The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: Goldielocks on August 09, 2017, 11:53:44 AM
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Hey,
Wondering if anyone here is planning to travel to see the solar eclipse this month? I am debating.. I remember seeing one when I was a kid, but it may not be worth the effort to go see a 100% versus the 75% eclipse I will get at home...
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I'm lucky enough to be able to see 99% coverage from my house, so I'll probably just watch it at home.
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I am taking days off most weeks this summer spreading out my PTO days, but I'm not taking any days off for this. I would have to travel about 5 hours to get to totality - just not worth it to me.
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I'm lucky enough to be able to see 99% coverage from my house, so I'll probably just watch it at home.
Don't!! You will miss the awesomeness of seeing the sun's corona that you get only at 100%. I've never seen it, but I hear its worth it, and some people are traveling across countries to be in the path of totality. You're so close you might as well drive the hour to see it.
Otherwise, 99% isn't really much different than 80%...you will just see the sun get covered up.
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For us it would be about a 8 hour drive, so 16 hours round trip.
At about 60mph and getting 20mpg, it would cost $144 just in gasoline, and that is if we did not stay overnight in the places which I am sure are already booked up.
$144/ 2min = $4300 an hour entertainment.
Too expensive.
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For us it would be about a 8 hour drive, so 16 hours round trip.
At about 60mph and getting 20mpg, it would cost $144 just in gasoline, and that is if we did not stay overnight in the places which I am sure are already booked up.
$144/ 2min = $4300 an hour entertainment.
Too expensive.
What if you amortize it over a lifetime (if you only get to see it once)? Unless you're in the totality path of the 2024 eclipse...
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For us it would be about a 8 hour drive, so 16 hours round trip.
At about 60mph and getting 20mpg, it would cost $144 just in gasoline, and that is if we did not stay overnight in the places which I am sure are already booked up.
$144/ 2min = $4300 an hour entertainment.
Too expensive.
What if you amortize it over a lifetime (if you only get to see it once)? Unless you're in the totality path of the 2024 eclipse...
Well, it happens like once every 18 months somewhere on earth so there could be other chances to mix a nice vacation to someplace new along with seeing it. Right now it would be a trip to southern Idaho or Oregon which we have been to a lot. I might get a bit more excited if the trip was to Venice.
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https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/off-topic/eclipse-chasers-2017/
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I considered traveling to the US last autumn and combine it with a summer vacation and seeing some national parcs). Then Trump was elected and made the trip unattractive. My DH is very sceptic to visiting the US at all. I had just been able to trigger him with fly fishing in Montana! Only 8 hours driving from a place with totallity. But Trump just made it worse. Of course I should have travelled to Svalbard last year, but I didn't find out about it until too late. And there is always the polar bear issue...
Yes, there is always a new eclipse, at leat in near future, but they are not always above land and if above land, not always in a "normal" country that you could travel too. The good thing about the US eclipse is that it crosses the whole continent. If the place where you planned to be has a wrong weather forecast, you can drive to another location. And it passed some places with a good sunny climate.
In the far future there will be no total eclpises, as the moon is slowly moving further away from Earth and getting smaller from our perspective and therefore not totally covering the sun. We will probably not live to see this.
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We decided last minute (2 weeks ago) to go for it. The 2024 eclipse will be kind of late in the day; in Texas I think totality is almost 7pm in April. That doesn't seem like a good time to view it.
My wife's family lives in the direct path of the center line, so we'll double dip and get a family visit in.
Honestly, this almost feels like a once in a lifetime chance. When you factor in time of day, time of year, weather, and location (how many of those 18 month periods are over the ocean?), I'm not sure how likely it is we'd see it again. And this is probably by far the "cheapest" option we'll ever have.
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I am closest to the Idaho & Wyoming portion of the eclipse path. That part of the country doesn't really have roads or infrastructure designed for big numbers of people. Seems like it could be an epic traffic jam for an hour or two of "hey neat".
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I am closest to the Idaho & Wyoming portion of the eclipse path. That part of the country doesn't really have roads or infrastructure designed for big numbers of people. Seems like it could be an epic traffic jam tailgate party for an hour or two of "hey neat".
Fixed.
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I'm in the path of totality.
Greenville SC! I'll probably just step outside at work for a few minutes. Nothing super planned.
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I live in the totality zone, but I'm taking a vacation day to drive about 20 minutes south to be on the center line. I've been planning this for months...to the point of pretty much asking someone I know to host an event at their house on the center line. Super-excited about it!!!
