Every 18 months, a narrow tract of the Earth will be enveloped in darkness during the daylight hours, as the moon’s orbit passes directly in front of the sun. This results in a brief period of time when the moon blocks almost all light from the sun, causing a total solar eclipse. The Aztec peoples believed the eclipse was caused by the Tepeyollotl, the jaguar god, attempting to swallow the sun whole. The Navajo people believe an eclipse to be a time of contemplation and renewal (via Wikipedia). From ancient times to modern ones, the eclipse continues to fascinate humans, drawing our attention upward to the skies.
While eclipses occur frequently, they only repeat in the same location once every 400 years. Given this, it’s not uncommon for locations along the path of an eclipse to become tourist destinations, welcoming eclipse chasers from near and far to view this astrological phenomenon. In 2024, Adirondack State Park in upstate New York lay directly in the predicted path of the total eclipse. So my wife and I did what we do best: we packed the car and hit the road, heading northward to our beloved ADK!
So come along, then, on this once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse journey:
Let’s begin:
Dark in the Park – 2024
Longtime readers of The Open Road Ahead probably no longer need a map to find Adirondack State Park!The day before our departure, we were treated to a natural phenomenon of another kind: a 4.7-magnitude earthquake shook New Jersey, and it was felt as far away as upstate NY! Fortunately, no damage was reported from this quake – just some frayed nerves.We loaded up my wife’s Jeep Grand Cherokee and headed north toward upstate New York. Our journey along I-87 was remarkably free of traffic.One thing I enjoy about traveling through upstate New York? The ability to travel internationally…Before driving into the mountains, we made a quick lunch stop at City Cafe in Whitesboro, outside of Utica. We were meeting for a yummy lunch with a dear relative.City Cafe has recently renovated their front counter, more prominently displaying their baked goods. As a reminder, every item at City Cafe is gluten- and dairy-free, a place where many people with food allergies can eat without fear of cross-contamination.I went with my favorite item of the menu: the crispy chicken sandwich, with fries. Pro tip: if you get French fries, skip the ketchup and dunk your fries in the fry sauce (pictured). It’s simply delicious. Refueled and refreshed after lunch, we continued our trek northward.“Entering Adirondack Park” – this roadside sign never fails to put a smile on my face.While temperatures along the East Coast may be rising, it’s still winter in the ADK. Not only was snow from a storm two days prior still on the ground, but we drove through a couple of snow showers as well.When we finally arrived at our relative’s house, a few inches of fresh powder waited to greet me. It is spring, right?It was a beautiful, if brisk, view on the shores of Fourth Lake.The next day, temperatures began to rise and the skies cleared. I took an early morning walk to The Donut Shop of Eagle Bay.Businesses across the Adirondacks were cashing in on the upcoming eclipse, including the Donut Shop! In addition to my usual order of cinnamon sugar donuts, I also ordered a Solar Eclipse donut as well. These limited order donuts were only available during the eclipse weekend. It was absolutely delicious!One of my favorite shops for all things Adirondacks is Life in the ADK, a clothing and souvenir store in Old Forge. When I stopped by, they were doing a brisk business. Between the beautiful weather and the special event, Old Forge was filled with visitors – a welcome boost for local shops and restaurants after a rather snow-less winter. From snowmobiling to skiing, to winter hiking, many of the tourist activities in the Adirondacks rely on ample snowfall, something that was largely absent this year.Blue Line Coffee House was showing some spirit with their eclipse-themed specials!Caffeinated eclipse beverages, ready!Even the local fire house was getting in on the eclipse action, with a fundraising bake sale!How do you turn down a bake sale that has these amazing homemade cupcakes for sale?The day of the eclipse, we were prepared! When viewing an eclipse, proper protection is mandatory. Radiation emitted from the sun’s photosphere can cause immediate and permanent damage to the retina, so wearing special eclipse glasses will protect your eyes (via Wikipedia). I also invested in a special solar filter for my camera, to protect not only my eyes during photography, but also the camera’s image sensor. More on the true value of the filter in a little bit…Around 2:45 pm, we went outside and watched the moon’s trajectory take it into the path of the sun.Having only ever seen an eclipse in videos and my science textbooks in school, watching one in real time was fascinating.Perhaps my favorite photo from the eclipse.For a brief three minute period, the eclipse achieved totality, as the sun was completely blocked by the moon.With the sun’s light obscured, a brief period of twilight descended on the earth.It wasn’t even 3:30 in the afternoon, yet dusk had briefly emerged.If you look closely, you can see the sun’s corona shining from behind the moon. Look between 6 and 7 o’clock of the eclipse – you can see a solar flare. Also visible are Baily’s beads, rays of sunlight that shine through craters and valleys on the moon. It was absolutely fascinating to watch.And just like that, the sun began to re-emerge. The eclipse was one of the coolest natural phenomena I have ever experienced. The next total eclipse will not cross the United States until 2044 – I’m glad I took the opportunity to see this one!At one point during the event, my tripod tipped over, sending my camera hurtling toward the blacktop. The solar filter was the MVP, taking one for the team so my camera lens remained undamaged. The solar filter wasn’t cheap (about $75), but it’s much more affordable than a replacement lens ($2,400). No need to replace the filter until the year 2044, at least.Needing to get home for work, my wife and I left our relative’s house the next morning before dawn. It was one of the earliest departures from the Adirondacks, and we kept a watchful eye out for deer on an early morning stroll. Fortunately, our drive was easy and wildlife incident-free.After almost six hours, we were home again. During the trip, the Jeep crossed the 107,000-mile mark, and is well on its way to 108k. Onward!
Wrapping Up
Seeing the total solar eclipse in person was one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed. Businesses and news organizations were heavily promoting the event in upstate New York for months, and I’ll admit to wondering if the actual event would live up to the hype. It not only lived up to the hype… it exceeded it. While the total eclipse will not occur again in the United States until 2044, the next one will occur in August of 2026 – it’ll make a great excuse to finally visit Portugal, Iceland, Spain, or Greenland!
Thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
The Open Road Ahead 
You took some great shots of the eclipse! That additional lens was a great investment. How cool to see it in totality!
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Glad you liked the shots – seeing the total eclipse was pretty spectacular! Thanks for reading!!
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Great shots!
We had a lot of clouds here, but were able to see it for a few seconds.
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Thanks! The view was fantastic – so glad the clouds held off in the Adirondacks.
Thanks for reading!
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glad your lens didn’t eat pavement!! I want to zoom in on that totality shot and see how well you got the flares, etc., in focus!
From the looks of all that delicious food, I would’ve gained at least 5 pounds in under 24 hours! That hostess cupcake…..mmmmmm…..
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I’m also glad the filter took one for the team and saved the lens… that could have been bad.
One of the saving graces of the Adirondacks is that it’s easy to be active and outdoors – it helps to burn off all the calories! 😀
Thanks for reading!
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