Experiencing the Total Solar Eclipse

I often plan out my trips way ahead of time, maybe a little too much so. Therefore, sometimes it’s nice to decide something last minute and wing it. That’s exactly what my son and I did this past week. On Friday morning, I was expecting just a regular weekend. By Sunday afternoon, we were bound for Clarksville, Arkansas and a glimpse of the total solar eclipse.

We settled on Clarksville because it had totality for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. The town I planned to go to originally was right smack dab in the middle of the totality path, but nearly everyone we heard talking about the eclipse on our way was heading there too. I thought it’d be smart to look for another town.

It turned out to be the right move. We got off the interstate about an hour and a half before the totality. Right away, I saw a large gravel parking lot with just a few cars and nothing around but a solar panel field of all things. The irony! After taking a peak around town, I decided the solar panel parking lot was our best bet. I parked the car, broke out a blanket to lay on the ground, and awaited history.

When I was debating on Friday whether to make the trip, the main question I asked myself was, “Should we really make a 7 hour trip just to see something that will last for a few minutes?” By 1:50pm CDT on Monday, April 8th, the answer was an unequivocal YES!

The experience was surreal. Right before the eclipse became total, the birds started singing. Soon after, we could hear the chirp of crickets. The change in temperature was also clear. It dropped about 10 degrees from 80 to 70 in a short time. And of course it got dark. So dark that automatic car lights turned on. It felt like just after sunset in winter. Since the eclipse was total, we could safely remove our glasses. Talk about epic! Time seemed to freeze. My shoddy photo gives no justice to the experience. I took a moment to put my arm around my son’s shoulder and say, “just sit back and enjoy this.”

Then, after that priceless 3 minutes and 30 seconds, the sun came back out. Within a few more minutes, the sun seemed to be back to its normal self, to the naked eye at least. That moment in time, which felt endless, now seemed to pass in a blink of an eye. But I know how it felt. And I know we’ll remember that feeling in 20 years when the next total solar eclipse reaches North America. So, not only was the trip worth it, it was one of the better decisions I’ve made.

Go Out and See Stuff

As I said earlier, this impromptu trip was totally worth it. I tend to lean towards flying more often than not these days. Hitting the road this week reminded me how much fun that can be too! Plus, you don’t have to worry about flight cancellations and missing connections.

I encourage anyone reading this to get on the internet and find out what places are within an 8-hour radius of their home. Figure out something that interests them (maybe history-related?) and plan a road trip. If money is tight, then do something closer that can be done in a day trip and budget for it. I am confident you’ll be glad you did.

Back to New Orleans

I am going to return to the series on New Orleans since I still have a few posts I am excited to write. If you haven’t yet, take a look at 5 Things History to Do in New Orleans.