April 8, 2024 - It’s Eclipse Day!!!

Our adventure to chase the 2024 solar eclipse across North America started out gray and rather depressing. I’ve spent probably 6 months planning this trip. I will not let clouds defeat me!

We set off in the rental car - brand spanking new SUV that seated we 4 adults quite comfortably - and headed from western Oklahoma over to the east side.

Approximately three hours later we neared our destination of Idabell, OK. Except we turn around.

Socked in with clouds there was no way the sun was going to make an appearance or disappearance for us to observe in the sky. Sure, it would still get dark for 4 minutes and 20 seconds but some of the magic would be missing.

Okay, maybe Hugo, OK will work out for us. 3 minutes and 20 seconds is still a really long time to observe a total eclipse! Except you’re still at 100% cloud coverage.

At this point I’m frantically scanning the weather apps trying to make this day still be visually awesome. Two of the four of us have never observed a total eclipse!

We head back 15 miles further to the west. Soper, Oklahoma. There’s not much here but what there is happens to be few trees and no tall buildings obscuring the sky. We found an open lot near the city hall and parked. Chairs out, food out, fancy cardstock viewing glasses out! Let’s get this show started!

Clouds are coming and going but joining the party are a couple traveling in the motorhome from California, and several people from the neighborhood. Camp chairs, a kitchen chair, and a few overturned HD buckets make great seats.

The clouds would come and go as we watched the beginning of this awesome event. A gradual covering of the sun allowed for opportunity to talk with our eclipse neighbors and learn about the local community of Soper, OK.

It’s time! You can take your glasses off! Or in the case of a neighbor, your welding mask. TOTAL ECLIPSE!

The sky has grown dark. The birds have stopped chirping and instead we hear the crickets. Street lights have come on. It’s dark like night.

Amazing. Ah-may-zing!

Soper brought us 2 minutes and 42 seconds of total eclipse.

Daylight returns and I wonder how many other people in the world are experiencing this incredible event.

We pack up our car and start the trip back to the west side of the state. Today was just one of many adventures we’re going to experience on this trip