My Trip to See the Great North American Total Solar Eclipse

On April 8, 2024, sections of North America experienced a total solar eclipse, and I was fortunate to be able to travel to see it. What Google Maps predicted would be an eight-and-a-half-hour drive each way turned out to be a 12-hour drive each way, including brief stops for gas, food, and using the bathroom. Still, it was worth it not only to see totality, but also to spend time with somewhat distant relatives who feel more like immediate family. 

First, some background on the eclipse. Because totality was visible along a narrow path of locations in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, this eclipse was dubbed the Great North American Total Solar Eclipse. Totality lasted around four minutes where I was in Southern Indiana, with the length of totality varying depending on location. For those unable to see the total eclipse in person, the Time and Date website has compiled a live stream where you can see the view from many of the locations along the path where it was visible. 

Where I was, the skies were completely clear. In the early morning, there was some rain, but it and the clouds both cleared out by late morning, well before the afternoon when the eclipse took place. The lead-up to totality lasted a little more than an hour, with the moon slowly crossing in front of the sun. We sat in the front yard of my second cousin’s house where we had a wide-open view of the sky, and in the early stages of the eclipse, we sat in patio chairs in the shade of some umbrellas we brought around from the back yard because it turned out to be quite warm, if not hot. 

Of course we wore eclipse glasses to view the sun during the entire partial eclipse leading up to totality. We made special kid-friendly glasses so that my second cousin’s four-year-old son (my second cousin once removed for those interested in such genealogical minutia) might be more likely to wear them. Her mother (my first cousin once removed-in-law) cut the pattern out of paper plates with eclipse glasses inserted into them and led us in using crayons to decorate them in festive designs. This turned out to be a waste of time, as the little boy had no interest whatsoever in looking at the sun through eclipse glasses or otherwise. Oh well. The grownups enjoyed them anyway!

Karen (on the left) and her second cousin wearing handcrafted eclipse glasses. (Personal collection/Karen P. Peirce)

Karen’s cousins wearing handcrafted eclipse glasses. (Personal collection/Karen P. Peirce)

As time passed, the temperature dropped incrementally. It was a gradual process, but not completely smooth. My second cousin’s father (my first cousin once removed), who was playing Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” on his phone, observed that the temperature change felt like someone turning down a dial where the settings are demarcated by notches…click, click, click…cooler, cooler, cooler. As it grew cooler and darker, my second cousin and I noticed an eerie quality to the sky and shadows that gave us a fluttering feeling in our chests, and her father noted that the color of the sky was tinged with green, similar to what it looks like just before a tornado or major thunderstorm. (NPR has provided a scientific explanation for what causes those eerie colors and shadows and also what creates the sunset effect you can see on the horizon in my photo of totality, which follows a few paragraphs below.)

Then, suddenly, totality. From afar, we could hear a large gathering erupt in cheers. I let out a yelp or two, too. My second cousin’s dog, which was inside the house, started barking in warning. Later, when looking at a recording of a security camera inside the house, my second cousin saw the dog standing in a hallway barking with her tail between her legs, as if afraid. (Maybe my yelling startled her? Or maybe the eerie light was the cause?) Outside the house was a different scene. We had no fear, only awe, excitement, and amazement. When the chilly darkness and an accompanying breeze arrived along with totality, the four-year-old was finally interested in looking at the sun as it was completely covered by the moon, and all of us were able to do so without wearing our special glasses. 

During the approximately four minutes of totality, which passed much more quickly than I expected, we were treated to a view of the sun’s corona. This was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. From earth, the sun’s atmosphere looked like a thin, white, wispy vapor radiating out from the sun’s edge. I tried to take a picture of the corona but couldn’t capture it at all with my cell phone camera. If you weren’t able to see it in person and want to know what it looks like, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service offers an easy-to-understand illustrated description of the corona on its website.

Eclipse totality, April 8, 2024. (Personal collection/Karen P. Peirce)

We noticed that the dark moon covering the sun did not have a completely smooth edge, which we determined was due to the craters that mark the moon’s surface. Later, we learned that some of the brighter spots we noticed along the rough edge of the moon were due to what are called prominences. (Live Science explains what these are on its website.) All too soon the view of the corona slipped away as the moon continued on its path. Suddenly we needed to wear our eclipse glasses again, as just the tiniest peek of the sun from behind the moon was too bright for us to look at without them. 

