckers seemed to have some sort of acid in their dead little bodies and if you do not wash them off soon enough they leave an epitaph in your paint!)

 

[flightpro]

i remember trying to see a shuttle launch a couple of times, took me 5 tries to actually see one (DO NOT TRY AND PLAN A VACATION AROUND THIS). i live in pennsylvania so i would fly down to see the launch, first time tried to see STS-99, scrubbed because of technical difficulties while i was in florida. next try was STS-114, also scrubbed because of technical difficulties (florida in the middle of july has some comfortable weather lol). next try was STS-122, scrubbed twice for technical problems, i ended up flying back down to florida a month later to see the third attempt, and managed to finally catch the launch:rockon:, but man was it worth it, i saw the launch from the nasa causeway so it was as close as i couldve been. the wind was blowing from me to the shuttle so the sound wasnt the best, but it still roared. its a shame the shuttle program is almost over, the new program is cool and all but a capsule based vehicle seems like a step backwards from an orbiter to me. oh well.

 

[LERecords]

sucks about the ride, but i really like that second pic... thanks for sharing

 

[Lefty]

I've been to Florida twice. And both times I've said to my wife that I think the bugs in Florida are the size of our birds in California!

 

[Chaosratt]

I've been to Florida twice. And both times I've said to my wife that I think the bugs in Florida are the size of our birds in California!

Oh, wait till you meed a June bug on the bike when your doing 80mph down I-4.