Over spring break we were in Florida for the Artemis II launch. We lucked out and the launch went off the first day of our trip, allowing us the rest of the week to hang out at the beach, do a day at Kennedy Space Center, and a very special first trip to Disney World.
Brent works on the Artemis program and we were so fortunate to be able to attend the launch in person. It was a life changing experience that I shared about in this post.
We stayed at Crowne Plaza Melbourne-Oceanfront and had a wonderful experience. It was one of very few hotels that still had availability during the launch that provided access to the beach. When we originally booked the hotel I was looking for a safe place that me and three of my kids could see the launch by ourselves. We ended up all being able to go to the launch as a family, but our hotel still proved to be a great choice for some low key beach and pool days.
It was over an hour drive to get to Kennedy Space Center and Disney World which was a long drive while on vacation. But the comfortable, low key vibe was so nice on our hotel days that we didn't bother trying to move once the launch was over.
After a very fun but long launch day, we needed some down time. We spent the next day just enjoying the amenities at our hotel which was so lovely. It has a wonderful restaurant on site right next to the pool and beach access.
Our kids had so much fun at the beach. We have taken them to the beach in the fall but this was their first warm weather beach trip and they had the best time ever.
After a well needed day of rest, we had the energy to head back to Kennedy Space Center the next day. Our launch tickets included an additional day's admission so we made sure to take advantage of the full experience.
It was so cool to see the VAB (vehicle assembly building) up close from the bus. This is where they assembled the Artemis rocket. Brent had the privilege of going inside and seeing the Orion capsule in here last year on another work trip.
There were lots of interactive displays that we all enjoyed.
Then we got to drive all the way out near the launch pad. This would have been pretty incredible to see the rocket here before it took off, but still pretty neat a few days later.
The different exhibits had so much to see and do. A few also included videos portraying dramatic retellings of past missions. Some of them brought me to tears. It was so well done and truly moving. My knowledge and interest in space grew exponentially on this trip. It was really special.
The kids loved "walking" on the moon. Their motion provided a digital image of footprints.
I loved that all the bathroom signs showed people with space helmets on!
After a fun and full day at Kennedy Space Center, we stopped in Cocoa Beach on our way back to our hotel. We ate at Fishlips for dinner and loved this surfing photo op!
Being on the "space coast" it was fun to see so many space themed places. We spotted Brent's original Sacramento company (it has changed hands/names over the years) on this wall of stickers at Fishlips.
The bar and grill ended up being a pretty family friendly place. We got to sit outside and enjoy this beautiful view of the water.
Afterwards we stopped at the iconic Ron Jon Surf Shop. Brent has brought kids swag from here in the past so they were really excited to see it for themselves. It was my first time as well and it was gigantic and almost Vegas like. So crazy and interesting!
The next day we had another low key day at the hotel. Mama got her yummy coffee and the kids enjoyed swimming and playing all day. It was so nice to have a day in between activities to rest and enjoy our hotel. We have not done a big trip with the kids like this in a long time so I am taking notes for the future.
We ate at the hotel's restaurant, Longboards Oceanfront Grille, for yummy food and a beautiful view.
The next day we surprised the kids with a trip to Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Brent and I planned that as long as time allowed, we wanted to take this possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Disney World while we were there. It has been a bucket list location for me forever, and growing up in California with many visits to Disneyland over the years, it was really special to be able to to experience this together.
Look at those excited faces!
And in full transparency, after we paid a small fortune to buy tickets for our whole family, we got in line for the monorail, and then one of our children stated they felt like they were going to throw up and wanted to go back to the hotel! Thankfully one of the kind cast members overheard and told us about the first aid station in the park. So once we made it through the gate, we had to immediately head to first aid. Everything ended up being okay and they gave a dose of tylenol. These first aid workers are EMTs and I was so impressed by there help.
I think, much like at the launch, it was an exciting, busy, and hot day. The emotions were high. Thankfully it didn't put a huge damper on our day at Disney. It just was a slow and not so magical start to our day!
But once we got to our first ride, the mood definitely lightened. Everyone was having the time of their life and it was an incredible experience to have with our children.
These happy faces says it all. :)
We took a break for lunch and it was so cute to watch them look through the map and decide where they wanted to go next. Brought me back to some of my own childhood memories.
We also caught a couple of parades. The kids got so excited to see some of their favorite characters.
It was fun to compare what was the same and what was different from Disneyland. I think the most surprising for me was that It's A Small World was inside. The iconic outdoor line in Disneyland was always one of my favorite attractions.
But it was all as sweet and nostalgic as I remember.
We did bring a small tripod for our camera that we could set up on our stroller for a couple of family photos.
Mickey Mouse ice cream was a big highlight!
We mostly did rides we could all go on together but Brent and I each did a few with just some of the big kids. Here we are in line for Tiana's Bayou Adventure (Splash Mountain). I asked my four year old if he liked it. He said, "yes, but I don't want to go on it again!" I held so tightly on to him during the whole ride! Definitely a different experience to ride rides as a mom worried for your children!
It did end up raining for a short period of time but we were poncho ready. According to what I had read up about how much rain Florida gets, I found ourselves pretty lucky that we only dealt with a few downpours.
We closed the place down, with a last stop to pick out souvenirs. I'm so glad the girls wanted Minnie ears. They were so cute!
We had a really fun and long day at Disney. It will forever be such a special experience together. It definitely was a new level of vacation for us as we tend to keep things more low key. But I get the hype. Disney is pretty magical. I am grateful for the experience and that it meant so much to my kids.
We ended our last day in Florida back at the hotel. Standing with Brent in the sand, watching our kids have so much fun in the waves together, is always such a sweet time of reflection. Simply having long lengths of time together is such a gift, no matter the destination.
It was now time to head home. The kids always ask if we will come back one day. Maybe. :) For now we have the memories close to our heart.
We landed back in Seattle an hour before our son turned five. We took our night before your birthday photo in the airport. And then when it hit midnight in the car we all sang happy birthday! He was pretty tired and delirious but a fun memory nonetheless!
We collected a lot of treasures on our trip. Most of the Artemis swag we got for free which was so fun and special.
I used our Artemis and Disney World postcards to write some highlights from our trip. I know I will love looking back at these special memories for years to come.
I also showed the kids my Disneyland buttons that I had - one from when Brent and I got engaged and then another from our one year anniversary.
After we got home, the astronauts were to splash down a few days later. Brent's team had a splash down party where we got watch all the astronauts return home together.
And the owner let the kids play pool for free. They said it was the best day of their lives! It was pretty hilarious.
0 comments