Celestial Bodies

Falls Branch Trail at Lake Catherine in Arkansas

Back in 2017, a total solar eclipse was visible in parts of America. At the time, I was a new manager with a giant mess to clean up and a packed schedule. So, I didn't prioritize going to see it. (I saw a partial eclipse in the area I happened to be in that day at work. It was cool, but it wasn't total eclipse cool.) 

But in April of 2024, a total solar eclipse would be visible in my region again. As part of my "more magic in my life in 2024" resolution, I decided this was the year to make it happen! 

I tried cajoling friends and family members into going with me, but no luck. I learned long ago that if you wait for someone to go with for everything you want to do, you'll hardly go anywhere. So, I made a reservation for a cute condo on Lake Hamilton, packed my bag, and headed for the Hot Springs, Arkansas, area. (Though many local places in the Hot Springs and Little Rock areas were hosting ticketed events at which you could view the eclipse, I just figured I'd rent a property where it would be plainly visible. I chose something lakeside to better appreciate horizon views.)

Lovely lake views from the trail!

I'd been to Hot Springs for a fun weekend not too long ago (and I was generally trying to stay away from some of the more populated areas that would be clogged with other eclipse tourists), but I still had some items on my list to explore!

I set out on Saturday, April 6. (The eclipse was occurring early in the afternoon on Monday, April 8.) Along the way, I made a detour to Indianola, Mississippi, to grab some photos of the Indianola Pecan House (where I did a bit of personal shopping, too!) for work and eat at The Crown (a town staple).  

Eclipse glasses - check!

After checking into my rental and freshening up, I popped out for dinner at one of my fave Hot Springs places - Luna Bella. Their pasta Fortuna was delicious, and I washed it down with a lovely glass of wine. Then it was back to the condo to sack out, as I'd had a long day of driving and doing.

On Sunday morning, though, I woke up raring to go! I initially tried to grab breakfast at Poached, but they were so busy that I didn't want to wait. Instead, I went right next door to Island Donuts and got a great breakfast sandwich and a big coffee with no waiting.  

Once I was finished eating, I hopped into the car and headed to Lake Catherine for some hiking. If you combine the Falls Branch Trail (red blazes) with the Horseshoe Mountain Trail (yellow blazes), you end up with four well-marked miles of waterfalls and elevation. The easier Falls Branch Trail was a bit more crowded, but once I switched to the Horseshoe Mountain Trail, I saw almost no one. Little suspension bridges, lovely lake views, the waterfall(s), and gorgeous spring flowers (spiderwort, phlox, blooming Dogwood trees) abounded. A beautiful hike! 

I spent the rest of the day lazily, enjoying lake views from the condo, tooling around in the car just to explore, and relaxing with my book. The next morning, I went back to Island Donuts to grab breakfast and packed up. Then, I spread my blanket out on the grass next to the lake, got out my eclipse sunglasses, and settled in to wait. There were several other condominium guests there, too, with their kids, dogs, etc. One man had a huge telescopic camera, and he apparently photographs all kinds of eclipses and other celestial events.

Pre-totality crescents on the pavement

Over the next few hours, we watched carefully through our glasses as the sun became more and more covered. When totality was achieved, we took our glasses off for three of the most surreal minutes of my life. All of the automated lights around the lake flickered dimly on, and the sky looked like a 360-degree sunset view. Having seen it now, I can completely understand why early man might have thought this was a sign from the gods. Unless you are looking at the sun through safety glasses, you don't even realize that the eclipse is really happening until totality is nearly upon you. And then, all of a sudden, the sky (and the atmosphere) is completely different.

I am so glad and thankful that I got the chance to see this in my lifetime. A true bucket list event. 

After the eclipse, I hopped in the car for home, only stopping for dinner in McGehee, Arkansas, at Hoots (one of my old faves)! It's a BBQ place, but even their salads are good. And I took some of their homemade cookies home for my hubs and son! 

360-degree sunset at totality. WOW.