Park ranger Austin Rogers tests out his eclipse glasses Saturday at Amistad National Recreation Area in south Texas. Rogers said he has seen four times the number of visitors he normally sees at his ranger station.
When a total solar eclipse passes over the United States on Mondaythis might be one of the best places to see it.
Amistad National Recreation Area in southern Texas is one of the few National Park Service sites located directly in the eclipse's path of totality. And because it's close to the US-Mexico border, its visitors will be able to see the full eclipse before most of the country.
People started camping days in advance to make sure they got a spot.
โMy camp is full of strangers, some from as far away as France,โ says the photographer. Sara Silbiger saying. "But then there are people who are just from East Texas who became part of the whole."
The eclipse will pass over Mexico, the United States and Canada, and 49 US states are expected to see at least a partial solar eclipse, weather permitting. But a strip of the continent It will be within the path of totality, where people will be able to see the sun completely blocked by the moon in its path.
The camps in Amistad have been โfull to the brimโ for days, Silbiger said, forcing many people to look for other places to settle in nearby Del Rio, Texas.
โWe were at Walmart and in the parking lot there were a bunch of RVs, pickup trucks and people camping in their cars,โ Silbiger said Sunday. "The campgrounds around us are sold out, so people are choosing the slightly less glamorous option of camping in the Walmart parking lot."
Del Rio has welcomed the additional attention, maintaining a solar eclipse festival during the last days with live music, art exhibitions and scientific presentations.
An eclipse-themed pop-up market has been a hit with artists and small business owners showcasing their wares.
โI almost ran out of all the earrings,โ said Jasmine Cordero, who sells handmade jewelry.
One company, Mesquite Creek Outfitters, had a pop-up tattoo parlor where people could commemorate the occasion with some ink; Options included a moon, of course, and an astronaut cowboy.
Artist Jasmine Cordero sells handmade, eclipse-themed jewelry at a pop-up market in Del Rio on Saturday.
Solar Eclipse Fest pins are on sale at Del Rio.
Artists compete in a chalk art contest in Del Rio on Saturday.
Gwen Rychlik gets a moon and cowboy hat tattoo Saturday at a pop-up tattoo parlor.
Photographing the eclipse is a welcome change of pace for Silbiger, who had been covering the White House for six years. Since Thanksgiving, she and her partner have been traveling across the country in a Winnebago, fulfilling a dream.
"It's been a joy," he said. "We have huge windows right next to our beds and I can literally look at the stars as I fall asleep."
Living the โvan lifeโ has also allowed him to slow down in what was a very fast-paced environment in Washington, DC. Now you can cover other stories and spend more time reading and cooking healthy meals.
"I can be much more intentional about how I use my time," she said.
Silbiger was among those who arrived early in Amistad for the eclipse. He enjoys the energy of camp and the sense of community that began to develop there.
โPeople make bonfires together, hang out and help each other fix the many problems that always occur in pickup trucks,โ he said.
In most camps, people are always coming and going because they have their own schedules. But this is different. People are spreading out and getting to know each other.
"They're all here for the same reason, and now they've been here long enough to have the same neighbor for five days," Silbiger said. "And that's kind of fun."
The eclipse begins in Del Rรญo at 12:11 pm local time on Monday, reaching totality at 1:28 pm. That moment will last three minutes and 28 seconds. (Use our interactive map to determine what the eclipse will look like from your viewing location).
For many Americans, this will be the last chance to see a total solar eclipse for 20 years. The next one won't be visible in the contiguous United States until August 2044.
