YAWN........eclipse

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

There are a million eclipse stories on the internet, but I haven't seen any about the predicted gas shortages, 20 mile long traffic jams, people parking on the interstate, fistfights at Walmart over the last case of bottled water, etc.

Just a few instances of supposed price gouging at hotels. Some place in Tennessee that usually goes for $109 per night jacked the rates up to over $500 for Sunday and Monday nights.

Well the state encouraged it by jacking their fees in state parks to double normal rates. Can't very well tell people not to price gouge when the state itself is one of the worst offenders.

 

[Tinijocaro]

We were price gouged on our eclipse glasses. We stayed in a motel and feared that we wouldn't be able to get glasses at the eclipse festival. Motel lady was selling them for $15.00 a pair so we bought them. People were giving them away at the festival. They were also giving cold water away.

 

[Colleen27]

We traveled for totality and thought it was well worth the trip. Partial just isn't the same - I vaguely remember viewing a partial eclipse through my grandfather's welding mask as a kid and that was just okay, kind of cool but nothing spectacular. Totality was spectacular.

I live near Syracuse, NY... anyone who's expecting clear skies on April 8th, 2024... let's just say, don't go out of your way to travel to the east/southeast of Lake Ontario. It doesn't reliably stop producing lake-effect clouds until later in the month.

I was thinking the same thing. Looking at the path, my first thought was to head to Toronto for the next one. Then I remembered our very grey, slightly snowy spring break trip there last year. I'm not sure we saw the sun in the 5 days we spent in Ontario, and that was the week of April 8. That's just not a good time of year to be viewing anything astronomical from the Great Lakes region.

I'm thinking Texas is calling my name in 2024.

There are a million eclipse stories on the internet, but I haven't seen any about the predicted gas shortages, 20 mile long traffic jams, people parking on the interstate, fistfights at Walmart over the last case of bottled water, etc.

Just a few instances of supposed price gouging at hotels. Some place in Tennessee that usually goes for $109 per night jacked the rates up to over $500 for Sunday and Monday nights.

Traffic in Kentucky was hellish coming home. Getting down there wasn't bad. We stayed just south of Louisville and made it down to Franklin in a reasonable time, but I65 was such a mess that we stuck to back roads northbound which took almost three times as long as the southbound ride. We didn't run into any gas shortages, though, and our cabin cost about what I expect KOA cabins to cost so I don't think they jacked up their rates any for the event.

 

[Colleen27]

We were price gouged on our eclipse glasses. We stayed in a motel and feared that we wouldn't be able to get glasses at the eclipse festival. Motel lady was selling them for $15.00 a pair so we bought them. People were giving them away at the festival. They were also giving cold water away.

That's one that got us too. Since we were traveling for it we didn't want to count on getting them on the road/after we arrived, so we paid $6/pair from a local educational supply place... Only to end up at two different rest areas that were giving them away on the day of. Oh well, that $24 was worth it for the peace of mind of having them before we left home... I have tucked them safely away for 2024, though, so we don't end up overpaying again.

 

[Purrkins]

The difference between 99.99% and 100% is like listening to the SuperBowl on a static filled radio in a foreign language versus being in the front row on the 50-yard line with your favorite team ahead by 2 points in the fourth quarter. And this isn't even accurate - simply put, it is a singularly unique experience - both the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and as equally terrifying. Utterly alien, with really nothing else on this earth (or universe for that matter, as the earth is the only planet we've discovered to experience total solar eclipses) that it can compare to. Afterwards, my family decided that day that we will move mountains to see every total solar eclipse we possibly can. Chile is next. Utterly amazing.

 

[dish rag]

The difference between 99.99% and 100% is like listening to the SuperBowl on a static filled radio in a foreign language versus being in the front row on the 50-yard line with your favorite team ahead by 2 points in the fourth quarter. And this isn't even accurate - simply put, it is a singularly unique experience - both the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and as equally terrifying. Utterly alien, with really nothing else on this earth (or universe for that matter, as the earth is the only planet we've discovered to experience total solar eclipses) that it can compare to. Afterwards, my family decided that day that we will move mountains to see every total solar eclipse we possibly can. Chile is next. Utterly amazing.

