Millersburg eclipses Mansfield for Annapolis couple
Like many people around the nation, Denise Mann and Bill Banchero were willing to travel a long way to get a good view of the total solar eclipse on April 8. They settled on a nice spot at the Holmes County Courthouse.
For one Maryland couple, experiencing the eclipse was more than just the sun and moon’s heavenly dance.
Denise Mann and Bill Banchero from Annapolis, Maryland set about April 8 looking for a perfect spot to view the total solar eclipse, a true rarity that doesn’t come along often.
While they set their MapQuest to Mansfield, once they arrived there, they weren’t totally satisfied, despite the fact Mansfield was one of the ideal viewing spots to catch a glimpse of nature’s show that started before 2 p.m. and blacked out the sky about 3:12 p.m.
Instead of settling in at a spot in Mansfield, they decided to backtrack to a little burg they had driven through on state Route 39 as they journeyed from Annapolis to Mansfield.
“We were set on heading to Mansfield and actually drove that far,” Mann said. “That was when we decided to change our plans.”
Those plans meant a return to Millersburg, the heart of Amish Country, where the air is clear and the view from the Holmes County Courthouse table and chairs was excellent.
“We knew nothing about Millersburg when we started our trek to Ohio yesterday,” Mann said, noting they spent the evening in New Philadelphia before setting sail for Mansfield the morning of April 8. “Once we got to Mansfield, we weren’t that excited, and our thoughts kept coming back to Millersburg. Again, we had no idea about the town, but when we went through, we loved everything about it. It had a neat, little sports pub and brewery. It had this beautiful park by a gorgeous, historical-looking courthouse building. It was just a really beautiful little town, and we wanted to come back.”
So the duo turned around and backtracked to Millersburg and found a perfect perch at a table and chairs on the courthouse patio.
“This town is so quaint, and it fit the bill for where we wanted to relax and enjoy the show,” Banchero said.
Mann, who retired as a member of the National Council for Teachers for many years, and Banchero, a longtime engineer who retired a dozen years ago, pulled out some refreshments, plopped on the chairs, kicked back their heals and settled in as the moon began its slow processional in front of the sun.
As retirees they said they enjoy traveling and finding adventure around the nation. Mann said the last eclipse she and a friend had traveled to was to Hiawatha, Kansas in 2017, a partial eclipse that paled in comparison to this one.
On this day they caught a lucky break. What was forecast to be an overcast, cloudy day turned into a sunny one, that was until the moon began crowding its way into the picture.
“The one in Hiawatha was kind of cloudy, so it was a little disappointing, but this one is perfect,” Mann said.
“We knew the forecast was supposed to be cloudy, but we came anyway,” Banchero said.
No cloudy forecast was going to ruin their fun, and they were rewarded with a stunning afternoon display. What added to their joy was experiencing Historic Downtown Millersburg, where they enjoyed taking pictures of some of the historic buildings including the courthouse.
“These types of towns are America,” Banchero said.
“This is exactly the experience we were hoping for when we set out on this journey,” Mann said. “We actually brought our own table and chairs, but this was so ideal. We couldn’t ask for a better place to witness history.”
Having never visited Amish Country before, they were overjoyed to have this as their inaugural Holmes County experience, and they said they definitely want to come back at some point to explore the area.
Like many people who traveled to unknown worlds to catch a glimpse of the eclipse at its darkest, the couple couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome, both by nature and the area they happened upon to settle in for the show.
“The eclipse, finding Millersburg, it all adds up to a perfect trip,” Mann said. “Who knows if we will ever get the opportunity to experience anything like this again? So we are thrilled to be able to capture the experience while we can.”