Thursday - must be Houston!

Good night after all the walking yesterday and away before 9. Freeway drive out gets the pulse racing but soon back on 10 to Houston. Through Flatoville seeing bison in field by the road! Rich rolling agricultural land with plenty of trees and rivers, the settlers must have pinched themselves arriving here. Drive straight to the space centre for the 1.20 tram tour of the sight. So emotional! Both of us really moved to be standing in the actual mission centre we saw on TV in 1969 when' the first small step ' was taken. The real saturn rocket used in the test run is huge with the sections fired off diminishing in size to the actual capsule. All the parts of the space station are in another hanger used as simulations for training. 14,000 people are still employed here planning and testing for the unmanned mars mission. After a fantastic film of footage from the actual mission we have a wonderful guide who was actually a scientist involved with the missions. The actual capsule that returned them to earth is on display - we touched it! But for us to TOUCH moon rock was something neither of us could ever imagine doing listening to that momentous time in our lives 41 years ago. The scientific spin offs forced years ahead of time by the space program made us aware of how our lives have been enhanced by that investment, itself partly a result of the cold war. Best Western again, superb room and walk to shopping mall next door (half a mile) for take out chicken and fresh fruit salad in our room.