Eclipse Option - Lenoir, Hickory and Morganton, NC

I've searched and studied and researched locations in North Carolina as possible "go-to" eclipse day adventures. From what I understand, so has the rest of the world, which bring me closer to the conclusion that local is best. It works for home grown tomatoes, why not eclipse watching?

My searching today is through Macaroni Kids, a website that does the searching for me to find entertaining events for children in the Hickory/Western Piedmont district of North Carolina. Festivals. Plays. Art activities. Free movies. Storytelling. Eclipses. Those kinds of things.

So I looked. And I found.

There's an eclipse event at the Caldwell County public library here in Lenoir, my home town for well over forty years. It starts at two o'clock, timed to hit the middle around the 2:39 peak when the moon will obscure (the official term) the sun 96.7%. Macaroni Kids says the event is free. Just show up. The library itself is surrounded by trees, a haven behind the busy restaurant row of highway #321.

Caldwell County Library, Lenoir branch

Departing from the library is a hiking trail into all kinds of wide open spots just built for moon/sun gazing, the City of Lenoir Greenway.

The Greenway from the top of the hill at the library

The Greenway from the bottoms
wide open to watch the eclipse

I love libraries! They take a moment in time and help us to connect. In Catawba County south of us, there are several library branch eclipse parties, the largest in downtown Hickory at the Patrick Beaver Memorial Library where there's an event in conjunction with the Catawba Science Center, starting at one and going until three.

Up river from Hickory, the town of Morganton will host an event at the Catawba Meadows Park. During the long process of the moon creeping over the sun, the waiting will be the issue for my grands. I can hear them now, "When is it going to happen?" At least at Catawba Meadows there's the Beanstalk Zip Line where they can zip through the treetops, or watch others zip through the treetops. Further down the walking trail we could visit the Native American Village Interpretive Center where, on the banks of the Catawba River, we can experience the darkening of the sun through a sixteenth century Catawba tribe member's point of view. Wow, oh wow. This might be the spot. It's only ten minutes from my house.

Time is ticking down. A decision must be made. Soon.

Catch of the day,

Gretchen