I think now the term foreign language is considered offensive. I think now one needs to say world languages, or something like that.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I think now the term foreign language is considered offensive. I think now one needs to say world languages, or something like that.

I've never heard that before. Not sure why it would be offensive. They are foreign to us. I googled it and nothing came up. Curious where you heard that?

 

[Wendy31]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155146337037585

Were you in Sweetwater? DH and I drove from Buffalo, NY to Sweetwater Tennessee (10 hours) to see the total eclipse. As others have said, it's 100% or nothing. While all the way up to 99.9% was cool, 100% was spectacular, awe-inspiring, a celestial experience. We will travel for the 2024 one even though Buffalo is in the path of totality. Cloud cover in April will ruin it.

These pics were taken two minutes apart.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155618275469304&set=pcb.10155618275844304&type=3&theater

We were in Spring City, TN - about 45ish mins away from Sweetwater.

But the same "small town" kinda experience!

 

[kirstenb1]

We had 87% in our area but the clouds blocked it anyway. It gets darker during a storm...View attachment 263620

We're west of Richmond, and this was our experience. I said the same exact thing about it getting darker during a storm.

 

[Aliceacc]

Long Island here. We got 75%.

It didn't get nearly as dark as I expected-- just softer sunlight, like at dusk.

But a neighbor got the glasses so we could see the sun... SO COOL!!!!

 

[dish rag]

I've never heard that before. Not sure why it would be offensive. They are foreign to us. I googled it and nothing came up. Curious where you heard that?

I heard that on this forum. But I agree with you.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We traveled for totality and thought it was well worth the trip. Partial just isn't the same - I vaguely remember viewing a partial eclipse through my grandfather's welding mask as a kid and that was just okay, kind of cool but nothing spectacular. Totality was spectacular.



I was thinking the same thing. Looking at the path, my first thought was to head to Toronto for the next one. Then I remembered our very grey, slightly snowy spring break trip there last year. I'm not sure we saw the sun in the 5 days we spent in Ontario, and that was the week of April 8. That's just not a good time of year to be viewing anything astronomical from the Great Lakes region.

I'm thinking Texas is calling my name in 2024.



Traffic in Kentucky was hellish coming home. Getting down there wasn't bad. We stayed just south of Louisville and made it down to Franklin in a reasonable time, but I65 was such a mess that we stuck to back roads northbound which took almost three times as long as the southbound ride. We didn't run into any gas shortages, though, and our cabin cost about what I expect KOA cabins to cost so I don't think they jacked up their rates any for the event.

65 North was a mess pretty much from Nashville all the way to Louisville. Unfortunately side roads that parallel the freeway usually also get clogged when the freeway does.

 

[Colleen27]

65 North was a mess pretty much from Nashville all the way to Louisville. Unfortunately side roads that parallel the freeway usually also get clogged when the freeway does.

We didn't have too much trouble with the back roads, mostly 31W with some detours around the most congested parts, but I live out in the country myself and don't mind getting a bit off the beaten path. We talked to a couple of people at gas stations and Mammoth Cave who were resigned to sitting in that because they weren't comfortable heading off onto unfamiliar back roads. To me, 45-50 on winding back roads is better than 20mph on an interstate! The worst backup we sat in was when we thought about getting back on 65, around 7ish after a stop at Mammoth Cave, thinking the traffic would have dissipated by then!

 

[Dread Pirate]

Drove four hours to Casper to watch the total event. I hate long distance driving but this was worth every minute of it.

I saw a partial about five years back and the two types are completely different in terms of spetacularness. Do not use a partial as a base for how good a total can be. For the total package far exceeds it.

How long did it take you to get home? I drove 3 hours south to KY to the center line to get maximum length of totality. Even though the drive home took 7 hours, it was totally worth it.

Even skipping the mandatory training we had at work on Monday was worth it! (Ha ha) Thank goodness my boss understands my nerdy needs, and let me skip the training.

 

[Dread Pirate]

There will be a total solar eclipse in 2024, from Texas up through New York and into Canada. Carbondale, IL will be in the path of 100% totality again and I'm hoping to make it there.

