road trips – Jennifer Parrilli

Eclipsecapade Day 6

It’s time to head home. When I open my eyes, my head still hurts, but it’s a dull ache instead of the migraine I had yesterday. The first words out of ELW’s mouth are, “we have to check out in thirty minutes.” I roll out of bed and pull my things together. Since I hadn’tContinue reading “Eclipsecapade Day 6”

Eclipsecapade Day 5

Our new hotel is not the Bellagio. The carpet is filthy and squashed into a flat slick mass. The window dressings in the hallway are strangely elaborate. The pungent odor of someone’s cooking, sour and heavy with garlic, permeates the hallway and leaks into the room. There’s only one ice machine in the building andContinue reading “Eclipsecapade Day 5”

Eclipsecapade Day 4

This morning, as I tried to shake off grogginess, I collected my still-wet swimsuit from the shower curtain rod and shoved it into my backpack with the rest of my dirty clothes from the day before. Thankfully, I’d thought to pack two swimsuits, because it was to be another day full of slides and splashesContinue reading “Eclipsecapade Day 4”

Eclipsecapade Day 3

My eyes were already open by the time the girls started shifting around the hotel room in the dark. I was hoping I’d drift off again before it was time to really get started as I had a bit of trouble finding my way to dreamland last night. As soon as I remembered that todayContinue reading “Eclipsecapade Day 3”

Eclipsecapade Day 2

Today was a day filled with nature (that’s how we ecologists like it). It started the moment we left the hotel. The youngest of us was greeted by nature in the form of a katydid on her door handle. Being only seven, she was initially a little freaked out by the big green insect, butContinue reading “Eclipsecapade Day 2”

Eclipsecapade Day 1

My friend and partner, ELW, has a degree in astrophysics. So, it makes sense that he’s got an interest in the happenings of the solar system. He’s also the father of two girls. So, it makes sense that he’d want to share the upcoming solar eclipse with them, especially since the path of totality thisContinue reading “Eclipsecapade Day 1”