Rocket City - Huntsville

We knew from the web that the Space Flight Center Museum would be closed for snow, but we didn't want to just sit around the hotel. So we drove over to Redstone Arsenal and got a window decal (good on any DoD base) and then drove to the exchange. Met a woman in the exchange concourse who had a bunch of Rosaries for sale. Chatted with her for 20-30 minutes. She is German, married a soldier who just retired. Very enjoyable conversation!

We then decided to locate the visitor's center and see what we could see from outside.


As we approached the visitor center, this snow-rocket caught my eye!
most places, people build snowmen - not in Rocket City!


Next to the parking lot is this shuttle with external tanks and rockets!


Just up the walk is an aerial photo showing what all this looks like when there is no snow!


This missile (I think it is an Atlas, but not sure - I know it is BIG) dominates the skyline and is visible for miles! It sits next to the Visitor Center.


Right in front of the Museum is this SR-71 Blackbird (apparently didn't fly far enough south ;-)


Just down the walk is this memorial to the first US animal to ride into space and survive.
(Seems like it would have been more appropriate to have a monument to all the ones who did not survive!)


Does the Rocket dominate this city? Here's the church steeple of a local Baptist Church!


We explored downtown a little - pretty nice - and discovered this historic district down by the railroad tracks. This old station is now a museum/visitor center.


Nearby is this RR repair facility - not quite a roundhouse, but close.
("Let Him Chase You to the Roundhouse Nellie, He Can't Corner You There" ;-)


Tomorrow, we'll pick up Theresa's sister Anne and her mom Margaret at the Birmingham airport for a long weekend at The Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament (near Hanceville, AL) and the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) studio complex on the near east side of Birmingham.