We had arranged to meet three other couples along the path of totality, knowing that we would have to stay flexible to accomodate last minute weather changes, etc. All four camper vans were converging from different points of origin requiring a minimum of three days of travel each.
Coming from the San Francisco Bay, we decided to put some decent miles on for Day One (8 hours, 500 miles), so we chose one of our favorite dispersed camping locations, the Mojave Desert! We were able to arrive in time to score a completely secluded campsite, with time for a gorgeous sunset hike before dinner.
As is our usual practice, we also made time for a pre-breakfast tramp. And, we discovered a new trail that was the perfect way to start the day!
Next stop, Winslow, Arizona!
Our Day Two travel plans were a bit less ambitious since we had not traveled this direction in the past so we wanted some time to explore. It turns out that it was prudent for other reasons; we had challenging weather most of the day, including a blinding snowstorm as we traversed the mountains east of Flagstaff on I-40.
Along the way, we visited the Walnut Canyon National Monument & Ancient Cliff Dwellings. Becuase it was still snowing and extremely windy when we arrived, and given that the 400 steps were icy and wet, we decided to forgo the trail. It is a place that we will definitely return to, in clearer weather.
Opportunely, we made reservations for the night at Homolovi State Park. We had a hearty dinner in nearby Winslow, where we could watch the Women's NCAA Basketball Semifinals. By the time we got back to the campground, it was in the mid-20s with a major storm brewing, so being able to plug in and run our heater for the night was a real plus!
And, naturally, we still did our morning tramp out to the archeological sites, inspite of the cold and the wind. Despite the long distances we needed to cover, we also made on last stop before departing Arizona, at the Painted Desert at Petrified Forest National Park.
We kept a cautious eye on the weather and determined that the forecast did not look great for viewing the eclipse at our originally planned destination of Rio Vista, TX. We contacted our fellow eclipse-chasers and told them that we were continuing straight on I-40 toward Arkansas, for better viewing. They were still planning to gather in Roswell that night but we decided to push all the way through New Mexico and drive late into the night to Amarillo, TX. We woke before dawn and watched the sunrise as we neared the Oklahoma border.
Meanwhile our friends, who happen to be Revel owners, contacted the #therevelclub who were hosting a meet-up in the Ozarks and then gathering to watch the eclipse. Celia graciously offered to have us join their group. We now had a destination as we traversed the bridge over Lake Eufala in OK before crossing the border into Arkansas. Our first stop was the cool little town of Russellville, where they happened to host a mass wedding ceremony on the day of the eclipse!
The group was staying on the secluded Ross Farm in Birdtown, AR. Everyone was very chill and welcoming and made us feel like part of the crowd. The rest of our entourage arrived the next morning, in time for breakfast before the main event!
It was a great adventure getting here and, needless to say, it was a mystical experience to be sure! We are looking forward to our meandering journey home.
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