The 2024 Totality Solar Eclipse is a rare event which will not be visible from Earth until 2040. We made plans to see it in Totality. Not 80% or 90% but 100% Total Eclipse of the Sun.
We stayed at Catherine's Landing RV Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas and were hoping the weather would cooperate. We checked the forecasts for days prior and even the morning of the event. We were prepared to drive to an area with clear skies if the need arose.
We awoke on Monday morning to sunny skies with high cirrus (?) clouds which soon gave way to crystal clear blue skies. We show you what it's like to experience this event in Totality.
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RV Camping We like to "Switch it Up" between resorts and campgrounds and boondocking is always an option.
We draw inspiration from Keep Your Daydream KYD, Less Junk More Journey, Finding Our Someday and Changing Lanes. We normally travel in an HDT similar to YouTube channels Suite Travels, Switch it Up and Watts on Wheels. I also get some ideas from the editing style of Happily Ever Hanks (Happilyeverhanks) #thankshanks and believe it or not, I actually learned something from MRBeast Mr Beast video's as well.
Our journey is the destination. We want to share in our experiences in our discovery of What's Next.
Tracks: In the Red Soil by Bonnie Grace Time is Running fast by Jon Bjork
We use the TSD card for diesel fuel and save a bundle each time we fill up our Big Rig. We also use it to fill up our Onan generator.
Our Class C is built by Thor Motorcoach on a Ford F550 chassis. It's a production build Magnitude model XG32. We tow our red Jeep Wrangler Sahara behind it. We've made some modifications to it so that we can boondock comfortably. Lithium batteries, Victron 3000w multi-plus inverter, dual alternators charge while traveling and mods to the water system greatly enhance it's boondocking capabilities.
Our extreme completely custom 5th wheel is built on a semi-trailer chassis with air suspension and air brakes. Completely loaded it weighs 42,000 lbs rolling down the highway. And we do roll down the highway nearly every week. You see, we believe that if your home has wheels they should be used.
Vehicles: 2016 Volvo VNL780 "Voyager" 2016 Smart fortwo "Pathfinder" 2019 SpaceCraft Custom built semi-trailer 5th wheel "Orion" 2023 Thor Magnitude XG32 Class C "Curiosity" 2017 Jeep Wrangler Sahara "Artemis"
Power system: 3250 watts of solar with Panasonic panels 30.1 KWH of Lithium batteries 2- 4K watt Magnum Inverters deliver power as if we are on shore power 2- 4K watt 240v Cotek Inverters deliver additional power for our LG Mini split HVAC and stove
Coachnet is our roadside assistance company we use but hopefully we don't use them too often. LOL
We are not sponsored by Whataburger but I do enjoy them anytime I can get my hands on one. They used to be just out of Texas but they have expanded.
BIg Truck Big Travels video's are based on our personal experience and not meant nor portrayed as experts in anything we do or say. It's our life on the road and our opinions are not meant to be construed as advice. Enjoy life on the road.
Welcome to the channel. This is not the regular video vlog that we have on Thursday. This is
a Monday night special. Let's hope not. We interrupt this special programming, right,
or our regular programming to bring you this special event. So we've come to Hot Springs,
Arkansas for the eclipse. We want to see totality, and we're here in Hot Springs.
This is Sunday night. Late night. Late night, Sunday night, and we are going through the
weather app to see are we going to have a chance at totality here, or are we going to drive
somewhere. And so this is our planning session right now. We've been looking at the weather apps
and... So I've got all these different cities like within a 200 mile drive from us to see
who's going to have the best weather at two o'clock, basically, you know, plus or minus.
But... So should I tell them about this? Oh yeah. Okay, so I think so. I think there's a
conspiracy going on because David's been getting these alerts that are saying, you know, like
Arkansas is under a... State of emergency. Yeah. Yeah, they've declared state of emergency. Okay, so here's
what I've noticed. That if I look at the weather forecast for Hot Springs, where we're at now,
it's showing partly cloudy all morning and into the afternoon, except for two o'clock, and it's
actually showing sunny. Just for... Just for two o'clock. Two o'clock. Now totality is 145 to 150, basically.
So, and I've gone through and I've looked at all the cities around us, mostly north and east of us,
and it's showing partly cloudy the entire time. Yeah. So I'm wondering if I knew some people who
are staying in these cities, I wish I could call them and ask them, what are they showing for two
o'clock? Are I... So what I think is happening is everybody at their location is showing sunny
at two o'clock. Yes. So everyone will stay in their place. Exactly. And not get out on the road. Not get
out on the road, not drive around and clog the highways and such. So that's an interesting theory.
