We Saw a Total Solar Eclipse!!!

The title says it all.  My wife, two daughters, and I saw a total solar eclipse and it was AMAZING!!!  We drove to Bowling Green, KY this past Sunday and stayed the night in a hotel.  We booked the hotel back in January when there were still rooms.  Needless to say, EVERY hotel room anywhere within a 90 minute drive was booked!  On the morning of the eclipse we woke up early and drove to Russellville, KY, about 30 minutes to the southwest of Bowling Green.  Bowling Green was in the path of totality, but at the very edge, with a totality time of only 53 seconds.  We wanted the full totality time, thus the short drive to Russellville.  In Russellville totality was 2 minutes and 27 seconds.  Although not at the very middle of the totality path, Russellville was close enough to see an excellent total eclipse.

How to describe our experience?  I can't!  And that's the truth!  I knew exactly what to expect.  I knew the sky would darken.  I knew street lamps would come on.  I knew insect noise volume would drop.  I knew the temperature would drop a bit.  I knew a slight uptick in wind speed would occur.  I knew the solar corona would become visible.  I knew Venus and a few of the brightest stars would appear.  I knew all of this, but saying this does not fully describe the experience of directly witnessing a total solar eclipse!  The only way to truly understand a total solar eclipse is to witness it.  I had chills and goosebumps during totality.  It was simply an amazing, AMAZING experience!

The drive home, however, was not the same exciting experience.  What should have been a 4 hour 15 minute drive in normal conditions, took 8 hours!  But we saw a total solar eclipse so it was worth it!  While driving, it was interesting to see the large diversity of license plates.  In Kentucky you expect to see more Kentucky license plates than any other state, but that was not the case.  We saw license plates from so many different states, including Canada.  At one stop light we looked around and saw Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada plates.  And that was at just one stop!

In Russellville we stationed ourselves at the Logan County Public Library.  I want to give a huge thanks to the library staff who did a wonderful job.  They opened up their doors to the cool air, bathrooms, and had crafts available for kids.  Outside they had cool mist fans and plenty of bottled water.  They also had plenty of solar eclipse glasses available for anyone who didn't already have a pair.  An absolute amazing job!  They also had a world map and everyone was asked to place a small star sticker where they live.  People at this library for the eclipse came from many states, including Florida, Alaska, and Hawaii.  Many countries were represented, including Australia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and several European countries.

Wow!  That's all I can say and that doesn't do this experience justice.  If you missed this total solar eclipse, the next one is July 2, 2019, cutting through the southern part of South America.  The next total solar eclipse to hit the US is on April 8, 2024.  This one extends from Texas, through the eastern midwest, and up to Maine.  Another great opportunity that I can't wait for.  I currently live in the path of totality of this upcoming eclipse!  Fingers crossed for clear skies!

If you ever have a chance to view a total solar eclipse, take advantage.  Fight the traffic, book a hotel early, do what you need to do to see it.  It is a bucket list worthy event and I am so glad I was able to experience it and experience it with my family.  Amazing!