Ticket To Ride

By Leslie Dickstein

Patricia Dahm, a mother of two boys, had never considered herself an adventurous person. Her perception changed, however, when she attended Space Camp with her family last year. During a weekend of piloting simulated shuttle missions and bringing spinning space capsules under control, Dahm discovered that she's more daring than she'd ever thought. "I probably had the best time of all," she says with a laugh. "It was great fun--just acting like a kid, letting loose and seeing the excitement in my children."

Since it opened in 1988, the U.S. Space Camp Florida parent-child program has trained some 10,000 boys, girls, moms and dads. (U.S. Space Camp parent-child programs are also available in Huntsville, Ala., and Mountain View, Calif.) The ultimate hands-on science museum, it gives you a chance to say yes the next time Junior asks if he can go to the moon. Upon arrival, a maximum of 72 participants are broken up into six teams of 12. From that moment on, the activities are nonstop. You'll build and launch your own rockets, participate in very realistic space simulations, and tour the Kennedy Space Center and the Astronaut Hall of Fame. You'll also visit at least two shuttle launching pads and perhaps, if your timing is right, even catch one of three shuttle launches scheduled for this summer. Not only will you know what it feels like to walk on the moon, but you'll also learn a lot about the U.S. space program's history and its future. No doubt your family members will also learn a lot about each other: participants say one of the best parts of the program is getting to work together and solve problems as a family unit.

Space Camp's parent-child program is designed for children ages 7 through 11, though exceptions are occasionally allowed. A $300-a-person fee covers the entire three-day Space Camp parent-child program, including meals and housing (guests stay in a dormitory-style facility and are separated by gender). Families that don't like the idea of sleeping in bunk beds can stay at any nearby hotel and join the rest of the group for programs and activities. One good bet: the Ramada Inn at Kennedy Space Center, which gives Space Camp participants a special rate ($49.50 for a double room).

Though the weather may not cooperate, shuttle takeoffs are scheduled for May 28, July 9 and Aug. 26. These launches are on a Wednesday and two Thursdays, which means you'll need to add at least a day before Space Camp begins Friday morning. Launch-viewing tickets, which take you to a special observation site, are $10 each and must be purchased in person no more than five days in advance.

You don't have to worry about down-time: the Disney theme parks are only a little more than 50 miles away (but save enough energy for the nonstop pace at Space Camp). Other local points of interest include the Brevard Community College Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory (planetarium shows, a rooftop telescope, space museum and hands-on exhibit hall), the Piper Aircraft factory (where those interested in aviation on a smaller scale can tour the assembly plant) and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (for living proof that nature and technology can coexist peacefully). Finally, you'll want to reserve time to go back over to the Kennedy Space Center. There's a lot that isn't covered on the Space Camp tour--the International Space Station, for example--and certainly you shouldn't miss it.