Kennedy Space Center

Please note, the visit to the Space Center is not for everyone. For those who have watched space flights and taken an interest - it is "Rocket Nirvana" - however if your party are too young (the exhibits aren't terribly interactive) or are uninterested in matters space - avoid it like the plague. Ideally - take only those who really want to go - and spend the full day - The Saturn V exhibition hall is worth the entry fee in itself. If you take youngsters - take a moment to watch their faces light up in awe as they enter this exhibition hall - its a treat!

Whether or not you're a space buff, you'll appreciate the sheer grandeur of the facilities and technological achievements displayed at NASA's primary space-launch facility. Astronauts departed Earth at this site in 1969 en route to the most famous "small step" in history -- the first moon walk -- and today's space shuttles still regularly lift off from here on their latest missions.

Since all roads other than Florida 405 and Florida 3 are closed to the public in the space center, you must begin your visit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. A bit like an amusement theme park, this privately operated complex has received a $130-million renovation and expansion, so check beforehand to see if tours and exhibits have changed since press time. Call ahead to see what's happening on the day you intend to be here, and arrive early. You'll need at least 2 hours to see the space center's highlights on the bus tour, up to 5 hours if you linger at the stops along the way, and a full day to see and do everything here. Buy a copy of the Official Tour Book; it's easier to use than the rental cassette tapes, and you can take it home as a colorful souvenir (though some readers think you probably don't need the extra information, as the bus tours are narrated and the exhibits have good descriptions).

The visitor complex has real NASA rockets and the actual Mercury Mission Control Room from the 1960s. Exhibits portray space exploration in its early days and where it's going in the new millennium. There are hands-on activities for kids, a daily "Encounter" with a real astronaut, dining venues, and a shop selling space memorabilia. IMAX movies shown on 5 1/2-story-high screens are both informative and entertaining.

While you could spend an entire day at the visitor complex, you must take a KSC Tour to see the actual space center where rockets and shuttles are prepared and launched. Take the bus tour early in your visit (the lines for these are brutal), and be sure to hit the restrooms before boarding -- there's only one on the tour. Buses depart every 10 minutes or so, and you can reboard as you wish. They stop at the LC-39 Observation Gantry, with a dramatic 360-degree view over launch pads where shuttles blast off; the International Space Station Center, where scientists and engineers prepare additions to the space station now in orbit; and the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which includes artifacts, photos, films, interactive exhibits, and the 363-foot-tall Saturn V, the most powerful rocket ever launched by the United States. Unfortunately, the bus tour was the low point of my recent visit. Though the commentary on the bus was interesting, the stops were relatively dull, and waiting to board and reboard buses was more than frustrating (though touching a moon rock at the Apollo/Saturn V Center was pretty cool). If you're short on time, I suggest sticking around the visitor center.

Don't miss the Astronaut Memorial, a moving black-granite monument that bears the names of the U.S. astronauts who died on missions or while in training. The 60-ton structure rotates on a track that follows the movement of the sun (on clear days, of course), causing the names to stand out against a brilliant reflection of the sky.

On launch days, the center is closed at least part of the day. These aren't good days to see the center, but they're great days to observe history in the making. For $38 per adult and $28 per child ages 3 through 11, you get a combined ticket that entitles you to admission to the center for the shortened operating hours, plus at least a 2-hour excursion to NASA Parkway to see the liftoff. You must pick up tickets, available 5 days before the launch, on-site.

For an out-of-this-world experience, do lunch with an astronaut, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity available every day ($23 adults, $16 kids 3-11, in addition to space center admission). Astronauts who have participated in the past include some of the greatest, such as John Glenn, Jim Lovell, Walt Cunningham, Story Musgrave, and Jon McBride. Seating is limited; call tel. 321/449-4400 to make a reservation.

New at the Space Center is the Astronaut Training Experience, a thrilling combination of hands-on training and preparation for the rigors of spaceflight. You'll hear first-hand from veteran NASA astronauts as you progress through an authentic day of mission simulation and exploration and even get to check out a flight simulator. It's pricey, though, at $225 per person.

Note: Kennedy Space Center acquired many of the exhibits from the Astronaut Hall of Fame and added them as a separate attraction at the KSC visitor center ($17 adults, $13 kids 3-11; or $38 adults and $28 kids for a 2-day Maximum Access Admission to the Center and the Hall of Fame). The attraction includes exhibits and tributes to the heroes of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. There's also a collection of spacecraft, including a Mercury 7 capsule, a Gemini training capsule, and an Apollo 14 command module. In "Simulator Station," guests can experience four times the force of gravity, ride a rover across Mars, and land a space shuttle.

Out to Launch -- If you'd like to see a shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Center, first call tel. 321/867-5000 or check NASA's official website (www.ksc.nasa.gov) for a schedule of upcoming takeoffs. You can buy launch tickets at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (tel. 321/449-4444) or online at www.ksctickets.com. A word of caution: Shuttle launches are frequently delayed due to weather, equipment malfunctions, or other factors, so you might have to make multiple visits to see one. It is also possible the launch window may be delayed beyond your going-home date.

If you can't get into the space center, other good viewing spots are on the causeways leading to the islands and on U.S. 1 as it skirts the waterfront in Titusville. The Holiday Inn Riverside-Kennedy Space Center, on Washington Avenue (U.S. 1) in Titusville (tel. 800/465-4329 or 321/269-2121; www.holidayinnksc.com), has a clear view of the launch pads across the Indian River. Area motels raise their rates and often book up around the time a launch is scheduled.