Thanks for all the great information everybody! I am not going to pull the trigger to go down until everything looks good. Jet Blue has tickets available for Sunday morning (Orlando) & buying last minute isn't a problem.

Just remember that the weather here is very unpredictable.
We get a 40-60% chance of rain just about every day, but local conditions change minute by minute. Especially in the late afternoon.

Best place to watch is right off of US-1 due west of the big building (VAB). Getting on base is tougher nowadays. The bus tickets are good for one attempt only and really aren't any closer than Titusville. If you watch from Titusville, it is almost all water between you and the pad and so it should be pretty loud. Check on www.spaceflightnow.com for launch status. They update it frequently. For anybody planning to watch from the water, the Indian River should be the best. I am not sure where the closures are but the ICW should be open. The Banana river is closed to boats a little north of SR528, which is still pretty far. Check your maps if you're planning to watch from the Atlantic. You'll be chased off by helicopters and could even delay the launch if you are in the wrong area.

Shuttle launches are awesome! The rockets are just babies compared to the Shuttle. You never know how many more there are going to be, so if you want to see one, sooner is better than later.

Rene

The Banana river is closed to boats a little north of SR528, which is still pretty far.
Rene[/QUOTE]


DJD,
Here's a pic of the July 4th launch we watched from the Banana River north of SR528. If we were here, I would invite you and your son over and we would go out in one of our boats to watch. BUT, we are leaving for LOTO 1st thing in the am. Weather and tech issues can scrub alot of launches.
Good luck,
Dean

PS Of course I have to include a pic of my little DOLLphin!

Dean
How far away was that pic taken?
I saw a launch many years ago from a cruise ship in Port Canaveral. It was awsome!!!!

You guys want to be sure you keep an eye out on the weather becuase nasa is seeing weather getting worse. The countdown is still live it started yesterday. I hope to see Atlantis lift off myself.

Now the shuttle launch is delayed until Monday at 4:04 P.M. due to a lightning strike Friday on the launch pad. They want to make sure that there is no damage.