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We're in St. Louis and only about 45 minutes north of the path of totality but we're heading to SIU Carbondale in Southern Illinois to watch in their stadium. They are offering indoor camping at their rec center and NASA will have a good set up there. Not only will we be able to witness this eclipse, we'll be able to watch the next one from the same spot-AWESOMENESS! (also I figure that since NASA is going to be there and that anytime there is anything cool going on in the sky it is cloudy here, there will be videos from where it isn't cloudy). Totally worth the couple of hundred $ for my NASA obsessed daughter--and me as well.
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I'm going to be camped on the AT hiking Standing Indian Mountain loop.
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Planned a trip with my daughter to go from Fl. to Michigan to visit relatives.
We will stop at White House Tennessee for the eclipse.
I suspect the Walmart parking lot will be packed.
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DH and I are taking a road trip into the path of totality and then will be camping overnight. That way we can split the long drive up over 2 days - one way one day, one way the next. We'll be car camping (meaning using our Prius as a tent) at a campsite so it'll be a quite Mustachian trip.
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My wife and I have been planning a long weekend at a HomeAway lake rental in southern Illinois in the area of max totality. Our sons, daughter-in-laws and first grandson will all be joining us. We are looking forward to a once in a lifetime experience (although uniquely there will be another total eclipse in the same area in 7 or 8 years.
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Wife and I are flying to Boise then driving into the path of totality. Super Excited about it, but I'm a nerd.
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For us it would be about a 8 hour drive, so 16 hours round trip.
At about 60mph and getting 20mpg, it would cost $144 just in gasoline, and that is if we did not stay overnight in the places which I am sure are already booked up.
$144/ 2min = $4300 an hour entertainment.
Too expensive.
My 5 hour is one way to a more preferred spot in the middle of the totality zone, but if I drive out to the middle of no where, I could get to the edge of the totality range in 3 hours. But it's a lot easier for me stay in town and settle for 95% where I live. I don't get too excited about these things, regardless of how rare they are.
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I'm in the path of totality.
Greenville SC! I'll probably just step outside at work for a few minutes. Nothing super planned.
Lucky you!
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I'm doing a long road trip/car camping from SoCal to Canada via the Eastern Sierras and Cascades so hope to time it so I can be somewhere (uncrowded!) to see it. Just not sure where that will be yet but somewhere remote-ish.
Just make sure you buy your eclipse glasses on time. I once was too late, during a partial eclipse and then you'll need to improvise with garbage bags or parts of floppy disks. Eclipse glasses are so much more convenient and safer.
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I am closest to the Idaho & Wyoming portion of the eclipse path. That part of the country doesn't really have roads or infrastructure designed for big numbers of people. Seems like it could be an epic traffic jam tailgate party for an hour or two of "hey neat".
Fixed.
Well done!
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My partner and I are making at 10+ hr drive (one way) to see it. Fortunately we have friends who live in the totality zone, so we'll be staying for free. Just the gas cost, a few bucks for the glasses (already bought), and two days off work! Plus getting to see friends we don't see often enough. I'm stoked.
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I'm planning a trip to St. Louis to see the eclipse with my S.O. Parts of St. Louis are on the very outer edge of where the total eclipse will be visible, although we may decide to travel closer to the center of the path. Super excited! While I have booked a hotel, split between two people it won't be that expensive. Plus I booked it quite some time ago, so it wasn't overly expensive.
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My finance's parents are in the totality path so we are heading down to SC to watch it with them! The timing is horribly inconvenient for us but we're doing it anyway because it's a lifetime event :-)
It's about a 4 hour drive for us but we have a place to stay so that makes the travel plans easier!
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In seattle so will see about 91.4% of it covered.
Bought glasses for my co-workers in my dept. (6 of us). We're going to wear our company t-shirts and watch it and get our picture taken for the company newsletter
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it's a 5 hour drive to totality for me....an that's with no traffic. Since it's on a Monday, I don't want to burn a day off to drive all day long. Maybe in the future I'll plan it better.
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I am closest to the Idaho & Wyoming portion of the eclipse path. That part of the country doesn't really have roads or infrastructure designed for big numbers of people. Seems like it could be an epic traffic jam for an hour or two of "hey neat".
They also said it could overload cell service, gas stations might run out of gas etc.
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I'll be driving, I don't mind the time / cost, it is something I want to see.
I found somewhere I wanted to go to anyway that is in the path, so hopefully win-win.
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I'm in the path of totality.
