Susan, our daughter-in-law, had asked if we would like to join them for a total eclipse experience. She made all the arrangements and she and Jeff drove their van. We had our own travel agent and guides! We left around 11 am on Saturday and stopped briefly to visit with Dan and Alex at their home in the Catskills. As we neared Lake Placid, the roads got narrow and twisty and there was snow everywhere on the ground. It was like being in a totally different climate zone.
Room 733 was lovely with an amazing view of Mirror Lake and snow-capped hills. Susan chose a location keeping in mind that if there was cloud cover or rain, we would still have a great destination. And she was right!
After we arrived, Jeff and Susan picked up a pizza order on Main Street and Jim got a few beers in the lounge downstairs. We watched NCSU lose to Purdue and Connecticut beat Alabama.
On Sunday morning Susan and I walked to St. Eustace Episcopal Church for the 10 am service. It was quite a walk for me with my cane--the first time to use it in a public place. I was not pleased to see that no one had cleared snow off the steps to the church. We walked up the hill and found a side entrance. The windows in the church were memorable. It was a treat to worship with my daughter-in-law.
Sunday afternoon we watched USC beat Iowa in a great game with two stars-Caitlin Clark of Iowa and Camilla Cardoso of USC. We walked to an Italian restaurant and enjoyed an excellent meal including tiramisu.
Monday was the big day! Jeff and Susan staked out a place on the beach and put up chairs and Susan's tripod and camera. Jim and I went outside around 2:00. There were many other hotel guests nearby but it wasn't crowded. It was very dramatic as we followed the sequence of the moon passing over the sun. The weather definitely got cooler. The moments of totality around 3:25 were so amazing that it brought tears to my eyes. People cheered. And then suddenly it was over and the light came back on! At totality the hills were black and people were shadows against the lake. What a memorable experience!
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| The moment of totality |
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| Mirror Lake is aptly named. |
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| from the Washington Post |
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| Susan was the photographer. |
On Sunday morning Susan and I walked to St. Eustace Episcopal Church for the 10 am service. It was quite a walk for me with my cane--the first time to use it in a public place. I was not pleased to see that no one had cleared snow off the steps to the church. We walked up the hill and found a side entrance. The windows in the church were memorable. It was a treat to worship with my daughter-in-law.
Monday was the big day! Jeff and Susan staked out a place on the beach and put up chairs and Susan's tripod and camera. Jim and I went outside around 2:00. There were many other hotel guests nearby but it wasn't crowded. It was very dramatic as we followed the sequence of the moon passing over the sun. The weather definitely got cooler. The moments of totality around 3:25 were so amazing that it brought tears to my eyes. People cheered. And then suddenly it was over and the light came back on! At totality the hills were black and people were shadows against the lake. What a memorable experience! 
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