Here are some of the best "viewing cities":

• 
  
• Indianapolis, Indiana

Go south to between Martinsville and Bloomington to get onto the Center line for maximum totality. I've already contacted my mayor to get on the community planning committee for how we can prepare for 2024. I figure we'll have a huge influx of people, based on my experience down in Hopkinsville/Cadiz area.

 

[Colleen27]

Go south to between Martinsville and Bloomington to get onto the Center line for maximum totality. I've already contacted my mayor to get on the community planning committee for how we can prepare for 2024. I figure we'll have a huge influx of people, based on my experience down in Hopkinsville/Cadiz area.

What is the weather usually like for you in April? My initial thought for that one was to stay closer to home - Ontario or Ohio - but that's a cloudy time of year. So the question is, shorter travel but iffy-er odds on the weather, or better chances of clear skies but a longer trek.

 

[lisaviolet]

I was thinking the same thing. Looking at the path, my first thought was to head to Toronto for the next one. Then I remembered our very grey, slightly snowy spring break trip there last year. I'm not sure we saw the sun in the 5 days we spent in Ontario, and that was the week of April 8. That's just not a good time of year to be viewing anything astronomical from the Great Lakes region.

I'm thinking Texas is calling my name in 2024.

I'm sure, actually agree, that there are much better options than Toronto for the next eclipse. But I can assure you just had crappy luck with the weather here on your vacation. Meaning April isn't a whole lot worse than most months with sun. Any week here can bring the brightest of days and the crappiest. And I would guess that we are relatively uniform month to month in regards to blue skies. With April somewhere near the average in terms of precipitation.

We also don't have the same lake effect conditions like many places on the south side of Ontario or Erie.

 

[Tinijocaro]

I'm sure, actually agree, that there are much better options than Toronto for the next eclipse. But I can assure you just had crappy luck with the weather here on your vacation. Meaning April isn't a whole lot worse than most months with sun. Any week here can bring the brightest of days and the crappiest. And I would guess that we are relatively uniform month to month in regards to blue skies. With April somewhere near the average in terms of precipitation.

We also don't have the same lake effect conditions like many places on the south side of Ontario or Erie.

True about Lake effect. I'm in Buffalo, which will be right in the path of totality in 2024, but we will be traveling south for it. I would hate to wait all that time only to miss it due to clouds. It can happen anywhere, as in this next video but I want to greatly increase the odds of seeing it again. If I can't see totality, it isn't worth going.

 

[Colleen27]

I'm sure, actually agree, that there are much better options than Toronto for the next eclipse. But I can assure you just had crappy luck with the weather here on your vacation. Meaning April isn't a whole lot worse than most months with sun. Any week here can bring the brightest of days and the crappiest. And I would guess that we are relatively uniform month to month in regards to blue skies. With April somewhere near the average in terms of precipitation.

We also don't have the same lake effect conditions like many places on the south side of Ontario or Erie.

Oh, I know we had lousy luck - it was also unusually cold and we got rather a lot of snow on the drive in both directions, which is fairly unusual that time of year here as well as there (I'm just across the border in SE Michigan). But April as a whole is above-average for rain and clouds here and probably there as well. One site I saw that used averages to "predict" good viewing places for the 2024 eclipse said it is cloudy 60% of the time here (well, Toledo, OH - the closest city to me that will see totality) in early April but only 35% of the time in Austin, TX.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

True about Lake effect. I'm in Buffalo, which will be right in the path of totality in 2024, but we will be traveling south for it. I would hate to wait all that time only to miss it due to clouds. It can happen anywhere, as in this next video but I want to greatly increase the odds of seeing it again. If I can't see totality, it isn't worth going.

That's just it. It doesn't have to be storming. One cloud can ruin your day when it comes to the eclipse. You pays your money and takes your chances no matter where you go. But I think I'd rather be somewhere without lake effect moisture. There were just a few thin clouds here and none were blocking it. So we got lucky. I don't know if we'll travel for the next one having seen this one. But if you haven't seen a total, it's worth the try imo.