347 replies to this topic

[Northernguy]

A word of warning.  In 2017 a friend traveled from Indiana to Kentucky for the eclipse.  Three hours down, twelve hours returning.  All the people who arrived early and late returned at the same time.  It's not going to be a eight hour return drive same day.

Oh boy, does that remind me of going to see the fireworks on the 4th of July in Memphis! What a pain trying to leave!

[kfiscus]

We had bumper-to-bumper traffic from Omaha, Nebraska to Minneapolis, Minnesota.  My wife and I promised each other that we are NEVER returning from an eclipse like that again.  We will just stay put for the rest of the day after totality.  (There are 3 more total solar eclipses that touch the continental US in my lifetime:  2024, 2044, 2045.)

[mcroghan]

I live 35 miles NW of Houston, booked a VRBO in June of 2022. Found a cabin on a ranch 25 miles north of Fredericksburg. Will be there from Sat, Apr 6 - Tue, Apr 9. I plan on the same and hoping for the best. 2017 was the most awesome event I'd ever witnessed, but the traffic in eastern Wyoming was a nightmare.

[Look at the sky 101]

We are. 
 

We are booked for the Discovery Princess.

https://www.cloudyni...-8-2024-thread/

[Chad7531]

I live in the path so I’ll just use a vacation day and stay home and take my chances with the weather.

Oh I forgot to mention what I’ll be observing with. No imaging, just my 10” dob with a full aperture baader film and a 30mm xw. Normally for Solar I like my vixen 30mm npl but I’ll take it a little wider for the eclipse. Should be good enough.

[Rickycardo]

With our motor home any clear skies between Illinois and Texas will do.

[Bryguy]

I will try to go. only a 8 hour drive away, so could do it in one day there and back. This would be my first. What equipment are people thinking they will bring to photograph it, if that is not too much of an off-topic question?

If this is your first, don't really worry about serious astrophotography. Those couple of minutes go by REALLY fast. And, there's to much to take in including the 360 degree sunrise/sunset ring. There will be many top grade photos uploaded on line. 

 

Since I am planning on staying five nights, equipment wise, other than eclipse glasses I am planning on bringing a regular pair of binoculars for the nights, a pair of sunoculars, DSLR w/ a 75-300mm lens, and the Stowaway. For the Stowaway I will also bring a Herschel Wedge and a front mounted Baader Solar filter. I will use the Herschel Wedge up to about 20 to 30 minutes prior to totality and then swap it out for the front mounted filter. That way, at totality, I won't have to work swapping out diagnols and eyepieces, I can just flick the front mounted filter off for a wide field magnified view of the Corona. The DSLR will be fixed to the top of the scope for a few nostalgia pics.

Edited by Bryguy, 30 January 2023 - 11:25 PM.

[jessebear]

Planning to go to Texas this time as the wife has family that will be in the path of totality. We went to Wyoming last time and really enjoyed it. Traffic was interesting on the way home but it was still a very memorable trip. I wasn't into AP at the time, but I'm hoping to do some imaging this time around.

[bladerunner6]

We had bumper-to-bumper traffic from Omaha, Nebraska to Minneapolis, Minnesota.  My wife and I promised each other that we are NEVER returning from an eclipse like that again.  We will just stay put for the rest of the day after totality.  (There are 3 more total solar eclipses that touch the continental US in my lifetime:  2024, 2044, 2045.)

We arrived in Rexburg on Friday, saw the eclipse on Monday and left for Yellowstone on Tuesday.

 

In 1991 over 100 of us were stuck in ORD for hours. Fortunately, we made it to the Viking Serenade in time. The travel agent that chartered the ship as on our plane so we might have been okay anyway.

 

In 2017 we had to return our car rental because the check engine light came on.

 

If you have the resources I highly recommend heading out early and staying put until the eclipse is over.

 

We plan on getting to LA a couple days early for 2024.

 

My mantra is plan for the worst and hope for the best.

[harpo80]

I checked Airbnb- it looks like people in Texas have figured it out.

