Mars themed resort coming to Polk County
DAVENPORT, Fla. - There's been a longtime fascination with what it would be like to visit or even live on the red planet.
Emmanuel Mohammed is the President of Extreme Getaway Homes.
He's building a one-of-a-kind travel and vacation experience at the Fantasy Island Resort in Davenport called "Mission to Mars."
"Well, I'm not even a movie fan. I just love to do something that's never been done before", said Mohammed.
His Mars estate combines space adventure with earthly comforts. There are plans for a mobile Mars rover that guests can use to explore the grounds.
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"I wish I could describe it, but it really will be literally out of this world," said Mohammed.
It's not just about what you see.
"We have a sensor that is going to trigger. When you are about 15 feet from this house, you will be able to feel the rocket taking off", said Mohammed.
And you'll hear a blast from the past once you step inside.
"Our famous President John Kennedy. The first man to walk on the moon is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, right? We can't talk about that without talking about our young president who took us to the moon", said Mohammed.
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The resort has even caught the attention of Nancy Conrad, widow of Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad. Her Conrad Foundation honors his legacy and works to inspire future explorers.
"I think it's a great project. The Mission to Mars Resort is an example of innovation and entrepreneurship and innovation is a centerpiece of our work at the Conrad Foundation", said Conrad.
Mohammed sees Mission to Mars as his small step towards the bigger picture of space exploration.
"Mission to Mars is very, very dear to me because we can't talk about saving the planet if we can't do the science and the technology needed to be able to come back on Earth and take care of that blue, beautiful planet," said Mohammed.