Kindles in the Wild – Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum – June 26, 2025

Sydney Dolan-Neblett
Jul 6
2 min read

I know I have been a little out of touch with my blog lately, but life has been kind of crazy for the last few years. Not that I haven’t been traveling, just that I have not had the time to share my journeys with all of you. But through unforeseen circumstances I find myself with some additional time, so I am going to endeavor to catch up on my blog. That being said keep an eye out for jaunts from the not-too-distant past, okay maybe it will be a few years back, and the most recent adventures I have been on with my family. Some will have books and some may not, but all will be to places that we encourage you add to your bucket lists.

The most recent excursion took us on a journey back in time. We found this little museum completely by accident when we were on a recent vacation and looking for something close by that would keep us entertained for a while. We arrived in the quaint town, drawn by the promise of authentic flavors at El Tio Mexican restaurant, which was fantastic, and we highly recommend, and stumbled on this museum right down the street sharing the building with the local library. The gentleman on duty the day of our visit was very knowledgeable and started us off with a 15-minute video that told the story of the Columbia and shared the impressions of the townsfolk who aided in the recovery mission. Then he took us exhibit by exhibit around the space explaining what was enshrined behind the glass and his own personal experiences and impressions of what had occurred. Each of the astronauts have their own space of remembrance, along with general shuttle spaces, and a replica module that has all the switches and dials and will have the lights added by this time next year.

Although it is not a big space, the cost is minimal at just $5.00 for admittance, and this little museum is packed full of interesting historical knowledge that you won’t want to miss out on. If you find yourself anywhere near east Texas, be sure to stop by Hemphill and learn all that you can about the Columbia.

Happy reading!

Sydney