One in Hand and Four on the Road

Solar Eclipse 2024 - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

Hi Everyone!  What started as a solar eclipse viewing trip ended up being an epic journey.   Steering wheel in one hand and four wheels on the road,  my husband and I set out on a 5,200-mile drive on numerous small byways.  After visiting seven states and feeling the forces of tremendous winds, storms, along with snow and desert sun, I am back home again.

This is going to be an abridged version of our road trip along with a few photos of the eclipse.

 

Chasing The Shadow – Eclipse 2017

 

We were at John Day, Oregon for the 2017 eclipse.   The sky was perfectly clear.  With my husband’s help, I had managed to take a full set of photos of the eclipse that time.  Except, by the time I looked up, the totality was over.  Since then, I wanted to experience at least one more eclipse.

Driving the lengths of California, Arizona and New Mexico, we set out for Fredericksburg, Texas.

 

 

Solar Eclipse 2024 - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

We had a thick cloud cover, so I didn’t get to take the full set of photos ( which would have mostly been for study purposes ) that I wanted.  I could have fiddled with the camera to get more photos but, unlike 2017, my goal was to do mostly visual observation this time around.

 

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos –

 

 

Luckily, the clouds cleared up enough for me to do visual observation and take at least a few photos through the telescope.   The close-up photos are of solar prominences which are only visible during an eclipse.

 

 

Solar Eclipse 2024 - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

I haven’t had the chance to go through the photos I took with my camera yet.  For now, I am sharing the photos I took with my phone.

 

 

Petrified Forest National park - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Before we got to Fredericksburg, we made one stop at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. 

The wind was fierce that day, blowing at a steady 66mph.  Dust and tiny stone chips blasted the skin.  I could barely stand straight, let alone take photos.

 

After reaching Fredericksburg, we had to unpack most of the car to get to the telescope and everything else that I needed for the eclipse.  With the eclipse behind us,  we packed our car once again for the next part of our journey. 

 

 

Great Basin Sand Dunes National park - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Walking on the sand dunes on the Great Basin National Park, Colorado

 

 

Rocky Mountain National park - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

A whole day of hiking on snow in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

 

Pika from Rocky Mountain National park - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

From my sketchbook – A pika from the Rockies, a kindred soul. 

Neither of us can stand warm weather for too long, and I learned that my allergies disappear at 7500ft onward.

 

 

Rocky Mountain National park - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Ending the day watching the sunset with a flask full of tea, and cake

 

 

Arches National park - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Snow to sand – Landscape Arch at Arches National Park, Utah

 

 

Utah Badlands - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Driving through the Utah “badlands”

 

 

Capitol Reef National park - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Off to Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

 

 

 

 

Stopping at Escalante Canyon, Utah

The least mapped region in the US

 

 

Bryce Canyon National park - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Sunset and sunrise at the Bryce Canyon National Park amphitheater, Utah

 

 

Highway 50 sunset - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Drove on the loneliest road in the US, Hwy 50

 

 

Highway 50 Nevada - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

 

Overnight at an old mining town in the middle of nowhere

 

 

Highway 50 California - photo by Soma Acharya @ inktorrents.com

 

Back home again, in California

 

We drove through quite a few lonely roads through a strange landscape that I did not know even existed. We walked into places that were as foreign to us as we were to them.  We were made to feel welcome and at home everywhere we went.  We got to know the land and the people who are very much part of it.

 

A feeling of extreme sadness always takes over me when I have to leave the road behind and return home.  As we drove toward California, one look at my beloved Sierra Nevada mountains was all I needed to shake off that sadness, knowing that I will be out there again pretty soon.

I was missing my kitties a lot by this time.  They are the pull I need to get back home again.  At home, a lot of cuddle time made the homecoming that much more worthwhile. 

 

Until next time,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please consider paying a visit to some of them.

 

 

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Wandering Camera – Quad And Divinity School, Oxford

Divinity School, Oxford, England @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

Welcome to this month’s Wandering Camera!  For my new readers, Wandering Camera is a linky party hosted here on the last Thursday of every month.  I usually share my photos, and occasionally artwork too, and I welcome you to share any photos or creative posts here.   I have been sharing a few photos from the Oxford university area, along with a bit of related architectural history.

 

 

Divinity School, Oxford, England @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

On the last post, I wrote about the Catte Street area.  I would like to continue the journey from there.  Right across the Sheldonian theatre is the Divinity School.  The door in the middle of the large windows was inserted by Christopher Wren in the 1600s for easy access between the two buildings.

 

 

Divinity School, Oxford, England @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

The Divinity School was built over multiple decades as a lecture hall in the 1400s .  I really fell in love with the large windows in this room. 

 

 

Divinity School, Oxford, England @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

The gorgeous vaulted ceiling was designed by Willam Orchard, an English Gothic architect.   The building is attached to the Bodleian Library.  The beautiful ceiling  supports the old library upstairs.

 

I won’t bore you with the architectural details, but simply let you enjoy the photos.   The entirety of the ceiling is carved with images.   Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

 

The entry to this beautiful hall is through the Old Schools Quad on Catte Street.

 

 

Divinity School, Oxford, England @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

The tower of the Quad is the main entrance to the Bodleian Library and is known as the Tower Of The Five Orders. 

 

 

Divinity School, Oxford, England @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

The ornamentation of the tower is based on the five orders of the classical architecture, hence the name.

 

 

Here are a couple of detail sketches from my travel journal. 

 

 

Divinity School Oxford Englad watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

The Window of the Divinity School

 

 

 

Schola Astronomiae et Rhetoricae Bodlein Library Old School Quad Oxford England watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

One of the many faces in the Old School Quad.  This one was at the doorway of Schola Astronomiae et Rhetoricae, also the library gift shop.  The names later appeared in one my paintings – The Magician’s Bookshelf.

 

 

I really wish I had a lot more time to take in all the details.  However, as is the case with international travel, one is always pressed for time.  A four-hour drive to the City Of York was ahead of us, and I still wanted to stop by Exeter College.  So I tore myself away from here and started to walk toward Turl Street.

 

I am a little behind with replying to emails and visiting you back, but I am hoping to catch up within the next few days.  If you have not heard back from me, my sincere apologies.

 

Here are my previous posts and photos from Oxford, England, 2016 –

 

Christ Church, Oxford Part I

Christ Church, Oxford Part II

Magdalen College, Oxford

Catte Street, Oxford

 

 

Wandering Camera art and photo linky party @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

Wandering Camera is a monthly event that runs on the last Thursday of every month.  If you follow me via email, you will get a reminder.

All photo and art/creative-themed posts are welcome.  You can continue to link up multiple posts.

Please add the badge or a text link back to this site on your blog, or on each post that you link up.  I look forward to seeing your photos.

Have fun!!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

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