The path of totality came across the US for the last time in the next 20 years. Next time we have the opportunity, Ethan could be sending a kid to college. Everly will be 31.
We aren't gonna miss it, by dang.
Mark had his USAW training, so he didn't get to go with us. Megan couldn't get out of her classes, so we packed up the truck and set out for Beaver Springs Campground in southeast Missouri, just us four.
We arrived around dinner time and set up camp. We made a quick dinner...stew over rice, and the girls cashed in for the night. All that sleeping really wore them out.
Next morning, we were up and ready for our breakfast sammies, pop tarts and cocoa. I was smart and brought super easy food that I could have made by other people in a factory and purchased at Costco by me. I'm a smaht lady.
And laughing.
It was a camping miracle.
50 years old!
The place was pretty cool and old school.
They were pretty happy that I said yes to popcorn AND soda. I was in a "why not?" kind of mood.
We set up our chairs
And tried to get comfy in the back of the truck. But soon it got very cold and with the speakers not working, most of us ended back in the cars listening over the radio and hoping the batteries wouldn't die.
Monday morning....ECLIPES DAY!
We got up and started packing up the camp so we could get down and claim a prime eclipse-viewing spot on Clearwater Dam. Little did we know that we didn't need to rush. Folks were not clamoring to spend 4 hours in the sun. They just strolled on down about 30 minutes before totality.
We ended up squatting in an empty campsite nearby, while the kids went hunting for geods down by the water. I donated my toothbrush for geod scrubbing purposes.
I'm happy to report, that no retinas were burned this weekend.
It was SO COOL.
But there was no reason to worry. When totality hit, it took our breath away. I've never seen something so awe-inpiring. A 360 sunset and the most beautiful glowing circle in the sky.
This picture just comes nowhere near what it looked like. I'll never forget it.
This is a photo taken by the James Webb Space Telescope:
And then it was over.
We packed up the rest of camp and started to long drive home. It felt like it took us forever to get out of those Missouri hills. We lost service and were not actually sure we weren't heading to Florida for awhile.
But we made it and it was totality worth it!
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