Greenville SC! I'll probably just step outside at work for a few minutes. Nothing super planned.
Lucky you!
I guess I am pretty lucky. I actually have an empty house im remodeling in the path of totality and 8 miles from the exact middle of it. I considered seeing if anyone is interested in staying there but IDK if anyone would want to. Its pretty gutted atm. All it has is a toilet, sink and tub/shower combo. Electric , hvac and water are all on though. I wouldnt charge much.. Probably like 20$ to cover changing the lockset.
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Assuming I haven't died or moved away, my city will be in totality in 2045! Sweet!
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If you know anyone with a polarized welding mask, I used one to view an eclipse about 6 years ago. It worked great. I just needed to put in a new battery I already had in a drawer.
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I'm in the path of totality.
Greenville SC! I'll probably just step outside at work for a few minutes. Nothing super planned.
Lucky you!
I guess I am pretty lucky. I actually have an empty house im remodeling in the path of totality and 8 miles from the exact middle of it. I considered seeing if anyone is interested in staying there but IDK if anyone would want to. Its pretty gutted atm. All it has is a toilet, sink and tub/shower combo. Electric , hvac and water are all on though. I wouldnt charge much.. Probably like 20$ to cover changing the lockset.
That's a steal. I bet someone would be interested for a lot more. They would just need to bring a blow up mattress. Heck, I might even be interested but I'm not deciding where to go until the day before, and Columbia is closer to me depending on weather.
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I guess I am pretty lucky. I actually have an empty house im remodeling in the path of totality and 8 miles from the exact middle of it. I considered seeing if anyone is interested in staying there but IDK if anyone would want to. Its pretty gutted atm. All it has is a toilet, sink and tub/shower combo. Electric , hvac and water are all on though. I wouldnt charge much.. Probably like 20$ to cover changing the lockset.
I read about a lady on the west coast who is charging $1,500/couple to camp in her front field and is totally booked. You should consider throwing it out there!
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Started planning for this almost a year ago when I learned of it. Will be in the Wind River Range in Wyoming, square in the path of totality (@2:30mins of darkness). Through a lot of research I found a beautiful, remote peak (@20miles from the trailhead) with an obscure, but reportedly good quality, technical climbing route on it. Plan is to get an alpine start and be on top ready to experience and film the event. I leave next week -- can't wait!
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I'm doing a long road trip/car camping from SoCal to Canada via the Eastern Sierras and Cascades so hope to time it so I can be somewhere (uncrowded!) to see it. Just not sure where that will be yet but somewhere remote-ish.
Just make sure you buy your eclipse glasses on time. I once was too late, during a partial eclipse and then you'll need to improvise with garbage bags or parts of floppy disks. Eclipse glasses are so much more convenient and safer.
I do have them already. I've also got a telescope with a solar filter. If you're going to geek out, geek out all the way ;-). Had them for years and use to have a camera I could mount on the telescope for a bit of astrophotography but lost that and never replaced it. I use to belong to a local amateur astronomy club so do tend to get geekish about this stuff.
I am also an amateure astronomer. :-) I just need to get through a period of abstinence each summer. I do watch the sun sometimes through my filter.
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I'm lucky enough to be able to see 99% coverage from my house, so I'll probably just watch it at home.
Don't!! You will miss the awesomeness of seeing the sun's corona that you get only at 100%. I've never seen it, but I hear its worth it, and some people are traveling across countries to be in the path of totality. You're so close you might as well drive the hour to see it.
Otherwise, 99% isn't really much different than 80%...you will just see the sun get covered up.
Okay, you convinced me.
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I'm going up to Idaho to see it. I know traffic will be a nightmare, but it's something I really want to see, and I don't know that it'll ever be this convenient for me again (in terms of timing, work flexibility, and so forth).
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I intend to propose to my girlfriend during the eclipse. My family is in the 100% zone, so we are driving down there.
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No vacation, but my TV station has to do extra on-air coverage, since we're so close to the path of totality. Hopefully it's not cloudy that day.
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For those coming to eastern Oregon and western Idaho, how is the air quality?
We are in north eastern Washington and every day has been sunny except it looks like the sun through a San Francisco fog because of all of the wildfire smoke from Canada. I hope it does not shift that far south because it would somewhat dampen the experience.
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We are driving from western CO to central WY to see it. We have an option to camp at someone's place in Riverton, or we may go to some public lands in the Wind River Mtns. I got a new job recently and I immediately asked for the 21st & 22nd off for this event. Driving up there on Saturday to beat the traffic. Driving home on Tuesday.
