Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a few photos and details about my trip to see the eclipse earlier this month. I flew to Houston, TX and then drove to Austin to stay with my friend Steve. I arrived a couple of days early so that I’d be sure to have some extra time in case of flight or other travel delays. Everything went smoothly though so we had some time to enjoy Austin on Sunday before the eclipse! We went to Micklethwait’s for BBQ for an early lunch. I got some ribs, brisket, and also tried a vegetarian smoked mushroom taco. Everything was fantastic!

After the tasty food we walked around East Austin and checked out some cool shops and tried some tasty cocktails at the bars in the neighborhood. Later that evening we met up with some of Steve’s neighbors and plotted out our strategy for catching the eclipse the next day.

Unfortunately the forecast had turned and rain was forecast for Austin. Looking at some different forecasts I found that the area NE of Dallas was likely to be clear at the time of the eclipse. I fired up Google Maps and plotted a route for us to take in the morning that would keep us in the path of totality in case we hit unexpected traffic or construction delays.

Monday morning we left Austin around 8am for the drive north to our target of Sulphur Springs, TX. My route took us on some back roads so there wasn’t much to speak of besides some hills and wind turbines for the 4.5 hour drive. We arrived in Sulphur Springs about 45 minutes before totality and had plenty of time to get ready.

I got out my camera and 2 tripods, one for the camera and one for my phone to record a video. I had a special filter for the camera lens so I was able to grab some great photos of the partial eclipse while we waited for totality.

Soon after that last photo totality began! It was unbelievable and really hard to describe. Day rapidly turns to night and you’re able to look at the sun without the protective glasses. The moon looks like it has a shimmering halo and it gets considerably colder out and many clouds in the sky rapidly disappear. It was a magical experience and if you ever have the chance to go see a total eclipse I highly recommend it!