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All eyes were on the skies or glued to live streaming across North America on 21 August to see the Super Bowl of the Skies, the 2017 Eclipse. Bet you were one of the watchers, too. I decided to join the 1 million people traveling to South Carolina to experience the sun’s fully monty. Here's the story of my totality awesome experience in Greenville, SC.
Photo by Laura Skinner on Unsplash
SUNDAY
Car loaded with everything possibly need for worse-case scenarios, from energy bars and toilet paper to sunscreen and print maps if GPS failed, Spouse JM and I motored 200 mile west of our North Carolina home to our totality destination in Greenville.
Traffic gods were with us, and we arrived after lunch at the first stop on our bucket list, the Eclipse Extravaganza at Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville.
Roper Mountain Science Center  A Cat-ronaut
The Science Center's 62-acre educational site hosts up to 600 students daily and enhances learning through interactive labs, STEM projects, living history exhibits. scientist talks, and more.
It also boasts an observatory powered by the world's eighth-largest 23″ refractor telescope. The Center's state-of-the-art planetarium ran a brilliant animated show about eclipse facts and history that set us straight for watching the event.
Sitting back in those comfy seats to view the 360 image projections was the perfect way to get in a solar minset and out of a broiling summer day (heat index near 100F).
Roper Mountain Science Center
We mingled with visitors of all ages: babies in strollers seniors in wheelchairs, and parents working crowd control to keep kids close. (imho, parents had just as much fun as their children in the hands-on labs and talks with scientists for young learners.)
Downtown Greenville, SC  Greenville, SC
After settling into our motel, there was just enough time to motor down the interstate for 20 minutes to explore downtown Greenville and Falls Park on the Reedy.
This vibrant urban space sparkled with food, fun, art, fountains, and WATER! flowing from the banks of Reedy Creek that sliced through city center. The park's crown jewel was its suspension bridge with jaw-dropping views of waterfalls and rocks below. (Not recommended for anybody with vertigo. Plus, the bridge swayed as you walked over it!)
Parking spaces were at a premium, and people were everywhere...walkways, bridges, shops, creek...all in a good mood (well, maybe not tired babies) and beyond pumped to be here.  Long lines but everyone smiling
Like Disney on caffeine at peak season, we stood in long queues for everything, especially mouth-watering ice cream treats, but it was all a great adventure.
btw... that chocolate-almond-coconut combo ice cream JM ordered? Soooooooo worth the 20-minute wait! ECLIPSE MONDAY
The big day at last! I hardly slept a wink. Too excited!
Mall Walking Fingers crossed for clear skies, we hit the local mall for an air-conditioned morning walk, the closest place to exercise without mega-traffic. We found a few others recharging at the mall, too. LOL - Have you EVER seen the Apple store this empty? Pool Party Given clogged streets and summer temps, we nixed plans to drive anywhere to view totality. Instead, we opted for a pool party right outside our door in the motel courtyard.  Our eclipse viewing spot
 Solar Specs
With chairs and cool beverages staked out, it was like any pool party with 100 strangers on a hot August day ... UNTIL... .... you popped on your funky specs and looked UP!
Through solar lenses, the sun appeared as a radiant orange ball no bigger than the size of a pea. Its top-right edge was diminishing before our eyes, slowly replaced by the moon's black shadow.  Photo: Judy Hart
AhHa! NOW I understood why ancient Chinese and Mayan cultures thought a celestial dragon nibbling at the sun caused the phenomenon. I could imagine that great dragon taking a tasty bite. You, too?
According to Roper Mountain Science Center, the ancients shouted and waved sticks at the dragon to stop it from eating Sol and bring back the light. It worked for the ancients every time, but we didn't try it <winking here>. We stayed glued to the sky, taking breaks to rest the eyes and talk to people around us, who came from all over for this spectacle.
Crescent Delights
When the sun was 3/4 covered, a gentlemen walked over to us, excitedly pointing to the sidewalk in back of our chairs. I thought he wanted us to move, but he couldn't wait to show us wonders right under our noses (er, um, butts!).
Leaves from the Crape Myrtle shading us also filtered sunlight. Like hundreds of pinhole cameras, they sprinkled charming teeny crescents across the cement. 
Leafy pinhole-made crescents
Cue a great chourus of OOOOoooos and AAAaaahhhhhhs.
