Last month the United States was in the path of a solar eclipse, which we all know occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. Almost every ancient and early modern civilization had mythology based on eclipses. The word itself comes from Greek, “to be eclipsed” meaning “forsake” or “failure to appear.” This fear of abandonment of the sun inspired people who did not understand what the true astronomical event was, to create stories to explain the phenomenon, likely in hopes to appease the gods so that it would not happen again. Chalk full of wolves, Norse mythology includes one named Skoll, who chases the sun, and another, Hati, who chases the moon. According to Norse legend, if either were to catch and devour their prey, that would signal the start of man’s struggle for survival and ultimate destruction of humanity. Solar eclipses, especially prolonged time under totality, must have been terrifying for these ancient and early modern civilizations – a fear maybe even as great as coordinating extended family vacations. My family has a tradition of doing “nerd vacations.” In 2018 we chased totality by going to South Carolina, and experiencing totality together was something we decided was worth the cost and time of travel to experience again. A few people posed the question “what if it’s cloudy or raining on the day of the eclipse,” which was less likely to happen in our minds because we all have magical thinking, but to others I answered honestly – “then it will be a really odd destination for a family vacation.”
Despite having gone on several vacations with my family, the preparation for this one gave me a bit of anxiety. I knew that my parents would be flying down to Little Rock with us, which meant getting through security with 3 diabetics wearing insulin pumps, blood glucose sensors, 1 person with an L-dopa pump as well as a pacemaker, 1 person with a metal knee, Ken, and lots and lots of luggage. Flying from Baltimore to Little Rock was not a direct flight, so we picked the earliest flight to try to maximize our time down there, which meant a 4:00 am wake up call. I knocked on James’s door to let him know it was time to wake up. His room, once decorated with Star Wars prints and sheets, always littered with toy cars now has only sparse remains of his early childhood; some old Captain Underpants books sit dusty on his shelf, a few stuffed animals are shoved in a basket, but all the subtleties of the things he cherished as a young child have long since left this house. He was always my early riser, consistently up at 6 until a few months ago, when he began to sleep later than everyone else. After going into his room a few times, and insisting he get up so we could make our flight, he finally threw the blanket off himself and said sternly, “what does a man need to do to be able to sleep in?” At that moment I laughed and reminded him that he was not yet a man, and that he better get a move on so we could get to the airport. Miraculously we made it to the airport on time, and breezed through security.
Had I not been to Missori last year, I would not have expected the landscape of Arkansas. The rolling hills and distant Ouachita Mountains reminded me that I was once again on the Ozark plateau and some of my ideas of the south were from misinformed impressions I picked up in life and took for fact. The drive from the airport to the AirBnB included some things that I would identify with “Southern America.” There was a restaurant called “Chick o Fish,” a place where you can order chicken nuggets or fish sticks. There was a rough, rundown looking strip club. But there were also these beautiful bath houses and other historic architecture. The city boomed in the early 20th century when the natural hot springs drew in tourists, along with illegal horse racing and gambling. The systematic shut down of the illegal activities caused a sharp decline in tourism, and income into the city in the 1960s, but it is coming back. The city reflects this feeling of being safe, inviting, full of things to do and yet some darker parts that remain in the shadows. The AirBnb was a handsome, recently renovated two story house on Lake Hamilton. Driving up it looks like a one-story, but its first floor is built into the slope of land coming up from the lake. We picked this house for its waterfront location, spacious porch and the fact that it had enough bathrooms for the 9 of us (mom, dad, brother, sister, Ken, myself and my two children).
The main reason we went to Hot Springs was for the eclipse, but also to spend time together as a family. As expected, planning, coordinating, feeding, entertaining, caring for and communicating with 9 people had its moments of frustration, for everyone. But we all got along. We fell in and out of familiar roles – feeding, entertaining, care-taking, coddling, listening, laughing and loving one another. “I woke up one morning thinking about wolves and realized that wolf packs function as families. Everyone has a role, and if you act within the parameters of your role, the whole pack succeeds, and when that falls apart, so does the pack.” – Jodi Picolt
We did not have time to enjoy a bathhouse trip, natural hot spring or go into Hot Springs National Park, which surrounds the city. For these reasons, a return trip to Hot Springs is not out of the question. Here are a few recommendations from the trip:
- Rolandos, a “nuevo latino” restaurant with accurate Yelp reviews of amazing food and plenty of ambiance. Built into the side of a large hill, the back part of the restaurant opens onto a sheer rock, and there is a terrace in the back for those who want to eat al fresco. I had the quesadillas de chivo, a house specialty that hit the spot. Each of us shared bites of what we had ordered and not a thing on the table was disappointing. Filled up and no longer hangry, it was off to the grocery store. We spent the remainder of that Friday in the AirBnB resting, cooking, catching up and eating.
- Garvan Gardens, University of Arkansas’ botanical gardens which is home to Anthony Chapel, a glass cathedral that is a feat of architecture.
- Adventure Works Zipline which made my heart race, but was very enjoyable, especially with entertaining guides.
- 420eats, a cool spot with several food trucks (something for everyone), picnic tables and outdoor games. It’s a great spot for kids.
Finally, if you’re ever looking for a spot to watch a full totality eclipse, I highly recommend doing so on a pontoon boat in a quiet, calm lake. The way the light changed and reflected on the water is hard to describe. My best attempt is this – it feels like a sunset with stage lights where you’re not sure if it’s your eyesight that’s failing because your primitive brain is trying to tell your logical brain that the sun is not supposed to set this way. This solar eclipse totality was longer than the one in 2018 and I know that all of us felt a bit of anxiety mixed in with all the wonderment. I have been doing a lot of cognitive training to work on my anxiety, and since I know that the moon’s path went in front of the sun, and that’s why it was getting dark, I didn’t have to fear sudden failing eyesight, or wolf gods eating celestial bodies.
“The wolves in the woods have sharp teeth and claws, but it’s the wolf inside you who will tear you apart.” – Jennifer Donnelly
-Liz