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I'm going! Took off the entire week. Traveling from DC to my Dad's place in Asheville, NC. Will drive an hour south (somewhere around Greenville, SC) on the 21st to get into the totality zone.
Waited too long to order glasses and couldn't find any reasonably priced, but finally scored 4 pairs at Lowe's of all places. $1.98 each.
John
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I'm flying to St Louis to see it, but I wanted to visit there anyway so two birds. Got my airbnb for a good price because #advanceplanning, I'm just glad I didn't rent my car from Hertz. :/
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I intend to propose to my girlfriend during the eclipse. My family is in the 100% zone, so we are driving down there.
That will be awesome. Good luck!
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For those coming to eastern Oregon and western Idaho, how is the air quality?
We are in north eastern Washington and every day has been sunny except it looks like the sun through a San Francisco fog because of all of the wildfire smoke from Canada. I hope it does not shift that far south because it would somewhat dampen the experience.
Currently? God awful. I live in the Valley (over the cascades, so more west), and the haze is thick enough you can stare at the sun without sunglasses, lol. Over east it's even worse, depending on where you are (bend, bad. Really far east, supposed to be okay). Supposedly it'll be improving some this weekend though? It'll all depend on the wildfires though, and what happens with them.
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I'm only 100 miles from totality, so it's just a day trip for me.
My sister's house will get totality, but she's going on family vacation to FL. WTF?
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Not going, but a friend is. It's been fun helping them plan. Their daughter lives very close to the line in Oregon, but getting there is gonna be a bitch and they can't leave any earlier than they are. So far, they're renting a Prius, in case gas is hard to find. They'll be carrying camping supplies + extra water just in case they can't get there easily. They're not really hard-core campers, but they have enough gear to make it do-able. Close enough for me, sigh. Maybe next time.
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My sister's house will get totality, but she's going on family vacation to FL. WTF?
REALLY bad planning.
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My sister's house will get totality, but she's going on family vacation to FL. WTF?
REALLY bad planning.
I guess she could rent out her house for a really good price.
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I'll be on my honeymoon and in Seattle the day of the eclipse. So I'll see 93% I think. We are flying out that night otherwise I would totally drive down to Oregon to see totality.
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My sister's house will get totality, but she's going on family vacation to FL. WTF?
REALLY bad planning.
I guess she could rent out her house for a really good price.
I guess she just doesn't care.
I ought to mention how much she could rent it out for. She's on the outskirts of Nashville, so I'm guessing that makes it extra popular since that's probably the most popular tourist spot in the path of totality.
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I'm going to be camped on the AT hiking Standing Indian Mountain loop.
We plan to be very near by. Is it possible that the AT trail and the mountains will be crowded?
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It sounds awesome, I still remember one in the UK, must have been about 20 years ago.....
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My library got 1,000 pair of eclipse glasses to distribute. We have taken nothing but abuse because we limited them to one pair per person. Every teacher believed we should give them a class set, every person believed we should give them 6 or 8 for their family. Now that we have run out we are still receiving 15-20 phone calls per hour asking about them, and that number goes up daily. Our city will see only 80% obscuration. I am much less excited than I was a few months ago!
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I'm going to be camped on the AT hiking Standing Indian Mountain loop.
We plan to be very near by. Is it possible that the AT trail and the mountains will be crowded?
It's going to be crowded. The Smokies will be the worst. I'm parking Saturday and hiking in 20 miles to my spot. The roads will be full.
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I live in the path of totality. Several friends are coming to visit. This group gets together every summer, but we chose this weekend and my place specifically for the eclipse.
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I just got my glasses - from the museum (they have free street parking on Sundays).
The libraries will have some for free - but won't give them out until the 21st.
I'm in southern WI. I will drive south the morning of the 21st. I'll stop for an early lunch and then find a parking spot when the eclipse starts or the traffic gets on my nerves. I figure I'll be in south-central iLL, for very near to totality.
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I'm going to be camped on the AT hiking Standing Indian Mountain loop.
We plan to be very near by. Is it possible that the AT trail and the mountains will be crowded?
It's going to be crowded. The Smokies will be the worst. I'm parking Saturday and hiking in 20 miles to my spot. The roads will be full.
The Smokies are a bad bet for the eclipse. They're called the Smokies because all the humidity in the South in the summer goes up the mountains and condenses as fog and mist. I spent a few days hiking there in the summer several years ago and never saw the sun once. When I drove home, the minute I got out of the mountains it was clear as a bell.
