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Category: Side Trips

Eclipse 2024

Eclipse 2024

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Before the 2024 eclipse, I thought I had seen one before but I think I had only seen partial eclipses. This was a magical event with constant fear we’d miss it all because of clouds. Throughout it all we had short breaks and at totality the clouds just moved out of the way. Later that night I went and cleaned up the pictures I had taken and thought, oh well they weren’t that great but then I looked for better ones on the internet. There may be better ones now but at least right after, mine were as good as most others I could find.

All of the non-totality pictures were taken with my cell phone with only a filter on the lens. The totality ones were taken with our “good” camera on a tripod and no other special equipment. Imagine what you could take with several $1000’s of dollars of equipment!

Just beginning
We were afraid the clouds were going to get in the way
Just before totality there was a break in the clouds!
Totality!
Closer look at solar flares
Flares continued to be visible throughout totality
Another closeup of the flares
The sun just coming out of the moon’s shadow. Within seconds we went from total darkness to bright again.
On the back side, sun starting to uncover
City of Rocks State Park, New Mexico

City of Rocks State Park, New Mexico

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Located about halfway between Silver City and Deming, City of Rocks offers camp sites, hiking trails, excellent mountain biking, wildlife viewing, birding, stargazing, picnic areas and a desert botanical garden. The park encompasses a one square mile area in the scenic Chihuahuan desert region of southwestern New Mexico at an elevation of 5,200 feet. Formed of volcanic ash 30 million years ago and sculpted by wind and water into rows of monolithic blocks, City of Rocks State Park takes its name from these incredible rock formations rising as high as 40 feet and separated by paths or lanes resembling city streets. The eruption was from the Emory Caldera, centered near Hillsboro Peak at the southern end of the Black Range.

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11 Mile Canyon, Lake George, CO

11 Mile Canyon, Lake George, CO

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The Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation Area is located below the dam of the Eleven Mile Reservoir near Lake George, CO. While driving the narrow, dirt road that passes through the canyon, you might not realize you were driving on a piece of history. This particular road was once the Colorado Midland Railroad, long before the dam and reservoir were built. The Colorado Midland Railway, incorporated in 1883, was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. It ran from Colorado Springs to Leadville and through the divide at Hagerman Pass to Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction.

Eleven Mile Canyon cuts through the plain holding the South Platte River in its rocky bottom. As the river is unleashed from the dam above, its twists and crashes against huge boulders lining the canyon floor. A canopy of large trees provides a screen of shade that floats across the canyon with the moving sun. Eleven Mile Canyon is an unexpected paradise. Activities here include camping, climbing, picnicking, hiking, fishing and swimming to name just a few.

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White Sands National Park / Alamogordo NM

White Sands National Park / Alamogordo NM

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While staying in Las Cruces, NM at the end of February, 2020 we took a day trip to White Sands National Park and Alamogordo. This is the largest gypsum dune field in the world and is so large it can actually be seen from space. White Sands has been a National Monument since 1933 and in January, 2020 became the 62nd National Park. So, of course, I had to get a t-shirt with the new White Sands National Park on it! The visitor center sign out front will be changing soon!

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Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park

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A clear and sunny day allowed us to have a wonderful visit to Big Bend National Park in March, 2020.

We were late making reservations to camp in the park so unfortunately Big Bend was completely booked along with all the RV parks in the small towns just outside the park. We found out that spring break is the busiest time for Big Bend likely due to the milder temperatures that time of year. We ended up staying in Marfa about an hour and a half north and taking a long day trip.

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