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The Great American Eclipse April 8, 2024

Alisa and Sawyer, April 8, 2024

by Linda Theil

Timeline:

Three weeks out: March 21 Alisa orders markers for Easter pouches that became Eclipse pouches probably mentioned traveling to totality about 70 miles southeast in Ohio sometime that week.

14 days out -- March 25: Texted AJT to find out if Steve and kids want to go to eclipse.

8 days out -- Easter March 21: eclipse glasses delivered to AJT from Amazon.

1 day out -- Sunday April 7: finished making eclipse pods for kids to fill with pens, markers, reverse coloring books, eclipse glasses, and boxed candy.

I packed an overnight bag in case we got stuck on highway, or got home late and I would stay over with Alisa instead of driving home.

Day of eclipse -- Monday April 8, 2024

7 a.m. EDST Alarm goes off. I shower, dress in layers, and pack snacks, eclipse pods, purse, etc

9 a.m. Depart. Stop at Dunkin' Donuts, take I-23 to Six Mile exit. Traffic, but not slow except at I-96/I-23 junction where there is roadwork.

10 a.m. Arrive at Steve's. Kids: Sawyer, Emerson, and Zoe are ready to go. They help me move my stuff to the truck. I look at three-foot step-up and ask Steve to get me something to stand on to get into the back seat of the truck. He cant find anything to stand on. I haul myself into the truck. I don't know if I can do that again.

10:30 or so Depart Whitmore Lake Theil's. Steve takes amazing way to Alisa's in Ann Arbor.

11 a.m. We arrive at Alisa's, more futzing around, put stuff in Yeti, etc. Alisa finds me a step stool that I use to get into truck and Steve puts in truckbed for future use.

11:26 a.m. We are at Platt & Morgan. AJT takes on-our-way photos in truck.

Steve, Sawyer, and Emerson in front seat April 8, 2024

Around noon We play a game guessing how far we have traveled: I guess 12 miles, SJT guesses nine and it is 11 miles. SJT says he wins because I went over. Bosh! Interstate 23 is almost dead stop all the way to Ohio. We take myriad side roads, every time we get stopped we go to next road east and end up facing another N/S stopped road. Steve used to be an ambulance driver and seems to know every road in Michigan. We end up on Telegraph headed south into Ohio. 

2 p.m. In Toledo we stop for gas, go to bathroom. A lady asks the clerk if she can see totality here, clerk says yes. Lady is also from Michigan -- driving for hours;  desperate to wee. We tell her to go ahead of us. We ended up on Suder Ave., then Manhattan Blvd where we see a park, drive by, and go back to park we later learn from photo info is Detwiler Park -- 70 miles from Howell, MI.

Nice! Nobody here. We put out chairs, blankets, cheese, crackers, water, chips, cookies, donuts, etc. I set the alarm on my watch for 3:14 -- only an hour to go! 

Zoe April 8, 2024

3:07 p.m. Steve futzes with cameras; Em composes a haiku:

Solar eclipse - Everyone's necks are craned to see the eclipse.

Steve and Emerson, April 8, 2024

A few more people have arrived at the park, but not a lot.

3:12:04 p.m. Totality. Steve has video rolling on Em's iPad recording responses.

Wearing eclipse glasses, I see corona, but when I take off my eclipse glasses the corona disappears and I see a brilliant, scintillating disk against a black sky. I guess this has something to do with my cataracts and damaged eye. It is so bright I put on my glasses, but see nothing, so look again. I am shocked and shaken. I don't know what I am seeing -- seems alive, and beautiful.

Linda, April 8, 2024

3:40 p.m. A family stops by to marvel with us. They are from Michigan, also spent hours getting out.

4:02 p.m. We are on the road home: Alisa takes photo of Zoe in backseat. Ella es una pistola piquena, de verdad.

Linda, Zoe, and Alisa, April 8, 2024

5:30 p.m. We arrive back at Alisa's; Steve and kids use bathroom.

6 p.m. We depart Alisa's. I am going to pick up my car and drive home. 

6:35 p.m. I leave SJT's, go the back way through Hamburg; get home around 7 p.m.  Have leftover creamed ham and eggs from Easter ham. In bed by 8 p.m. Truly exhausted; truly happy. What a day.

Comments

Cathy said…
What an amazing day! Loved your commentary! Zoe's haiku was great!

caj
4/11/2024
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