Finally, we retreated to behind our umbrellas and into the shade of the garage again as the eclipse reversed itself and the sun gradually grew brighter and the temperature gradually grew warmer. The entire experience was over in about two-and-a-half hours. The memory, especially of the view of the corona, will be lasting. 

 The next day, it was time to resume my driving. This time the 12-hour road trip was accompanied by a detour to avoid a road closure due to a crash up ahead. I also drove through rain for almost the entire 500+ miles of the trip. 

At a complete standstill in traffic on an interstate somewhere on the way back home from Indiana. (Personal collection/Karen P. Peirce)

In both directions, I passed the time by listening to music. On the way to Indiana, I listened to a playlist I’ve compiled over the years particularly for traveling. Here’s what’s on it:

• “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera
• “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba
• “Better Than” by John Butler Trio
• “Float On (Album Version)” by Modest Mouse
• “Missed the Boat” by Modest Mouse
• “God Shuffled His Feet” by Crash Test Dummies
• “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn and John
• “New Shoes” by Paolo Nutini
• “Mushaboom” by Feist
• “Grace Kelly” by MIKA
• “Just Fine” by Mary K. Blige
• “Chick a Boom Boom Boom” by Mocean Worker
• “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield
• “Where is the Love?” by Black Eyed Peas & Justin Timberlake
• “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
• “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor
• “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” by Cake
• “Breathe (2 AM)” by Anna Nalick
• “Fidelity” by Regina Spektor
• “Superman’s Song” by Crash Test Dummies
• “Take a Bow” by Rihanna
• “New Soul” by Yael Naïm
• “The News” by Carbon/Silicon
• “Starry Eyed Surprise” by Oakenfold
• “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash
• “This Land is Your Land” by Pete Seeger
• “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper
• “Lean on Me” by Club Nouveau
• “Yell Fire!” by Michael Franti & Spearhead
• “Hello Bonjour” by Michael Franti & Spearhead
• “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay
• “Till Kingdom Come” by Coldplay
• “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
• “King of the Road” by Roger Miller
• “Where It’s At” by Beck
• “Devil’s Haircut” by Beck
• “Wondering Where the Lions Are” by Bruce Cockburn
• “Papa Dukie and the Mud People” by The Subdudes
• “Better Things” by The Kinks
• “Heartbeat Song” by The Futureheads
• “King of Anything” by Sara Bareilles
• “F**king Perfect” by P!nk
• “Roll Away Your Stone” by Mumford & Sons
• “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane
• “Kick Drum Heart” by The Avett Brothers
• “Home” by Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros
• “In Heaven There Is No Beer” by Frankie Yankovic
• “Sweet Serendipity” by Lee DeWyze
• “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by The Byrds
• “Silver Lining” by Rilo Kiley
• “Way Down Now” by World Party
• “Thing of Beauty” by Hothouse Flowers
• “Let the Day Begin” by Michael Been AKA The Call
• “You Gotta Be” by Des’ree
• “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson
• “Brave” by Sara Bareilles
• “Come With Me Now” by KONGOS
• “Think I’m In Love” by Beck
• “I’m Amazed” by My Morning Jacket
• “Airstream Driver” by Gomez
• “You Never Know” by Wilco
• “Everyday” by BoDeans

For the drive back home, I listened to a series of CDs (yes, my car is old enough to have a CD player):

• Racket in the Attic by Barra MacNeils
• Why Should the Fire Die? By Nickel Creek
• Before This World by James Taylor
• Living With Ghosts by Patty Griffin
• The Beekeper by Tori Amos
• Greatest Hits by The Cure

So, there you have it, a summary (albeit a long one) of my road trip to see the Great North American Total Solar Eclipse of 2024. Having not traveled anywhere since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns that began in March 2020, I was nervous about how I’d feel out in the world again. It’s also been seven years since I last saw the extended family members I went to visit, so I wasn’t sure how we’d hit it off after all this time. Both turned out to be non-issues, which was a great relief. What adventures have you taken lately, and who has been a part of them? I’d love to hear your experiences!