FRENCH LICK, Ind. — Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to flock to southern Indiana on Monday to catch a glimpse of the total solar eclipse.
In French Lick, visitors drove from all over the country, including one Kentucky family who drove more than 200 miles, nearly four-and-a-half hours, from London, Kentucky.
With lawn chairs, snacks and a large camera with solar lens in hand– Tony Brown and his wife, Donna, and daughter, Abbey, made the long drive to Indiana on Saturday. They stayed the weekend for the total solar eclipse exploring the small town to take in the full experience.
This is the Brown’s second time experiencing a total solar eclipse together, Abbey said.
In 2017, they traveled to a cemetery in Springfield, Tennessee to be in the path of totality for that eclipse. Back then, the family spent a little more than two minutes in darkness, but this year, totality was more than three minutes long.
“It’s just one of the natural wonders of the world to experience,” Tony Brown said. “Once you see it’s like ‘oh my gosh, this is incredible!’ You don’t realize how close the moon is to you until you look at it in that aspect with the sun behind it, I mean I know it’s 250,000 miles, but [that’s] nothing as far as the solar system is concerned.”
After the 2017 eclipse, the Browns decided they needed to see the next one.
Tony said they almost went to Cedar Point in Ohio, but the amusement park wasn’t hosting an eclipse event, so they looked elsewhere.
Donna explained French Lick was one of their early picks for a location since it was within driving distance and the family was able to find a place to stay.
“We all have to be at work tomorrow, so going to Texas wasn’t really an option,” Donna added.
It’ll be another two decades before the next solar eclipse graces the skies over the United States, but the Browns are already planning their next trip well in advance.
“We were just looking the next one’s not until 2044,” Tony said. “And if I’m still kicking, we’ll be down at that one.”
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