Yesterday, I told you about some "school" we did while on vacation... a little beach time and some learning about shells. On a whim, we decided to go on an adventure after we left grandma and grandpa's house in SW Florida. Can you guess where we went?

(photo courtesy of the United States Air Force)

That's right! We went to see the last launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. I wish I could tell you the picture above is from my camera, but alas, we could not get THAT close. We did, however, make it to Titusville, FL - otherwise known as the "Space Coast" - and joined the throng of 40,000 other space fans to see the launch.

We had studied space extensively back in the fall, so this was a great follow-up for us. The pilot of the shuttle, Captain Eric Boe, is also from Georgia (he is an alum of my husband's school system, and received his Master's degree from GA Tech).

Not only was it a great lesson about the space shuttle, but it was also an EXCELLENT lesson in patience - we waited in traffic several hours around Disney World and then again nearing the space coast, and we waited in our van THREE HOURS to get out of Titusville. We REALLY love each other now. Eeek. That's a long time in a van when you're not moving.

GMan and Miss B waiting for the shuttle to take off.

Our view - you can see Kennedy Space Center in the distance, and the launchpad is on the left.

This is the picture my husband snapped after take off - we didn't want to be behind a camera when it took off, and so many people had told us to enjoy the moment - we could see plenty of professional pictures of it anyway!

And, here are some weary travelers right after lift off. I love how you can still see the smoke trail in the background.

It was a most awesome experience for all of us - one I am sure we will all look back on and say "I remember when I went to see the space shuttle!". I think it qualified as a "school day" - what do you think?

*This post is linked to the Hip Homeschool Hop!