And I tell you, it might be true. So based on what we've seen, are we going to stay put?
I think so. I think so. Yeah, I think we stay put here. We roll the dice and... We'll check it again
in the morning. Hope that our good mojo for traveling holds and we can see totality.
Good morning. It is eclipse Monday. Got up. The weather forecast is actually looking a lot better
today. Let's check and see what it looks like outside. Okay, so we've got some clouds up there,
but pretty sunny, so it's looking better. All right, eclipse central totality. We're waiting for it.
Yeah, so it's like about 45-50 minutes away. But Sandra's taking a picture every two minutes.
Two minutes, yeah. Yeah, so you can see it starting to crest a little bit,
getting a little bit of the shadow. It's pretty cool. And we're having... So it's not clear skies,
but it is high, I guess what they call cirrus clouds, fuzzy clouds. So we're getting a good,
still a good view of the sun. Yeah. Yeah. So, all right, this is, you know, we're here. We're
waiting. It's like watching paint dry. Yeah. It's exciting, but it's exciting. It's just like
everything is just slow. Very slow. So we're maybe a third of the way through it, and you can
obviously see the shadow of the moon very distinctly now. Kind of cool around the campground.
Excuse me, I'm getting all choked up about this. A lot of people here, they're out. There's not a
lot of activity. You know, everyone's just sitting, waiting, sunbathing. Exactly. So we're, you know,
still here, still taking pictures. Yeah. With our ratchety janky cheap solar... Hey, we're here
for the event. We're not professionals. No, not at all. As a matter of fact, you know how bad we are,
how bad I am, how non-professional? When I went ahead and did my spread for the memory spread,
because I want to take all these snapshots, and so I cut out all these little yellow and black
circles, and then I lined them all up, but I did it wrong. I did it based on a lunar eclipse,
not a solar. And I've already glued them all, so now I've got to start all over again.
Good thing I have the video to keep me busy. Yeah. Otherwise she'd feel guilty. That's an
interesting cloud up there. Look at that. Oh yeah. It's like a... You want to see it, guys?
Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. I've experienced a solar eclipse before,
way years ago, and the weird thing was that it started, you felt like it was sunny, but it was
like notched down several levels. It was hazy. It was, yeah, it was clear, but it wasn't.
And we're starting now to get into that area of, I'll say, sort of a haziness. Like I said,
it's very weird. It's still light, and the sun is bright, but you can... It's not as hot. Yeah,
and the sun doesn't... You don't feel it like... I had to get some sunscreen on because you don't
feel like... It's not burning your skin. Yeah. This is actually really nice. Yeah,
this is actually great. So, you know, if it could stick around like this for a little while longer,
that'd be great. But it's, yeah, we're starting to get into that. It's almost,
it's about half right now, and yeah, and it's 122. Well, two-thirds almost. Oh, you think so?
Two-thirds. All right. It looks like a crescent moon now. Yeah, so the total is supposed to start
in about 22 minutes, according to my atomic set watch. Yeah. All right, so those wispy clouds are
starting to clear in the area that we need them to. So we're hoping that we get this up there
during totality. That'd be great timing. We're about, I guess, 12 minutes away. I was corrected
earlier that it's not 145. Not by me, by the way. No, not by Saundra. It's by another camper,
and that it's not 145 in Hot Springs. It's 149. Yeah. So we're about 12 minutes away from
totality, and we are totally stoked about this. I'm just blinded by your humor.
Oh, it's coming out now, folks. You're so rubbing off on me.
Yeah, so we're getting more of that haze, that sort of feeling, you know, of not crispness in
the air, even though it's clear. But the clouds are clearing up. We had this, like,
hazy cloud cover, and now it's just kind of going away. Yeah, so it looks like we're in the right
spot. Thank goodness. Yes, there's much money to be spent on this place. Yeah, travel mojo.
Yep. But, yeah, this is so cool. I mean, it is just surreal. Yeah, I mean, I am having,
I'm goosebumps, and I'm having the same feeling that I had when we were
kayaking in Death Valley. Oh, yeah. I mean, it feels like that. It's just that, it's hard to
describe. Yeah, and it's so quiet. It's, except for some of the hum of the air conditioners
from the RVs, but it's just, like I said, everyone's out, but it's just very surreal
right now. It's, it's really cool. Yeah, about four minutes away, and man, it's just, it's,
it's so, it's, it's getting dark, but it's still light. I have to go get my parka. And it is,
it's feeling noticeably cooler. I'm getting goosebumps. I thought it was because I was
excited, but I think it's actually getting pretty cool out there. Yeah, good thing it's a warm day,
because it's cooling down. Yeah, wow, this is, man, this is just, this is pretty wild.
