Back in 2017 I saw the partial Eclipse on the back porch with an old welding mask on the back deck of the house. After viewing videos of the total eclipse. I decided then that it if the opportunity arises, I would attend the total eclipse.
Some point in 2023 Steven my cousin reminded us that there is another eclipse on the way. This one was going to travel southwest starting in Maine. It was also bigger, and the last one in the United States for 20 years. The next one will be in Montana in 2044 so it was safe to say now or never.
My plans of Boo and I doing a speed run up to Burlington then right back turned to an Airbnb with a few college friends When they heard about it.
The Boo, our good friend Golden Boo and I are off on a wacky wild adventure. To the meet one last friend in Rochester NY ….no wait Rochester VT. Which consisted of a main street a breakfast place, a dinner place, grocery store and a bike shop that’s about it…..I think these Rochester folk are on to something, what more do you need than bikes and food. What it lacked in amenities it made up for in charm and friendly faces. All the locals were able to pick us out of a crowd as we weren’t wearing plaid. Because this trip was with girls most of the activities occurring on Sunday was girl stuff like GOING TO GET ICE CREAM AT BEN AND JERRY’s not just any old Ben and Jerrys, its the Ben and Jerrys just outside the factory there we enjoyed the best ice cream Vermont had to offer, then payed our respects to the worsted ice cream Vermont once offered at the Flavor Graveyard. Then we explored a sugar house and the Vermont’s capital. Vermont capital could be explored in a short walk the city consist of three main roads… its tiny.
The next day was a day full of anticipation. It was time to travel to Burlington the largest city in VT that was going to see the Eclipse. Going in, we knew parking was going to be pain and… it was not that bad. Burlington closed a highway down for parking and we took advantage. We then met up with more friends an proceeded to… empty my life savings at a reto videogame Bar. We took occasional peaks at the sun as the moon slowly working towards gobbling it up. Then as time grew near we traveled to battery park in Burlington and watched with the crowd as our shadows grow shaper and the day cooler and almost an instant the sun went dark and turned to a ring in the sky, I couldn’t look away as the suns was completely eclipsed by the moon. We were in the dark ness, every direction was daytime. we were in the moons shadow. It wasn’t long before the moon moved away and sunlight spilled around the moon looked like a Dimond ring and like that the sun was there again. For the rest of the hour the sun regains its strength as the moon backs away.
The whole experience made me feel small like very small. This cosmic event was going to happen because there are mechanism in the universe that are larger than the whole of mankind we are all just tiny beings along for the ride.
And then it was over and since all the restaurants and stores were packed we decided to leave, hopped on a bus, got to our car and proceed to experience the worst traffic I have ever experienced in my life. The GPS slowly raised the arrival time the further we traveled from 8:15 to the true arrival time of 11:45 PM the majority of our driving was on backroads front roads and dirt roads and a tad bit of congested highway.
When we finally arrived home. We all left with the same opinion that was the most beautiful cosmic event that we will probably experience in our lifetime.
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