Last Monday we had to see this crazy event that the country seemed to be all a-buzz about. After all, I had never seen a total eclipse. Partial, yes. But partial eclipses are lame.
So we got up in the middle of the night and drove a bit north to Glendo. The trip went smoothly. We arrived just at dawn.
The kids kept themselves occupied until the Big Show started.
Leading up to totality, we checked from time to time, but it was not impressive. It wasn't until it got close to totality that we actually began to feel a difference.
And then.... for two and a half minutes, this is what we saw:
(Full disclosure, this is not my picture. It was taken from Glendo by someone with an awesome camera and serious skills. Then they put it on the internet and I stole it)
Taking off our glasses and looking at the sun was a profound experience. I can't even put it into words. It was absolutely spectacular. The two and a half minutes whizzed by and then it was over.
Two hours later, we decided it was time to leave. It took us a little over an hour and a half to get to Glendo in the morning. We thought it would take 3 or 4 hours to get back.
We were wrong. Getting back took 10 hours. We spent 4 hours just traveling to the interstate entrance. It was one of those traffic jams where you start to wonder if the zombie apocalypse has occurred. People were getting out of their cars. Families were getting out and walking. It was seriously scary. There was no cell phone service and no communication with the outside world.
And let's just say the license plates were seriously green on the way back. Almost exclusively green. I think I could have counted the number of Wyoming plates on one hand. I really hope they generated some tax dollars while they were visiting the great white north.
Some people thought I was crazy for bringing all the food and water that I did. But in the end, we went through a full cooler of food plus a box of Famous Amos cookies which are disgusting, but count as food in a pinch.
Chris was a hero. He did ALL the driving because he either didn't want me to suffer through it or he didn't want to keep climbing in the back to get the kids snacks. Either way I'm grateful.
Nonetheless, we got back around midnight. Everybody was safe but bone tired.
In the end, it was worth it. So worth it. Seeing 98% of the eclipse was nothing compared to totality. The 360° sunset, the stars, the dark blue sky and the fantastic white corona will stay with me forever. I am so glad we made the trip.
I asked the kids if they felt the same way.
Emily said that the eclipse was one of the most amazing things she's ever seen.
Jane said that the trip was great because she caught grasshoppers.
I think that about sums it up.
