Consider Summer Boardwalks, Spacewalks and Skywalks
By Jacky Runice
New attractions in the family friendly confines of Kennedy Space Center, Hersheypark and the Grand Canyon make these vacation hot spots even more appealing this summer. If you’ve never been, now may be the time. If you have already enjoyed these, there are more reasons to return to Florida, Pennsylvania or Arizona.
A shuttle launch is exciting to watch on television and a lucky few get to actually witness one in person. Imagine experiencing the sensations of launching into Earth’s orbit and you get the idea behind Shuttle Launch Experience, an altogether original interactive encounter at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Unveiled on May 25, the Shuttle Launch Experience is more than a ride; it was developed over three years by seasoned Space Shuttle astronauts, under the guidance of NASA. You feel what the astronauts feel immersed in the sights, sounds and sensations of launching into space (fully vertical) through sophisticated motion technology, special-effects seats and high-tech visual and audio presentations.
That you’re experiencing this at Kennedy Space Center, the birthplace of American space exploration, is the colossal cherry on the nose of the shuttle. It may be the closest we can get to feeling the thrill of a shuttle launch, a 17,500 mph journey and getting an ET’s view of Earth from space. The simulation of the shuttle’s 8 1/ 2-minute ascent into orbit is said to be amazingly realistic for the cabin’s 44 passengers.
Just 45 minutes east of Orlando, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also offers a Space Center tour, Astronaut Encounter, IMAX space films, exhibits, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, historic spacecraft, simulator rides and the planet’s largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia.
Admission costs $38 plus tax for adults and $28 plus tax for children ages 3-11.
For more information, call (321) 449-4444 or moonwalk over to www.KennedySpaceCenter.com. The Web site also has a list of this year’s busy launch schedule so your family can schedule and experience a dramatic live NASA launch.
For a thrilling excursion of an entirely different nature, consider a visit to Hersheypark, celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Back in 1907, chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey offered guests a pastoral experience of picnicking and canoeing on Spring Creek. Since gentle canoeing doesn’t seem to cut it these days, a new kind of water-play area, the Boardwalk at Hersheypark, opened in May for families to experience the world’s largest water- play structure. The centerpiece of the new Boardwalk, East Coast Waterworks, stands seven stories high with the requisite interactive buckets, geysers and tipping cones, plus seven bridges and two crawl tunnels.
Other all-new attractions in the Boardwalk area include: Coastline Plunge, a water-slide complex patterned after the child- favorite board game Chutes and Ladders; Bayside Pier with tranquil lakeside waves; Waverider, a popular water-park addition that allows you to flow-board in a controlled environment; and Sandcastle Cove for the younger set.
Three existing water rides – Tidal Force, Roller Soaker and Canyon River Rapids – are included in the new Boardwalk section. Concessions, games and entertainment nod to the old-fashioned boardwalks of Northeastern shore towns. Admission to the Boardwalk is included in park admission, which also includes entry to ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park.
For information about lodging packages at the Hotel Hershey, Hershey campground or the Hershey Lodge go to www.Hersheypark.com or call (800) 437-7439.
The new Grand Canyon Skywalk is a glass bridge structure jutting out from the rim of the crater suspended about 4,000 feet above the Colorado River. In a situation that may be as debatable as the “Sopranos’” finale, some say the Skywalk is an eyesore upon one of the wonders of the natural world, while others think it’s pretty cool to get a hawk’s-eye view into the chasm.
Whatever your point of view, if you want to experience it you have to purchase an entire entry package that includes a shuttle ride to all points, a horse-drawn wagon ride, American Indian performances, walking tour of an Indian village and lunch. Run by the Hualapai tribe, the encounter costs around $80 for adults and about $60 for kids ages 4 to 11.
For more information, call (877) 716-9378 or visit www.skywalkdestinationgrandcanyon.com.
(c) 2007 Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.