I'm planning to watch from the edge of the Cumberland Plateau.
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Am I the only one that would be worried about planning a significant trip for this, to see something that is at its peak for about 2 minutes, when the weather is so unpredictable in the summer? I love science and astronomy very much, and will watch the partial eclipse from where I am, but I don't just don't really get the allure of going significantly out of my way to see totality. If you've got friends to stay with or other things to do, that's cool, but I'd hesitate travelling for hours based on something that could be ruined by something as simple a few big puffy clouds, never mind storms, on an otherwise nice day...
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Am I the only one that would be worried about planning a significant trip for this, to see something that is at its peak for about 2 minutes, when the weather is so unpredictable in the summer? I love science and astronomy very much, and will watch the partial eclipse from where I am, but I don't just don't really get the allure of going significantly out of my way to see totality. If you've got friends to stay with or other things to do, that's cool, but I'd hesitate travelling for hours based on something that could be ruined by something as simple a few big puffy clouds, never mind storms, on an otherwise nice day...
I'm worried too, which is why I'm deciding where to go a day or two in advance, from the Charlotte NC area.
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I'm planning to see it. Going to Myrtle beach which is not in totality, but can drive 50 miles south to within totality. So we will take a day trip south for totality, but otherwise enjoy the amenities.
As far as the planning and cost, the only eclipse I've seen was a partial one when I was a kid, and there was a huge amount of excitement for that, and I remember at the time, someone saying that it wouldn't be for like another 50 years before another one. And thinking I would def try to catch it next time. Yes, the weather may spoil it but it is worth the attempt and I'm not spending thousands on a trip to view it.
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I'm in the 98% totality area. I am leaving work early and pulling my kids out of school. We are having a mini solar eclipse party with some friends in a park near us.
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Am I the only one that would be worried about planning a significant trip for this, to see something that is at its peak for about 2 minutes, when the weather is so unpredictable in the summer? I love science and astronomy very much, and will watch the partial eclipse from where I am, but I don't just don't really get the allure of going significantly out of my way to see totality. If you've got friends to stay with or other things to do, that's cool, but I'd hesitate travelling for hours based on something that could be ruined by something as simple a few big puffy clouds, never mind storms, on an otherwise nice day...
That's why I decided to make it a hiking + camping trip. If I can't see the eclipse... well, I'll be disappointed, but I won't be driving hours to do *only* that. There are definitely people who seem to be driving hours just to see something that only lasts a few minutes. Not worth it to me.
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Just a little heads up for anyone interested. There are still campsites available (20X20 & 20X40) in Madras Oregon at the airport. They opened up 1,500 spots in April and I just booked one today. Madras is in the dead center of totality. I paid about $160 for my 20X40 Spot (we are bringing a tent trailer). Hope to see some of you there!
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My house is just out of the totality band, totality at my office for 43 seconds. I don't really care about it much at all though.
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Just a little heads up for anyone interested. There are still campsites available (20X20 & 20X40) in Madras Oregon at the airport. They opened up 1,500 spots in April and I just booked one today. Madras is in the dead center of totality. I paid about $160 for my 20X40 Spot (we are bringing a tent trailer). Hope to see some of you there!
Purchased Daytripper parking at Madras Airport last night! We'll be driving from Eugene on Sunday and heading out to Vancouver, WA after the eclipse! This will be my first total solar eclipse, but I'm already making plans to be in Texas in Monday 8 April 2024 (DW's sister is in the path). I don't know where the earlier poster got info, but Texas will see maximum eclispe about 1:30 pm. 2024 will have longer totality (3.5 minutes at DW's sister's place, but that's still quite a ways from the centerline), so I'm thinking of this eclipse as a preview.
For the person who thought making an eclipse part of a vacation - Austraila will get a nice long eclipse in 2028 - path goes right through Sydney, but other side of the continent gets the eclipse closer to midday. We'll see if we make plans to go there.
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My son is driving to Missouri for the festivities. I remember seeing a total eclipse as a kid during the early 1980s. I looked at it through a welder's helmet.
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Where I live we will get 58% coverage I think, should still be pretty cool. I'd love to see a full eclipse but I don't think I'd go too far out of my way for it, and this year it wasn't really possible by the time I found out about it. I did see the lunar eclipse last time that happened here, that was neat too.
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I remember seeing a total eclipse as a kid during the early 1980s. I looked at it through a welder's helmet.
Perhaps 26 Feb 1979 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_February_26,_1979)?
At the time I think welder's glass was thought to be dark enough, but generaly that's not considered safe today.
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I plan to see the totality somewhere remote in Idaho on my way to Canada, since I'll be nearby anyhow. Should be a unique experience!
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In my area (in the totality zone), they're scaring the hell out of people about the impending doom of traffic. They might as well call it carmageddon....saying it's going to take 6 hours to get somewhere that normally takes 20 minutes.
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FYI that if you have some spare eclipse glasses (because you bullied your local library into providing them) you can sell them on Ebay for a solid profit.
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In my area (in the totality zone), they're scaring the hell out of people about the impending doom of traffic. They might as well call it carmageddon....saying it's going to take 6 hours to get somewhere that normally takes 20 minutes.
They said the same thing to us in NW Washington leading up to the Vancouver olympics... hardly noticed.
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In my area (in the totality zone), they're scaring the hell out of people about the impending doom of traffic. They might as well call it carmageddon....saying it's going to take 6 hours to get somewhere that normally takes 20 minutes.
They said the same thing to us in NW Washington leading up to the Vancouver olympics... hardly noticed.
Good. That's what I'm hoping.
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Noticed that this hadn't be responded to since the eclipse.
We traveled from California to Illinois and would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat for that 2 minutes and 30 seconds of totality.
It's hard to even use words to describe it, but we'll definitely be attempting to see the one in 2024. We're also planning on telling as many people as possible so that they don't miss out!
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There's another eclipse thread that folks are responding in the "off topic" section.
Much of the traffic hype was just hype, but we did hit some heavy traffic on the way back. It was absolutely worth it to make the 1/2 day car trip to Oregon and camp a couple nights. Really quite fun. I got some great photos despite not having a proper camera or filters. My makeshift filter of the lens of eclipse glasses worked good enough.
I wrote about the experience and put some of my photos at my blog...
https://thehotflashpacker.com/eclipse-2017/
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Well, I got up at 4am and drove 2.5 hours to a trailhead that was already crowded when I got there, hiked ~8 miles to a perfect viewing spot with a forecast of clear blue skies, only to have a torrential rain roll in out of nowhere right before it started and last until it was over. I got a very brief glimpse (less than 10 seconds) of totality and the "diamond ring" when the clouds momentarily thinned around the sun.
Still worth it.
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We traveled about 45 minutes south to the center totality line. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. I mean, I figured it would be a pretty cool thing to see, and I've been excited/planning for this for a couple of years, but damn, it far exceeded my expectations. I got 2 minutes and 36 seconds of totality and was in awe for all of it. I also enjoyed the partial eclipse time before and after the totality.
My biggest regret? Selling my extra glasses for $15 a piece. I am not at all proud of doing that and am debating whether I want to get in touch with the buyers again to refund most of that money. I got caught up in the idea of making a profit, but it was from other people's desperation, and that's not the spirit of the event.
Truly looking forward to the next total solar eclipse in the area in 2024. I joked with my manager today and asked her if it was too soon to request that day off. (We'll both be long retired by then if things go as planned.)
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We traveled about 45 minutes south to the center totality line. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. I mean, I figured it would be a pretty cool thing to see, and I've been excited/planning for this for a couple of years, but damn, it far exceeded my expectations. I got 2 minutes and 36 seconds of totality and was in awe for all of it. I also enjoyed the partial eclipse time before and after the totality.
My biggest regret? Selling my extra glasses for $15 a piece. I am not at all proud of doing that and am debating whether I want to get in touch with the buyers again to refund most of that money. I got caught up in the idea of making a profit, but it was from other people's desperation, and that's not the spirit of the event.
Truly looking forward to the next total solar eclipse in the area in 2024. I joked with my manager today and asked her if it was too soon to request that day off. (We'll both be long retired by then if things go as planned.)
Don't kill yourself over how much you sold your glasses for. They are probably very happy to get them! $15 to see something that's so rare is a small price to pay and they probably spent a lot more on gas in their SUVs. ;)
I ended up driving over 3 hours each way to see it. I could have gone to an area that was closer, about an hour or so away, but we had a friend to stay with in the other city and the weather looked like it was better there. No regrets. We definitely panicked about the clouds leading up to it, but it was clear during totality!
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We traveled about 45 minutes south to the center totality line. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced. I mean, I figured it would be a pretty cool thing to see, and I've been excited/planning for this for a couple of years, but damn, it far exceeded my expectations. I got 2 minutes and 36 seconds of totality and was in awe for all of it. I also enjoyed the partial eclipse time before and after the totality.
My biggest regret? Selling my extra glasses for $15 a piece. I am not at all proud of doing that and am debating whether I want to get in touch with the buyers again to refund most of that money. I got caught up in the idea of making a profit, but it was from other people's desperation, and that's not the spirit of the event.
Truly looking forward to the next total solar eclipse in the area in 2024. I joked with my manager today and asked her if it was too soon to request that day off. (We'll both be long retired by then if things go as planned.)
Don't kill yourself over how much you sold your glasses for. They are probably very happy to get them! $15 to see something that's so rare is a small price to pay and they probably spent a lot more on gas in their SUVs. ;)
I ended up driving over 3 hours each way to see it. I could have gone to an area that was closer, about an hour or so away, but we had a friend to stay with in the other city and the weather looked like it was better there. No regrets. We definitely panicked about the clouds leading up to it, but it was clear during totality!
I got in touch with one of my buyers last night and offered him all of his money back. He understood where I was coming from, but said he got a heck of a show for $15. He suggested donating the money to a charity, and since that idea was already in the back of my mind, I did exactly that with all my profit from the glasses, plus a bit more. I feel a lot better now.
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We stepped outside onto our patio to watch the eclipse. There were actually things to do in town last weekend. We'll be in the path of totality again for the 08 Apr 2024 eclipse too only next time it's supposed to be a lot longer.
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I drove from Panama City Florida to make the viewing in White House Tennessee. Scoped it out as an easy off, easy on exit with a Walmart just off the exit. Also several restaurants within walking distance.
We arrived two hours early to find the Walmart parking lot full of motor homes and tents with lots of telescopes setup. I drove towards the rear of the store and there it was, one rather large parallel
parking spot. I was a bit confused why it was open, but I took it.
We walked to a Mexican restaurant and had a good meal. All the stafflooked to be Mexican and none had any eclipse glasses. One guy kept trying to look, he didn't find it easy! I had picked up two extra pair of eclipse glasses so I gave them to the one of the staff, so they kept trading the glasses back and forth.
After lunch we went back to the car, put a blanket up over the
windshield, opened the sunroof, and adjusted our seats. We just happened to pick a local radio station that was playing eclipse music, anything to do with the sun or moon.
We got out of the car shortly before totality, the temperature dropped, and at totality the crowd came to life with a loud owww! Just as totality started ,the radio station played
"Dark side of the moon", by Pink Floyd. It was all very cool to watch, I think we had over two minutes of totality. I could see Mars and some pink areas in three
spots around the halo.
We didn't watch long after totality, I had an easy exit from the Walmart parking lot, within 2 minutes I was on the highway again headed North to visit family in Michigan.
The highway was running fine until, each highwayentrance had traffic entering so
it wasn't long and it was very slow. I'm traveling with my 25 year old daughter, she has an app going, and told me you need to get off the highway up here and take the back roads it will be much faster. Then after 15 or 20 miles, she said, OK this will be getting slower, so you need to get back on the highway. After that we had about 10 minutes of slow traffic and we were clear of the jam up.
We arrived in Michigan to my sisters house late Monday night. She's been without hot water for (to long) so Tuesday I replaced her water heater. But that is another story!
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I traveled to Borah Peak located in the lost river range of southeastern Idaho stands as the highest peak in the state at over 12.5K feet. This peak is among the state high points of significance and my 10th state high point summited successfully. While not the hardest or most technical, 5200 feet of gain in 3.5 miles is not for the faint of heart. To summit this peak, the highest point anywhere in the country by GPS coordinates along the #solareclipse totality path, on what may prove to be a once in a lifetime event 8.21.2017, was one of the most memorable things done in my life to date. While one can view pictures online, and even experience a partial eclipse, nothing quite prepares you for the assault on your senses of being there. You cannot quite anticipate the true difference between 99% and 100%; you cannot fully prepare for the event horizon racing toward you at nearly two thousand miles an hour as you stare in wonder from the highest point in over two hundred miles.
Conceptually, one understands that it is cooler in the shade, but to experience a bone chilling 15-20 degree drop above 12K feet at the moment the wall of darkness hits, while staring at what appears to be a continuous 360 degree circle of otherworldly blazing twilight on the horizon, shatters ones expectations. To stare with the naked eye at the coronal emanations from behind the perfect eclipse for a 2:12 window, while hundreds of likeminded people with a passion for life gasp and celebrate triumphantly their brief glimpse into the heavens, reminds me of what it means to live...yes all the while laughing when we were at times eclipsed by bodies other than those celestial.
We were lucky, we were blessed. We were thousands of feet closer that day than any other humans; thousands of feet above a layer of smoke from Montana based wildfires; granted stunningly clear atmospheric conditions, a perfectly cloudless and windless day, a fortune ours, and not guaranteed any. I made some meaningful connections this 36 hours, and it was a powerful reminder to do what you love and savor your window of life...
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Nice, WYOGO. Sounds like a fantastic experience!
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I live just outside St. Louis, and luckily, my work was in the totality spectrum. A couple of my friends were in town from Louisville completely by coincidence (they were looking at places to move to in our area). So, I blocked off a couple hours on my schedule, ordered a pizza and walked out about 30 minutes before it happened. Walked to the top of the parking garage and watched it there with my friends. Traffic was a nightmare of course though. And I had a harder time getting home on Sunday before the eclipse because all the flights were overbooked.
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I cannot imagine anything more Mustachian than figuring out how to not need the Sun. Silly Consumer Suckas who need light and heat...
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I watched the eclipse from the rim of an extinct volcano in Idaho, and it was amazing. Totally worth putting up with a little bit of traffic and paying $35 to camp on a farmer's harvested hay field for the weekend. Afterwards, everyone at all of the neighboring campsites was talking about how they now really want to go to the total eclipse in 2024. Two minutes just isn't enough time to take in all of the amazing aspects of totality -- the corona, the 360 degree sunset effect, the planets visible in daytime (I saw Mercury!), the ominous shadow of the event horizon, and everything else. It exceeded my expectations for sure.
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You cannot quite anticipate the true difference between 99% and 100%; you cannot fully prepare for the event horizon racing toward you at nearly two thousand miles an hour as you stare in wonder from the highest point in over two hundred miles.
I've been pretty disappointed this week hearing the amount of people saying they were unimpressed by the eclipse based on being in partial eclipse areas. Well no kidding! I'd be shocked if any of them were even able to tell it was an eclipse based on what I saw prior to C2 and after C3 with having eclipse glasses (which no one around here had).
I try to tell them that totality is incredible and that they should make every effort to see it in 2024. But they just say, "Well, this one sucked." It's really an all or nothing thing. Seeing a 99% eclipse doesn't check the box. That 1% of the sun is incredibly powerful.
I'd say there's actually a good parallel between this and the "why bother saving for retirement" people.
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On Sunday before the appointed day I drove 310 miles north to the center stripe of the event in central Nebraska, just west of Grand Island.
No one I knew wanted to go along. I offered.
I knew the local geography from having been there as a harvest hand years before. There was precisely no apparent crowding on any of the highways and none in the towns that I could see.
I car camped in my station wagon on the BNSF right of way with no trouble except it was kind of stuffy in the car and noisy from the continuous round of coal trains hauling to and from all night long.
On the morning of, the roadside started to see some traffic in to set up for observation. from what I saw of the revelers, it was pretty much a 100% white people's thing-- a lot like central Nebraska all the time to be honest.
I lit out for the sand hills north of town and set up in a sand quarry at the crest of a ridge with good high views of broad valley to the south.
Waited out the partial eclipse- I had seen that before and knew it would not be exciting-- at totality it was as if someone had turned down a dimmer switch to minimum and the various effects people have reported all over came on. It was quite spectacular but not the most amazing scene I have ever seen. Some airborne sights and typhoons at sea I've seen were more amazing, but it was very worth the drive.
Then I got in the car and drove home. There were no crowds, saw a few motor homes on the
road, but nothing like something really significant to mankind, a University of Nebraska athletic contest for example, was or had occured
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You cannot quite anticipate the true difference between 99% and 100%; you cannot fully prepare for the event horizon racing toward you at nearly two thousand miles an hour as you stare in wonder from the highest point in over two hundred miles.
I've been pretty disappointed this week hearing the amount of people saying they were unimpressed by the eclipse based on being in partial eclipse areas. Well no kidding! I'd be shocked if any of them were even able to tell it was an eclipse based on what I saw prior to C2 and after C3 with having eclipse glasses (which no one around here had).
I try to tell them that totality is incredible and that they should make every effort to see it in 2024. But they just say, "Well, this one sucked." It's really an all or nothing thing. Seeing a 99% eclipse doesn't check the box. That 1% of the sun is incredibly powerful.
Exactly! 99% of totality is closer to 10% totality than it is to 100% totality.