The April 2024 total solar eclipse was a must-see event for me. To add some adventure before the big event, we decided to start from Space Coast (Kennedy Space Center) in Florida and drive all the way to Boca Chica for a visit to SpaceX’s Star Base in Texas. Inbetween, lots of interresting places waited to be visited (theme parks in Orlando, New Orleans for Mardi Gras, Space Center Houston, …). Apart from an essential piece of luggage which did not arrive (and a horrible mosquito attack in the Louisiana swamps), the biggest disappointment was the scrubbed launch of the last Atlas IV rocket with no time to wait for the next time frame. After all, it was a incredible trip. On the one hand, there were rockets (including a Falcon 9 launch), satellites, rovers and many more space tech. On the other hand, there were fascinating animals, buzzing cities and great people.
