NASA Hangar One — Tour in a Mustang

This time it was a mistake. I got the text message telling me that my Beetle was waiting in the parking spot K25. A Beetle… ok… better than a Ford Focus or an SUV.

However, when I got to K25, there was no Beetle… the only car sitting in the most empty row was a Mustang. And, I looked around but could see no Beetles anywhere on the lot.

So, I did what any impatient, tired, been on flights all day, frequent traveller would do… I took it. The thought of going back to the Preferred desk, waiting in line, explaining the situation, getting a different car, made my head split.

Avis mistake. My car. The guy at the exit barely questioned me as I drove up. I was on the road in less than 5-mins.

The plan is: whenever I get a Mustang, to take it to some sort of monument. The first time it happened I want to Stone Mountain in Georgia. The next time: the Golden Gate Bridge.

This time I want to NASA’s Hangar One, which is very large and can be seen from the 101. According to Wikipedia: Hangar One is one of the world’s largest freestanding structures, covering 8 acres (3.2 ha), and has long been one of the most recognizable landmarks of California’s Silicon Valley. An early example of mid-century modern architecture, it was built in the 1930s as a naval airship station for the USS Macon.

NASA itself has had a huge impact on San Francisco. It’s defence contract funding after WW2 kick-started Silicon Valley and has had an ongoing impact on the economy and technological innovation. The complexes that surround it belong to Lougheed Martin, Honeywell, and IBM.

I didn’t know this until after the fact, but… The Moffett Museum has been located in Hangar One for several years but relocated to an adjacent building after the hangar was closed due to potentially toxic chemicals. If you plan to visit, inform the guard at the main gate that you are going to the museum and follow his instructions. Next time I will visit the museum. Scratch that… as of 2013, the museum is no longer accessible to the public. You won’t be able to get past the main gate.