Planning Our First “Starter Trip” on a Texas Road Trip with Kids

When your kid is finally old enough to remember the trip—and maybe even talk about it nonstop—you know it’s time to plan a big adventure. Not too big. Not 18-hours-in-the-car big. Just right for a first official “starter trip.”

School was getting ready to start, and Julie (my ex), who’s a teacher, had a week of teacher in-service. Cate and I had already explored all over New England earlier in the year, and Coen was feeling a little jealous that he hadn’t come along. So I decided to make it up to him with a three-day, two-night adventure along the Texas coast—his first real trip.

If you’re looking for a short, kid-friendly vacation in Texas that mixes science, beach time, and unforgettable surprises, this 3-day Texas road trip with kids hits the mark. My hope was that this short trip would be the beginning of taking longer adventures with both Cate and Coen together in the future.

Leaving Dallas: Destination NASA

We left Dallas at 6 a.m., aiming to get to Houston by mid-morning. I’m not sure Coen fully understood what the Johnson Space Center actually was. I’d talked to him about it a few times in the days leading up to the trip, so he had a little bit of an idea—mostly that it involved rockets and astronauts.

The drive was mostly uneventful, which in parent road trip terms means a big win. There were snacks, giggles, a few sibling arguments, and plenty of “are we there yet?” moments. But overall, the mood was pure anticipation.

When we pulled into the parking lot, I could already feel my inner space nerd start to bubble up. A real space shuttle perched on top of a plane and a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket greeted us at the entrance. Coen’s jaw dropped. “Wait, it’s on the PLANE?!” he yelled. It was one of those wide-eyed, holy-cow moments that remind you why you do trips like this.

Arriving at Space Center Houston

We lucked out—there was a traveling MythBusters exhibit going on. Both kids had watched episodes of that show with me, and they were excited to explore.

We signed up for the tram tour as soon as we got inside, then wandered the museum. Cate and Coen both got to try out a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) simulator. Spoiler: Cate piloted with precision. Coen? Not so much. But the laughter was worth it.

Tram Tour: Mission Control and Saturn V

Just as excitement was peaking, our tram tour slot was called.

First stop: Mission Control. THE Mission Control. The one from Apollo. The one where “Houston, we have a problem” was first announced. And yes—they have the actual speaker box it came from.

I sat in the room in amazement, completely living out my Apollo 13 fantasy while the guide explained everything. Cate was genuinely curious and asked me thoughtful follow-up questions later. Coen? He was mostly impressed by the bouncy chairs.

This moment forced me to step back and recognize that not everyone will experience a vacation the same way. And that’s okay. Parenting the traveler in front of me—not the one I imagined—has been one of the most important lessons I’ve learned.

After that, we headed to the massive Saturn V rocket. That’s when Coen’s mind blew open. “WOAH,” he said, over and over, pointing at the gigantic engines. That connection—seeing something in person after only knowing it from videos—is a powerful thing.

At the tip of the Saturn V rocket, there was a real-life retired astronaut talking with visitors and answering questions about the rocket. Cate asked him what the little tower on top of the capsule was. He explained that it was used for emergencies—if something went wrong during launch, the capsule would separate, and a small rocket at the tip of that tower would pull it away from the rest of the rocket.

Then he went into a story, saying that this Saturn rocket could theoretically still be assembled today for a rescue mission, if it was absolutely needed.

Meeting the astronaut and hearing him talk about the Saturn rocket was just too much for my little geeky brain to process. I was fully locked in—asking questions, nodding along, probably grinning like a space-happy five-year-old myself. It was a great moment of real-time learning and connection for Cate, and even Coen seemed intrigued by the idea of a rocket flying to the rescue.

MythBusters, Simulators, and Moon Rocks

Back in the museum, we spent more time in the MythBusters exhibit.

Then we got to touch an actual moon rock, which Coen thought was “totally crazy.” We looped through the exhibits one last time before heading to our Airbnb in Freeport, TX—about an hour away—for some much-needed rest.

The Rookie Mistake I Made

During the drive, Cate asked me what missions the astronaut had flown on. That’s when it hit me—I had no idea who he was. I was so wrapped up in the excitement that I completely forgot to ask his name. Without it, I couldn’t even look him up.

Lesson learned. Don’t forget the name tag