Traveling with the Stars: Buzz Aldrin
— -- Buzz Aldrin became the second man to set foot on the moon, behind Neil Armstrong, 40 years ago this month. Although his days of traveling into space are over, the retired astronaut whose memoir Magnificent Desolation was released in June, stays on the go jumping from one continent to another. He shares his travel highlights and tips with Kelly Carter for USA TODAY.
Q: Where have you been recently that you liked or were surprised by?
A: Kazakhstan, where Sputnik, Yuri Gagarin and at least six American tourists along with Russians were launched into space. That was the first time I ever saw a launch in Baikonur. That was kind of surprising because I had heard so much about it. It's very basic, very reliable. And it's a very smooth launch countdown and exposure of the crew to the public and the dignitaries, or at least behind glass, just a couple of hours before the launch.
Q: What's the best place you've ever visited?
A: I would have to say probably Hawaii. I've spent many years there. My oldest son is there. And we trained in the volcanoes in Hawaii for the moon mission. I learned a lot about geology there and the beauty of the different islands. I really got my formal certification for scuba diving but I learned much earlier in the Mediterranean in Tripoli (Libya). The beauty of Hawaii probably surpasses other places. I like the Big Island and the two mountains, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, where you can look out at the stars. There's the Keck Observatory, which is famous, and also a nice aquarium — so both extremes.
Q: What's the most surprising/unexpected place you're ever visited?
A: No one can look out from the (Apollo 11) Lunar Module on the landscape at Tranquility Base and not be totally taken with the difference between the reality of being there and the total magnificent desolation of the view, the magnificence of human beings there and the utter lifelessness of such a fairly remote place, at least it was mighty remote … even though more people were paying attention at that moment 40 years ago. Growing up I was fascinated with Buck Rogers' airplanes. As I began to mature in World War II it became jets and rocket planes. But it was always in the air.
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