I mean, this is just, this is, this is crazy. I mean, it just, yeah, you're, you're trying to
focus, and it's clear, but it's not, it's, it's not dusk. It, it's just, it is so, it's very strange.
Very strange, indeed. Okay, so we're, we're about a minute away from totality. Oh, we need to turn
the outside lights off. They just turn on automatically. Oh, yeah, and we're starting to see some stars
up there, just a few that are sort of appearing, and that are, are going away, and, and it's just,
now it's starting to get darker. Yeah, we're about 30 seconds from totality. Wow, I'm, okay,
I know this might be boring. I don't care. I'm leaving it on, all right. Wow, this is, it's getting
cold. I'm getting cold. All right, so it's almost, almost obscuring the sun. It's just a little sliver.
Oh, my gosh. Wow, it's getting dark. Wow, yeah, and there's stars up there now.
Folks, this is 1 49 in the afternoon. Look, look, look. Oh, wow. Okay, I mean, once again, this is
10 to 2 in the afternoon, and there's a star. I mean, that is the sun, folks.
Wow, and look at that sky that we've been blessed with. That is unbelievable. All right, this is,
this is incredible. This is not sundown. The sun is right up overhead, and man, this is
unbelievable. I mean, that is totality, and it's just incredible. Wow, this is very,
this is very humbling. It's incredible. Wow, definitely don't need the awnings out right now,
but it's coming back. Wow. All right, this is not picking it up a lot, but how are you doing?
Not breathing. She's trying to get a good photo of totality. Oh, videoing, yeah. I'm
going to hold my breath because I got zoomed in so much. Yeah. Wow, it's so cold.
Okay, and that's it. Four minutes. Those scientists are pretty good.
Wow. Okay, so now it's, the moon's starting to go on the other side. It's passing the sun, and
we got the diamond ring. Got the diamond ring, and man, how cool was that? That was,
it was pretty dark. I mean, I know I'm preaching to the choir here that, you know,
no sun means it's dark, but it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon. It's crazy.
All right, so we're almost two minutes on the other side of totality, and man, it's
getting light again. Good, I'm getting cold. It was starting to get frozen out there, but yeah,
it just, yeah, the temperature dropped, and it just got so still, except for all the cheering,
and everything, but that was so wild. That was crazy. There's an airplane up there,
and you can see the contrail. Could you imagine being up above the clouds? Yeah, to get that real
crisp. But I tell you, the weirdest thing was seeing those stars starting to pop out
as the sun was being obscured. I mean, yeah, that was, man, and now we're starting to,
things are starting to crisp up again, and we're on the other side. It's done.
No, it's not. Wow. I still have to get the other half. That's true. It's going the other way,
but oh, that was, that was really cool. That was, wow, a total eclipse of the sun. I know there's a
song about that. Is there? Yeah. Really? Yeah, yeah, there is a song about that. Oh, okay. Yeah,
but yeah, this is, I'm not gonna sing it. I gotta go look it up. I think it's by Blondie,
or something, but wow, that was, that was pretty, that was, that was crazy. Yeah, that was really
cool. All right, so now it's just going to get brighter, hotter, hotter, so yeah, Sandra will be
happy about that. This is just, oh, and I'm so grateful that no clouds. We were so worried about
that, you know, and it worked out perfect. I hope everybody had this opportunity to see this. I hope
just for that fleeting moment, yeah, the entire path, everyone had a chance to see this. Yeah,
I do too, because this was, this was an experience. This was unbelievable. I mean, a total eclipse. It
was, yeah, wow. That's gonna be the drinking game for this video. Oh, I know, I know, yeah. We've
been getting a lot of comments. Sorry, guys, we're gonna have a bunch of drunk viewers out there.
All right, so I think that's it. We're just gonna catch it on the other side,
and appreciate you guys watching. We wanted you guys to experience it with us,
and for those that couldn't see totality, and to have someone sort of feet on the ground to,
I don't know, say a bunch of wows and oohs. You know, we're no scientists, but that was a super
cool event. Yeah, so thanks for joining us, and we'll see you guys around,
unless there's another eclipse, and then we'll hide in the shadows.
Aloha. That's right, you know the show is actually over when the campers start to leave.
Oh yeah, no, that's, that's, that's why we're not leaving for days. Hey, yeah, be careful with
traffic.
