Petit Jean

Jonah joined Cub Scouts, and last weekend was the first big campout that he's done with his pack. It was at Petit Jean Mountain, which is always a great choice for hiking and camping.

We got up there Saturday morning and did a hike along the Cedar Creek Trail, which is one of my favorites at the park. Like its name suggests, it runs along a scenic section of the creek above Cedar Falls.



We stopped and took a break next to a large bluff. Water was dripping off of the bluff into a large puddle, and the sun was hitting the ripples in the water and making a reflection back onto the bluff.



We camped overnight at the Group Campsite at Petit Jean, which might just be the best camping site in the state. It sits along Lake Bailey, so you can sit in your tent and watch the light change on the lake. We went to sleep that night listening to the sounds of a waterfall.



It also has an actual restroom (which is always appreciated), and electricity and water.







But we did have company at the campsite. We were constantly being watched by a Canadian goose, who would sneak in like a ninja to find any stray bits of food left behind by a wayward scout. While dinner was being cooked on Saturday night, it managed to slyly make its way over and steal an entire stick of butter. If any of the kids got too close to it, it would hiss at them like a cat. Despite that, they lovingly named it "Sir Goosealot."

The Eclipse

Yesterday was the solar eclipse, the celestial event that had been hyped for the past five years. And did it live up to all that hype? Yes, it did. It was amazing.

We went to watch the eclipse at Riverfront Park in North Little Rock, which was being promoted as the "Total Eclipse in the Park." We got there a few hours before totality, and were surprised to see that there weren't that many people around. Which was odd, because we had heard repeatedly that there was going to be a massive influx of visitors to Arkansas for the eclipse. The state predicted 1.5 million people would be traveling here. Grocery stores and gas stations would be overrun and empty. All the major roads and freeways would be snarled with bumper-to-bumper traffic. The governor declared a state of emergency...

And now it seems like all those dire forecasts kept a lot of people at home during the eclipse, in order to avoid all the crowds that didn't show up. But I guess I can't complain because we were able to claim a shady spot on the Riverfront Park lawn, and didn't have to deal with any traffic at all.

As it got closer to totality, you could see the changes in the light as it grew gradually dimmer. It was also at this time that our strong-willed toddler, Elliott, saw a bunch of boats in the river. Like so many small kids, he is completely obsessed with fire trucks, police cars and ambulances. And right before totality, there were a few boats from the police and sheriff's office in the water. This must have been a mind-blowing experience for him. He wanted me to hold him, so that he could better see the boats in the river. He didn't want to be held by any of three other adults there, just me. Which made for setting up the camera a bit tricky.

I held him in one arm, and then tried to make sure the camera was set correctly with the other hand. It was getting so close to totality. Street lights turned on. The sky turned a darker blue, like at dusk. The temperature dropped a few degrees. A sheriff's office boat headed downriver playing "Total Eclipse of the Heart," much to Elliott's enjoyment. And then it happened - totality. The sun was obscured by the moon, and it was a truly amazing thing to see in person. I can totally understand now why people travel across the country to see this. People around us clapped and cheered, all of us sharing the communal experience of the "cosmic ballet" together.

So here is my picture of the total solar eclipse over the downtown Little Rock skyline, taken during totality. It was also taken while holding a squirming toddler, who kept saying "police boat Dada!" in my ear.

Transylvania

Spring Break was ending and it was time to head home. We packed up the car, loaded up the kids, and started the long drive back to Arkansas. Before leaving, I took one last photo of the beach.



We were making the drive back home all in one trip, so it kinda cut down on the amount of stops along the way. But I was able to stop once for a picture, in the small and amusingly-named town of Transylvania, Louisiana. I wasn't attacked by any bats or vampires when I stopped to get a picture of the old elementary school, which has been abandoned for about 20 years.

Fort Pickens

Just a short drive from the seafood restaurants, beach homes, hotels, resorts and souvenir shops on Pensacola Beach is Fort Pickens. It sits on a stretch of land that has been preserved as the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Along the with the old fort, there are a few other historic buildings and a fishing pier. When we arrived, we walked out on the pier and saw this guy, who was waiting for any offerings from the many people fishing.



The people who weren't fishing were looking up in the sky, since the Blue Angels were out doing some practice flights.



And then we began the tour of Fort Pickens. After the War of 1812, the US government sought to better defend all of its major ports. Pensacola Bay, and its Navy yard, was considered to be of upmost importance. So a series of forts were planned on the barrier islands around Pensacola Bay. Fort Pickens was the largest of the forts, and construction began in 1829 and was completed in 1834.



Over 21.5 million bricks were used in the construction of the fort. The labor was provided by enslaved people, who toiled in difficult conditions. Many suffered heat exhaustion, and others caught yellow fever. When it was completed, it was one of the largest brick structures along the Gulf Coast.





During its long history, the only time the fort was under attack was during the Civil War. The fort remained in US control during the entire war, despite attacks from confederate troops in 1861. During the war, the fort would become a destination on the Underground Railroad, as enslaved people would travel there to become emancipated.





The fort was much larger than I thought it would be. There were lots of areas to look around and explore.





After the Civil War, a large number of prisoners from the Indian Wars were sent to Fort Pickens. Among the members of the Apache that were held here was Geronimo.







These narrow brick passages were already considered obsolete by the 1890s, as better technology meant different types of defensive weapons were needed. Part of the parade ground in the middle of the fort was taken up by larger and more modern canons. And mines were stored at Fort Pickens, which could be placed in Pensacola Bay if it came under attack.



In 1899, a fire in the fort reached one of the bastions that held about 8,000 pounds of gunpowder. The resulting explosion completed destroyed the bastion and sent bricks flying for over a mile and half.



Additional defensive batteries were added to the lands around the fort after World War I, and then more were added during World War II.





After World War II, the fort was considered fully obsolete, since the Blue Angels could probably better attack an enemy ship than a few old canons could. The fort was made a part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore in 1972.





But maybe the biggest threat to the fort hasn't been confederate artillery or German U-boats. It's been Mother Nature. The old fort has been hit by a few hurricanes over the years, and has had to close for repairs and restorations.





It was an interesting place to visit. It's hard to think about what it must have been like way back when it was being built. Or to have been a soldier there in the summer heat being on the look-out for enemy ships. Would people 150 years ago have been able to imagine that tourists in the future would be taking selfies there? Or that people would be able to simply hop in their air-conditioned car and drive down the road to go and eat a bunch of fried shrimp from a place like Peg Leg Pete's?

Pensacola Beach

We drove through Alabama and then finally into Florida. It was storming when we arrived in Pensacola, with heavy rains and a few bolts of lightning. We checked into our place for the rest of the week, which had this great view of the beach (and the dark clouds hanging over the Gulf).



Later on, the sun managed to break through the clouds. And we were treated with a pretty great sunset from the balcony of our rental.





The beaches at Pensacola are beautiful. The water was crystal-clear, and the sand was fluffy and brilliantly white. And most of the land along the island is preserved and protected, which means most of the beaches are undeveloped and pristine.



One night after dark I went out onto the balcony and tried to get a few pictures. The moonlight had illuminated the white sandy beaches, and the stars were shining out above the Gulf.



I set up the camera for some star trails. It was an ideal place, since I could just retreat back into the rental property while the camera sat and took pictures for two hours. There were a few clouds that drifted through the sky (along with a few helicopters), but it resulted in this star trail photo: