Anyone planning to be in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on August 21st? After much discussion, we booked plane tickets and hotel to travel from the D.C. area to Nashville. We realized how long it will be until there is another in the US, and it seems like a really cool thing to experience at least once. I remember we had a total eclipse when I was a kid in overnight camp and they locked us all in a windowless building so we couldn’t look at the sun and go blind! Now that I’m almost 65, I want to make up for it. Eclipse glasses already ordered from Amazon.
Which glasses did u order?
WEBSUN. $10.95 for 10 pair with Prime Shipping. I plan to give the rest away.
That’s move in day for my freshman D. We won’t be near the path but it will still be something fun to experience and talk about that day.
We live less than 2 hours from the full eclipse path and will drive over to see it. Ordered 3 pair of glasses from the eclipse2017 dot org website - price was under $12 and they just arrived yesterday.
Excited to see it!
Yes, I will be in Oregon for the eclipse. It will be our second total eclipse; we were in Eastern Europe for the August 1999 total eclipse.
It’s an amazing experience. Try to get close to the centerline of the path to get the longest period of totality.
These are the glasses I ordered:
https://www.amazon.com/Solar-Eclipse-Glasses-Certified-Viewing/dp/B01N9T9CZL
A key thing is that you wear the glasses to look at the sun up until the time of complete totality. Then you take them off for the 1-2 minutes of totality when you can look directly at the eclipsed sun–all that is visible is the corona. Then as soon as totality is over–when the edge of the sun starts pooping out behind the moon, you have to put the glasses back on.
We’ve had our hotel reservations since Feb. And just last week DS confirmed that he had bought the plane tickets for him and his sister to join us. DH and I are driving… to Boise . Best part is that my brother’s house, where my dad also lives, is 1/2 hr from the totality path. DH also bought the 10 pack of glasses. And some sort of filter to put on the binoculars, but no way I am looking through THOSE!
No I am not excited for it at all…NOT!!!..family reunion is icing on the cake!
The path of totality is only about 20 miles south of me. I have reservations at a campground within the path of totality, and plan to get there the night before. We are hearing very dire warnings about traffic… it may take me quite a while to travel those 20 miles.
I live in NC, but the total zone goes through SC, maybe a 2+ hour drive from here. I have 2 different long ago friends (but we are fb friends) that I have been planning to visit. Both live in SC, in the zone. I should contact one or both and ask if I can visit… on August 21 ! 
I am worried about traffic if we try to make it a daytrip. The full eclipse will be around 2:45 pm, so maybe if we leave early morning. I fear total gridlock.
yes – we have family/friends in the total band and are going to their party 2.5 hours away, pulling kids out of school and D is flying back from her college and missing first day to see it. Why not?? She will miss her physics class, but she’s hoping the prof will understand. very excited.
We are in Columbia SC so in the eclipse zone. Max totality a little south of here, but it is a big deal around here. UofSC delaying freshman move-in from weekend until day after to avoid conflicts with hotels which are pretty full. Most area schools are postponing start date until after or taking part of Monday off. Lots of places giving out free glasses but I got mine from amazon as well.
@NJres An article in paper about preparations mentioned concern that traffic would get fouled up with people pulling off road to see it or being caught unaware. Plus I guess jams as people try to get to spots of totality out at the lake and other rural areas with only two lane roads. Not sure how you could not know about it, but they are also preparing for high volume of 911 from people who don’t know what is happening. B-)
Southern IL University in Carbondale, IL has many planned events for the eclipse and a website.
My D’s work has revolved around event planning for the eclipse for many months. They’re expecting up to 50k people that weekend. I’m hoping to drop S at school the day before and drive to be in her town at eclipse time.
We scheduled a tour at Clemson, which is near the centerline and less than two hours away. D18 will get a free day off HS and we all get to see the eclipse. A twofer!
We’re in the path so don’t have to go anywhere. I might get the glasses but am cognizant that clouds are a possibility.
We could have just gone outside here in Eugene, but I have good friends coming with friends from Germany who have been planning to come to central OR for five years. We said YES when they invited us along. Now with the news about the massive traffic jams expected in central OR (supposedly the best place in the country to watch), I wish I wasn’t going. I’m hoping it will be okay but also dreading it.
I live an hour south of greatest duration for our area and 50 minutes north of the area of greatest totality (Hopkinsville, KY). Best area in the country per all the hype. My community college is having a big viewing event and providing glasses for everyone. We are having an astronaut on campus that day as part of the festivities. I will have to dismiss my 12:30 class and figure out how to make up the class time at some point down the road.
We’ve been hearing about it for over a year, but I’ve just recently been realizing that it’s a bigger deal that I originally thought. We have a lakes area nearby that is expecting lots of campers and local officials are concerned about traffic & other logistical issues. Locals are being advised to fill up with gas & to make a grocery run several days before as the local population is expected to swell significantly. Some local school districts have decided not to have school that day due to transportation issues that afternoon and because many parents might keep their child home that day.
Should be fun!
I wanted to see it in WY and the closest hotel I could find was in Fort Collins, CO, more than 2 hours away! This was months ago. Now, it might all be moot if I’m driving D3 out to college. August is always so up in the air for us.
Have friends who invited us up but I now realize they are “just out of the zone”. From what I can gather you are either “in or out”. Hate to tell them that they aren’t quite close enough and will have to travel a bit.
It is the first day of college for S at K-State so we decided to stay a couple of days after we move him in and drive the hour north to see full eclipse near the Kansas/Nebraska border. After the event we will head back to TX. We got T-shirts and glasses through my work and made the reservations ages ago for move in. I made the reservations longer than I thought I’d need just in case!