Ever since my young eyes first gazed up at the night sky, the dream of slipping the surly bonds of Earth and dancing among the stars nestled deep within my heart. With dreams that grew into ambitions, it seemed inevitable: if I couldn’t be an astronaut, at least I could play one for a weekend. And so, armed with a lifelong wish and my equally adventurous husband—leaving our son at home to dream of his future endeavors—we set course for Huntsville, Alabama, a.k.a. Rocket City, to immerse ourselves in the adult version of Space Camp.
Not Just for Kids: The Adult Experience at Space Camp
Huntsville’s U.S. Space and Rocket Center, renowned worldwide for its rich aerospace legacy, hosts a Space Camp that’s not just for kids. Here, nostalgia meets cutting-edge learning in a program designed for adults to live out their childhood space fantasies. This was our chance to jump into an authentic astronaut experience, equipped with flight suits and a rigorous itinerary.
Space Camp for adults is an intense, engaging plunge into the mechanics and thrill of space travel. Over the course of the weekend, we navigated through activities ranging from piloting simulators that shook and rattled with every faux atmospheric breach to spinning in the multi-axis trainer that disorients and challenges even the sturdiest of stomachs. We strapped into a specialized chair designed to simulate the microgravity of a spacewalk. Hovering in the simulation chair, we navigated around the training area, mastering the subtle movements required to perform repairs in orbit.
The camp also offers on-site dormitories styled like astronaut quarters—think functional, compact, bunk beds, and very much in keeping with the space theme. However, my husband and I opted for a different kind of stay. We chose comfort and style, booking a room at the 106 Jefferson Hotel in downtown Huntsville, turning our space exploration into a luxurious weekend getaway.
106 Jefferson: A Boutique Hotel with Stellar Style
Just a short drive from the Space Center, 106 Jefferson Hotel stands as a testament to Huntsville’s heritage, woven into the very fabric of the city known as the cradle of America’s space program. The hotel marries mid-century modern aesthetics with the charm of space-era chic, making it an ideal complement to our space-themed adventure.
The hotel itself is a design aficionado’s dream, featuring sleek, retro furnishings that echo the optimism and innovation of the 1960s space race. Each room is a capsule of comfort: Serenity beds with plush Irish linens and décor that include whimsical nods to Huntsville’s contributions to space exploration, like artwork featuring spacefaring monkeys Baker and Able.
Speaking of Baker and Able, it also happens to be the name of the hotel’s rooftop bar. And it was our nightly post-Space Camp observatory. From here, surrounded by the twinkling lights of downtown Huntsville and beneath the canopy of the cosmos, we savored craft cocktails with names as intriguing as the history they celebrate. Each sip of a “Singularity20” or an “Orion’s Buck” was a toast to Huntsville’s ongoing journey into space, blending local spirits and cosmic inspiration into a palate-pleasing adventure.
Huntsville: A Hidden Gem in the South
But Huntsville offers more than just Space Camp. The city itself is an enclave of innovation, where past achievements in space exploration meet current endeavors. The downtown area, vibrant and bustling, offers an array of dining experiences, galleries, and shops that reflect the city’s artistic and technological vibrancy.
For example, The Kaffeeklatsch coffee shop brews gourmet coffee in a vintage 1929 Jabez Burns No. 7 Roaster, while Sea Salt serves up a variety of Gulf Coast oysters to the landlocked state. And Pizzelle’s Confections, renowned for their stunning bonbons and artisanal bars made from fair trade Felchlin chocolate, was just named the top chocolate shop in the nation by USA Today.
Beyond the culinary gems, museums, and parks offer a day’s worth of discovery, with the Huntsville Botanical Garden and the Huntsville Museum of Art standing out as must-visit locales.
So, whether you’re aiming to relive childhood dreams in a flight suit or simply sip stellar cocktails under the stars, Huntsville is your launchpad. This weekend, we learned that you don’t need to escape Earth’s gravity to have an out-of-this-world experience—sometimes, all it takes is a trip to Rocket City. After all, why just reach for the stars when you can dance among them, even if just for the weekend?
