Saturday morning 6 a.m. cup of coffee, a brief argument with Siri on my iPhone about alternate routes to the Forum, and I was on my way. Traffic was very light, which was refreshing. And sure, with all the road closures I had to park about a mile and half away, but that was anticipated. I grabbed my camera, walked down Crenshaw, and as I walked up the hill, there she was in all her glory.
With police, police tape and various blockades, I couldn’t get all that close on the street. But once I was inside the Forum’s parking lot I was able to get a really great vantage point.
I’ve never been a fan of crowds, not that many of us are, but I found this enormous, very diverse crowd to be quite respectful of each other, with families posing for pictures everywhere you looked.
The morning consisted of a brief ceremony with a marching band providing entertainment; the energy in the air was positive. I just felt proud of my country and what we’ve accomplished. Everyone around me had a smile on his or her face.
As much as we all tend to complain about our government, the politicians, police departments, etc., the fact that the “powers that be” put together a spectacle of the space shuttle flying over California for all to see and then allowing viewer to see the shuttle during its 12-mile journey to the science museum, is pretty damned cool if you ask me!
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