Rockets & Rides

My first rocket launch since
arriving in FL, a
Falcon 9 with the booster
landing out at sea on a drone ship.

Settled into Florida for the winter, it's nice being back on the Space Coast.  It's familiar for me as I spent the winters of 2014-15 through 2018-19 in Titusville.  There have been some changes since Covid, but the bike trails are the same and the rocket launches are scheduled more frequently, two major reasons I'm back for the season.

Video of the Falcon 9 launch.

Camping at a nice spot, that's the Indian River
with sailboats anchored off the ICW,
beyond the grassy park.

That's a dolphin!
Several of them spent a day playing and
feeding in the nearby marina.

Here's a video of that dolphin.  

Although they were in the marina for 

over an hour, this is all I got.  😞

The bike trail beckoned.
Several rides in December.

Ibis feeding in the park.

When the temps were cooler or
it was raining, a walk replaced 
the bike ride.

Within walking distance is this
tiki bar on the water.
It's under the Brewer Bridge on the ICW.

There is often live music to enjoy here.

Same trail, just riding from town,
instead of the trailhead north of Mims.

There's frequently wildlife along the trail.
Most often it's birds and turtles, but
sometimes there are alligators. 

Checked out different
branches of the trails.

Lots of sailboats are moored and anchored along the ICW.
That large building in the distance is the
Vehicle Assembly Building on Cape Canaveral.
This is a great spot to view rocket launches.

This bike ride was around town,
including time at the local library.

That big grin is because I'm halfway
through a 30+ mile bike ride and 
feeling great!

Going all out with Christmas decorations again this year.
Ok, maybe not.  But they're nice, right?!
The creche on the left I picked up in Santa Fe,
while traveling Route 66 in 2020.
The white nativity is a stone carving,
once owned by my parents.

Christmas Eve at the tiki bar.

The Falcon Heavy lights up the night sky
almost like daylight.

That's the Falcon Heavy
already east of Cape Canaveral
over the Atlantic Ocean.

The two boosters of the Falcon Heavy
firing for the second time
during their descent
returning to Cape Canaveral.

Those same two boosters firing again to
land back on Cape Canaveral.

Full video of the Falcon Heavy Launch and Landing of the two booster rockets.

Check out the initial re-entry firing of the boosters at 2:42 in the video. 

This is the first time I observed TWO launches within
three hours of each other!  This is a Falcon 9 launch.

This Falcon 9 headed southeast
towards the Caribbean Sea.
This first stage booster
landed on a drone ship at sea.

Video of the Falcon 9 launch.

Holiday in Prescott

Great mural on the wall at The Palace in Prescott.

Remember, it's pronounced like "biscuit" (PRESS-kit)!  Jada and I played tourist with our hosts, Rob and Biz, in Prescott.  We enjoyed a local museum as well as a few establishments on Whiskey Row.

All the better photos were taken by Jada.

This building was on the grounds of the museum.

Click and zoom on this pic to see the
details of this mural more closely.

Fun selfie by Jada!

in The Palace

My last day in Arizona, Jada and I spent
in Phoenix.  Dinner at a local Morton's.

We worked our way through this large maze in the 
Desert Lights holiday display.

We found this friendly guy in the maze.

Click to view the Panorama.

Success!  We found our way out of the maze.