Tag: Space Shuttle

Feb 13 2013

Visiting our Nation’s Capital

  • Wednesday, February 13, 2013

IMG_20130209_095100So I’m just getting back in to town after a fun boys weekend with my best friends Jason and David visiting Washington, DC. We totally lucked out and just missed the massive snowstorm the hit just north of DC the day we arrived. The weather for the trip was pretty cool but, at least there wasn’t any snow. We had a full schedule with hitting the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the National Archives right off the bat on day one. OUr second day started early in the morning with a visit to The White House where we got to take a tour inside of it and then off to the Old Ebbitt Grill for a great brunch.

After lunch we continued a nice walk over to the International Spy Museum which not only had the cool history of spy gadgets but, also included a great exhibit on 50 years of Bond Villains with props and gadgets from the films. This was far worth the cost of admission.  After the Spy Museum, it was off to the National Air and Space Museum to start our two day adventure in to the history of flight. After the museum, it was time for a quick nap and then off to dinner with my cousin LIsa and then drinks with my buddy Chris and his girlfriend Nicky before calling it a night. Talk about a long day!

IMG_20130210_120817Sunday was probably one the highlights of the trip, The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Air and Space Museum. This place is simply massive! I don’t know how else to explain it. There are so many amazingly cool planes and aircraft to see from the SR-71 BlackBird to the Concorde and the Space Shuttle Discovery. I don’t think it can be any more breath taking when you see these beautiful planes almost with in touching distance from you. standing under Discovery was truly an awe-inspiring moment. Thanks to my buddy Chris for the drive out there. I can write enough about how amazing this place is. It is definitely worth the visit to. After several hours of visiting the museum, we took a late lunch in Fairfax with Chris before returning back to the city for a nap and then dinner with Jason’s cousins and my friend Wes.

IMG_20130211_134620Our last day proved to be just a busy with a morning tour of the US Capital and then an afternoon visit to the National Botanical Gardens before heading to grab a bite to eat at one of my all time favorite places from living in England, Pret A Manger before heading the final tour of the weekend, the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress was actually pretty neat and I couldn’t help but think of where the President’s Book of Secrets might be thanks to National Treasure. We had planned to visit the Air and Space Museum again before hitting the airport but, due to flight changes, we ended up having to rush back to the hotel and hit the airport much quicker and earlier than we had planned to.

Overall, it was a very fun, yet tiering, weekend with some great fiends to a great city that is loaded with exciting treasures to discover and see. Glad we were able to get up to Washington for a visit and for those the follow my blog regularly, I think I have proved that I don’t always take cruise vacations 🙂

Here are the photos from my latest trip:

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May 31 2008

Buzz Lightyear Blasts Off in to Space!

  • Saturday, May 31, 2008

For those in Florida, we had a front seat view to Buzz Lightyear’s first trip to space! Good luck Buzz!

NASA Launches New Education Initiative With Disney Parks and Buzz Lightyear

WASHINGTON — As seven, well-trained astronauts begin an important mission to the International Space Station on Saturday, May 31, one toy astronaut, Buzz Lightyear, will begin a journey to help educate children across the country.

The liftoff of space shuttle Discovery kicks off a new education initiative between NASA and Disney Parks. A 12-inch-tall Buzz Lightyear action figure will be carried aboard the shuttle as part of the partnership to encourage students to pursue studies in science, technology and mathematics, one of NASA’s main educational goals.

Disney’s Youth Educational Series and NASA have developed an online program known as the Space Ranger Education Series. It includes fun educational games for students, as well as materials for educators to download and integrate into their classroom curriculum.

“NASA is excited to help students understand the science and engineering currently underway on the International Space Station,” said Joyce Winterton, NASA assistant administrator for Education. “The educational games and resources from this partnership will allow students to explore the science and math behind space exploration with a beloved character.”

Beginning Saturday, May 31, the online games featuring Buzz Lightyear will be available by visiting NASA’s homepage and clicking on the box for the NASA Kids’ Club at:

http://www.nasa.gov

The five educational games are:

  • “Mission Match Up: Create a Game” — Match the International Space Station partner countries to space facts
  • “Connect it! Flight Path” — Attach the Kibo laboratory to the International Space Station using a sequence of commands
  • “Load the Shuttle” — Fill the shuttle with cargo to a certain mass
  • “I Spy: Reflections from Space” — Find everyday objects on the International Space Station that were built on NASA technology
  • “Toys in Space” — Navigate Buzz Lightyear to different toys to see a movie on how they behave in spaceSince 1985, NASA’s Toys in Space project has used toys flown aboard the shuttle and the International Space Station to help children learn science and mathematics. Scientific and mathematical principles make these toys work. For example, wind-up toys convert stored potential energy in their springs into kinetic energy as the springs unwind. Gravity often plays an important role in the actions of toys, but how would the same toys function in an environment where the effects of gravity are not felt? Only NASA can provide the settings, so students can discover the answer to questions like these.

    “We are thrilled that Buzz’s lifelong dream of space travel finally will come true thanks to NASA,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “This launch fulfills his dream, and we hope it will inspire countless children to stay interested in science and believe in their own dreams.”

    The beginning of Buzz’s space mission coincides with the opening of “Toy Story Mania!,” a new 4-D interactive attraction, on May 31 at Walt Disney World, Fla., and on June 17 at Disneyland Resort, Calif.

    For information about other NASA education programs, visit:

    http://education.nasa.gov

    For more information about the space station, visit:

    http://www.nasa.gov/station
    For more information about the STS-124 shuttle mission and its crew, visit:

    http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

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