I saw a total eclipse in 1970 which I wrote excitedly to my kids about, telling them to try to make an effort to see the one this year. They decided it was family reunion time and left it up to me to find a place in or near Totality. Talk about getting lucky, everybody thought I was a genius for finding and booking this place!

The house is wonderful, the setting is incredibly beautiful and quiet, and everything you could want is already there. Being an early riser, I made my coffee and sat out on the deck overlooking the beautiful valley as the sun rose. As my kids and grandchildren got up, we prepared breakfast (and the other meals) in the fully stocked kitchen and/or grill. We were delighted to find a children's play room that the grandbabies enjoyed with their mothers, grandparents etc. The beds were comfortable, and the configuration of the house provided quiet bedrooms for us "old people" while our adult children talked into the wee hours.

Everything worked perfectly. There were plenty of linens, and the water heater was obviously high capacity. The town of Saluda is cute to visit, but the real city of Hendersonville is not far, with a Walmart, Sam's, and Fresh Market. The 10 thrill-seekers went zip-lining and had a great time at The Gorge Zipline just on the other side of the Interstate from Saluda. Finally, we had a cloud-free view of the total eclipse at a state park not far away.

We all had a great time, and if the current locations of our family remain the same, we might come back here for another get together, even without an eclipse! It is that good!