Eclipse at Walmart

Monday, August 21…

Today’s a travel day, but not a long one, so we’re incorporating a viewing stop at the Walmart in Wentzville (MO), which happens to be in the path of the eclipse (not the center of the path, but reasonably close). We haven’t gotten the special glasses, so Greg rigged up a pinhole viewer from an empty Pepsi carton. We watched the tiny crescent eat up the sun (kinda like PacMan), then took a quick look at the real thing during the total phase (which was quite short). No pics of the eclipse per se (you’ve seen plenty of those on TV anyway), but I immortalized the parking lot in all its pre- and post- glory.

Just before...
(It was weird when all the street lights came on.)

...and just after.

(Amy sent this pic of her kids
watching the eclipse. My take...?
If Spencer moves his head
 in front of Emily's, they'll
anthropomorphize the eclipse.)

Next we're on to Nauvoo, Illinois (yes, we're are jumping around the map a bit). Nauvoo hugs the eastern bank of the Mississippi (where the Mormons later departed for the Salt Lake Valley), and we drove along that bank for several miles as we approached. Beautiful lily pads stretch out well into the river. We arrive mid-afternoon, check out the town and settle into the nearly empty campground. First order of business is cleaning up both vehicles after driving through rain squalls. The M3 was a disgrace. I wandered the campground a bit. Quiet evening (except for finishing Isaac's Storm, Erik Larson's gripping account of the 1900 Galveston hurricane). 

Lily pads are lovely, and the river portion really is much broader than it looks.