Houston...We have a Problem!

December 20th

We didn't set out to visit Houston specifically, but it happened to land about half-way between New Orleans and Port Aransas. Sometimes it's nice to stay in the city. Costco is close by and great to grab essentials (though, we really don't have room for a 5lb bag of veggie straws). And here, we were able to stay right next to the Johnson Space Center. On the downside, towing a 20,000lb 43' 5th wheel isn't ideal when navigating the tollways and interstate spaghetti.

This trip has been a learning experience for us, and we re-learned that apple or google maps can often lead you astray. On our way out of town, we mistakenly found ourselves on the HOV expressway. The kind of expressway where you have a single lane, no shoulder, and transitions up and down over exit ramps. With inches to spare, we were able to depart the expressway thank goodness, and were greeted by a dumbfounded highway patrolman who asked us if we knew that expressway

was for cars. Between our Oregon plates, and what may have been his stomach growling for breakfast, he shoed us on our way out of the city. That what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

Aside from the driving into, out of, and inside the city, we really did enjoy visiting the Johnson Space Center. It was much different than the Kennedy Space Center, but in a good way. In addition to learning a ton about our next generation of space travel, mainly centered around the technology supporting astronauts, we were able to tour the astronaut training facility. We were also treated to a very unique tour of the shuttle program, walking inside the jumbo jet that carried, launched, and recovered many space shuttles including the space shuttle Independence (a replica is mounted on top of the aircraft!).

Johnson Space Center Photo Album