On April 8, 2024, another total solar eclipse was happening, and Memphis was near enough to the path of totality that we would have the chance to view it. Our dear friends flew all the way from California for the event, spending the weekend prior with us.
Our friends were more knowledgeable than we were (although they couldn't travel with the cool viewer they'd created in 2017), but the kids and I did attend an event at the public library to learn more. While it was informative, our biggest takeaways were that "there's an app for that" and also that Moon Pies make excellent eclipse snacks.
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| We really leaned into the theme for our snacks |
The wife and kids of our "framily" arrived first and slipped right into our family routine, even attending Elsa's recorder performance. We had planned to take care of a few odds and ends before the big event, like picking up a rental car since we had a group of ten that planned to drive to Arkansas to be directly in the path of totality. However, we learned that a rental car reservation does not always equal a rental car. Apparently, lots of other folks had the same idea, and there wasn't a rental car to be found. Trust me, we tried. Thank goodness for community, though, because some friends and neighbors completely saved the day by lending us their tricked-out camper van, which proved to be way better than a rental car anyway.
Having taken care of that crucial item, we spent the remainder of the weekend enjoying each other's company once our final friend arrived, hanging out a brewery, grilling out, and watching our kids get super-competitive at various card and board games. Delightful!
The adults worked on a game plan for the big day and had both vehicles packed with plenty of provisions. We weren't entirely sure where we would end up, but the guys finally decided on Lake Charles State Park, which proved to be an excellent location. There were lots of other eclipse watchers, but it didn't feel crowded at all, and we arrived in plenty of time to stake out a good spot.
After several hours of hanging out, enjoying the beautiful weather (hooray for no clouds!), it was finally time. The eclipse did not disappoint. It's hard to describe the exact moment of totality, but I'm not exaggerating when I say that it is incredibly moving, almost spiritual. The air gets cooler, the shadows get stranger, and the nocturnal animals begin their nighttime rituals.
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| Photo taken and shared by our friends |
And just when you feel overwhelmed at your place in the universe, your kids bring you back to reality by shouting, "Is it Moon Pie time?"
So we ate Moon Pies.
We took our time packing up and getting ready to head the 2-ish hours back to Memphis. We knew that the drive home would not be as easy as the drive to the lake, but even we were surprised by just how much traffic there was. We had taken the kids out of school for the day and probably would have taken an extra day to stay over, but our friends had an early flight the next morning, so we had no choice but to brave the traffic.
Our plan to take alternate roads was a good one. So good in fact, that everyone else had the same idea. We found ourselves at a complete stop more than once.
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| Taillights as far as the eye can see |
The drive was long and tedious, but at the same time, so much fun. The moms were in a car with the boys while the dads were with the girls in the camper van. While I can't speak to their experience, I know that we laughed a lot and had more inside jokes than we could count. And we introduced Erik to classic rock, discovering that one of his favorite songs is now "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne. Who knew?
It was hard returning to reality, especially when our friends had to leave at the crack of dawn, but I am eternally grateful that we were able to witness such a cool phenomenon with such cool people. According to the Internet, the next total solar eclipse visible from the US will be in 2044. We'd better start making plans now!
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