Part 96 - Houston, we have a problem

Just a space shuttle getting a piggyback off a Boeing 747

Another Air BnB

Throughout staying in a few Air BnBs during my Texas jaunt, I'd met a variety of people, and my trip to Houston was no different. The chap whose spare room I was renting was a very jovial preacher from Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen when I first got there, and I instead had to explain the "I'm coming to live in your house for a few days" situation to his mum, whose English was only marginally better than my Krio. Still, once I'd charmed her / worn down her defences, she let me into a very comfortable room, which would have been even more comfortable if they weren't pumping freezing cold air through the ceiling ducts 24/7.

Houston Space Center

The main attraction in tourist (for geeks like me anyway) is the visitor centre for the NASA Johnson Space Center, where all the space and moon missions are co-ordinated from. As well as going into great detail about future plans to return to the moon and go to Mars, there were several exhibits showing what life is like for astronauts in space shuttles and space stations. 

You need to strap yourself into bed each night

They also have the only life-size replica of a space shuttle that was launched off the back of a Boeing 747 (see top pic). You can wander about inside both of them. 

What does this button do?

Can't remember precisely what this is but it looks impressive

Unlike the chap floating about in the background, sadly I wasn't weightless

I always considered myself a bit of a space cadet

The centre also had an area where you could meet and ask questions of real-life astronauts. Sadly, there was no astronaut present while I was there, so this kid's pertinent question remains unanswered for now. 

Kids. Happy to probe the questions the rest of us are afraid to ask. 

A bit of a problem

To round off the perfect day, upon leaving the area, I managed to put my hire car into reverse instead of neutral and bump into the car behind, which belonged to a big burly ex-Marine who was very keen to find out who I was and how I was going to pay for the damage to his bumper. I wisely kept my "Houston, we have a problem" quips to myself.

parkrun

Despite there only being three parkruns in the entire state of Texas, two of them were to be found in Houston. However, the Terry Hershey one lured me in with a picture of a family of armadillos, which turned out to be a case of false advertising.

Number of armadillos actually seen: 0

Huntsville

Huntsville is famous for two things. First: it has a massive prison. Second: It is the city where my friend and ex-colleague Mindy lives with her son Riley. We had a very pleasant lunch together (or it was pleasant up until the point where Mindy described being stung in the eye in a scorpion while she slept - had I known that could happen in Texas I'd never have come here in the first place!)

 

Lizards or Gizzards sir?

I didn't use an AirBnB for my final night, and instead stayed at the "Golden Inn" motel, which would have actually been quite nice if it wasn't situated about 5cm away from my an incredibly busy freeway. I decided to venture out on foot on the last night to search for sustenance - a foolish move as there were only two eateries within walking distance. One was queued out the door, and other one wanted me to choose between the equally unappetising livers or gizzards meals.

Also ... since when was gravy WHITE?

Then it was up with the sparrows to take the smouldering wreckage of my hire car back to the airport, where nobody seemed to give two hoots about my accident. So either I got away with it completely, or I'm going to get a bill for several thousand dollars and a raging ex Marine at my doorstep demanding retribution and reparations. 

Thankfully, my trip back to Canada was uneventful. In the next chapter, more Niagara-on-the-Lake shenanigans!