But these crescents cuties were nothing compared to what was next. Beads, Diamonds and DARK About 10 minutes before totality, daylight dimmed. A strange golden glow crept round like dawn threading on a cloudy day. We grew quiet, knowing something incredible was about to happen. Funny, the darker it got, the quieter we got. Seconds before totality, one bright bead flared on the edge of a sun disk covered in sparkles like a diamond ring. 
Bailey's Beads and the Diamond Ring Effect: Photo by Andrew Preble on Unsplash
Then in the blink of an eye protected with solar lenses, the sun was obliterated except for its shimmery corona leaking out behind the moon.
It was The Big Wow:
Darkness and TOTALITY! Just.WOW!!!!!!! For two minutes and 10 seconds, we drank in the wonder of glorious night in the middle of the day, strangers bonded in our shared experience of this once-in-a-lifetime moment.  Photo: Mike Monaghan, Photographer
People say watching an eclipse
changes their life, like a cleansing of the old and starting of the new. Others tell of a spiritual experience that deepens their faith, strengthens their respect for nature or helps them realize we are all one part of a wondrous universe. Holding tight to JM and feeling awed to be a teeny part of this immense cosmos, I totality understood how they felt.
Your turn:
Did you watch the eclipse in person or on telly? What was YOUR eclipse experience like? We'd love to hear about it in the comment section. Thanks for stopping by. Like what you see? Don’t miss a post! Send this blog to your RSS feed or email. 
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14 Comments
I'm a giant fan of great children's books that tackle kid-sized issues like the environment and respect for marine life. Author/Illustrator Rhonda Paglia has drawn me in as she covers both topics AND has young readers giggling in her latest picture book, Doonsey Returns: the Great Rescue.
About the Book
Title: Doonsey Returns: The Great Rescue | Author/Illustrator: Rhonda Paglia | Publication Date: July 2017 | Publisher: Angels Landing Publishing | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 3-8 *Amazon US * Barnes & Noble * 
Young Soferton needs help fast. She's come to the shore to play with her Beach Buddy friends, mysterious sand critters that come to life on ocean winds ... BUT ...her pals are missing! She sends a message to Doonsey, a wise friend who happens to be a red talking crab with green googly eyes, in hopes he can locate them. Will Doonsey get her message in time and help Soferton find the Beach Buddies? And what’s all the excitement happening farther down the beach? Doonsey and Soferton are off to investigate and lend a helping hand.
My Review
Doonsey, Soferton and the Beach Buddies from the first Doonsey book star in this story that is easily read as a standalone tale. Soferton kicks off the action, but Doonsey is the real star. He hurries to Soferton’s aid to hunt for the Beach Buddies, Paglia’s sand creatures that are pure creative pleasures and come to life briefly before blowing away on sea breezes. In the second half of the book, Doonsey and Soferton rescue sea turtle hatchlings and help fragile babies make their way to the ocean.
The e-book version I read had an easy-to-use fixed layout that made the illustrations pop. Oh, and I must mention the goofy knock-knock jokes Doonsey likes to tell. Kids will love them, and you'll grin, too!
What Parents, Teachers Will Like
Doonsey Returns encourages children to use their imagination by crafting their own beach buddies from natural elements found along the shore. Photographs of sea buddies created by other children will motivate and guide them.
The story also shows that littering is harmful to marine life. This can lead to rich discussions about how young readers can be part of the solution. Paglia draws on her years in the classroom to craft an even richer literacy experience by adding extension activities after the story. Her kid-friendly definitions and sea turtle facts at the end of the book cement learning. My Recommendation Five meows
I highly recommend this funny, imaginative picture book for pre-school through early primary grades. It helps children understand how their actions can impact the environment as they enjoy a good tale. A gotta-read for lovers of the sea and knock-knock jokes!
Meet the Author/Ilustrator 
Rhonda Paglia, or Grammy Pags as she is often called, is a retired elementary school teacher turned author/illustrator of tales for children and non-fiction for kids and grown-ups. She has received many awards for her 11 books and is a member of SCBWI, Penn Writers, and West PA authors.
Rhonda and her husband live in Hermitage, PA. They have three adult children, five grandchildren, a pup named Bella, and a wondrous, kid-friendly garden with gnomes. Disclosure: I completely enjoyed this story and voluntarily provided my honest review of an advance reader copy of "Doonsey Returns" by Rhonda Paglia.
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 Cat MichaelsBlogging about books, writing, family life, travel and more good stuff. Meet Cat
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