Spaceflight Now has a good article on what it takes to lug a space shuttle across the country. For a craft that can fly into space strapped to the side of a rocket and glide to a landing back on Earth, just getting it from California to Florida is a huge deal.
They have to avoid weather: "30 seconds of rain... cost several million dollars", fly at a low altitude, consume enormous amounts of fuel, and make a number of pit stops along the way. I was hoping that Tucson's Davis-Monthan AFB would be on the route this time, but they don't post the schedule in advance any more due to security issues. Oh, but anyone can track each leg in real-time on the Net!