Yes - but there are still some reasonably priced ones.  We have a place near Boerne reserved.  (And another place for this year's annular, not far away.)

[nicknacknock]

Hi all,

 

I moved the topic to the Total Solar Eclipse 2024 forum

 

Hope weather is good for y’all and you manage to enjoy the eclipse!

[Diana N]

I think it's going to be Shelbyville IN- only about a 7 hour drive, and we've got some relatives there. 

I used to have cousins there, who have now moved to Indianapolis.  Had I realized the path covered that area, I might have risked the clouds and gone to there to see the eclipse, as it would have provided the perfect excuse to visit them.  But I am booked with Sky & Telescope and will be in Texas for the big event.

 

Oh, well, I've purchased eclipse glasses for them, which I will mail to them in early 2024.  Fingers crossed they get clear skies for the event!  None of them are into astronomy, so they've never seen anything like this show!

[gwlee]

I hope so. In the strategy/planning phase now. Enjoyed the 2017 eclipse with a friend, eclipse glasses, and two handheld binoculars, which required a 2,000 mile road trip from CA to OR. Might do something similar for 2024 using the same simple astronomy gear. 

Edited by gwlee, 13 March 2023 - 01:08 PM.

[Diana N]

With total solar eclipses, simple gear is best!  it doesn't get in the way of viewing the eclipse, and is one less thing that can let you down at a crucial moment.  I have a Coronado PST and plan to take it with me to the annular eclipse this fall, but I bought that scope for outreach; if I didn't already have it, I certainly wouldn't be purchasing it for an eclipse.  Eclipse glasses and properly filtered binoculars are all that is really needed for enjoyment.

[xiando]

If by "doing" you mean throwing a party or spending wasting inordinate amounts of money on travel, lousy overpriced carnie food, overpriced hotels, and tee-shirts... (not to mention dealing with "hotspot" traffic jams), no. Emphatically no.

 

But since its path is predicted to be directly overhead, or near enough, IF the weather is 100% conducive, and if I don't find something more interesting to do, then I'll invest a couple of hours. I've seen many eclipses over the years, and frankly speaking, the only real difference was how much of a path-related occlusion there was in evidence. It's an interesting phenomena but I highly doubt I'll learn anything new from yet another one.

 

The coolest one, (IMO) was in the early 1980s, when I had forgotten about it until the day it happened. I was walking down the street when I noticed tiny little images of the partial moon everywhere. Millions of little crescents in varying sizes everywhere I looked. Apparently the tree leaves were acting as pinhole cameras. It was, in 60s gen vernacular, very trippy

Edited by xiando, 13 March 2023 - 02:23 PM.

[flt158]

Wow! Would you believe who I met today in my local swimming pool in Dublin, Ireland?

Yes! A Mexican woman. 

She did not know about the Total Solar Eclipse in 2024, but she gave me plenty of food tips. 

I detest hot chilli sauce. 

So I will be avoiding it 100% during my time in Mexico - including the town where I will be seeing the eclipse: Torreon. 

 

Clear skies from Aubrey.   

[fly2work]

Driving from Blaine WA to Bristol, TX with my Airstream to stay at a friends RV park for 4 days.  Should miss the in/out traffic unlike Wyoming in 2017.  Taking all the kit, but will figure out set up early next year for the best automated pictures as I would rather view the eclipse myself and review pics later.

 

Clear Skies

[snommisbor]

We have a ranch in south Texas that is right in the crossing of both eclipses and we will probably have people there as well. A great dark sky site to boot. 

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[bladerunner6]

I hope so. In the strategy/planning phase now. Enjoyed the 2017 eclipse with a friend, eclipse glasses, and two handheld binoculars, which required a 2,000 mile road trip from CA to OR. Might do something similar for 2024 using the same simple astronomy gear. 

I wouldn’t plan much longer before executing.  Last month’s issue of Astronomy magazine was already an eclipse issue.

 

Locations are already going for a premium.

[Diana N]

I wouldn’t plan much longer before executing.  Last month’s issue of Astronomy magazine was already an eclipse issue.

 

Locations are already going for a premium.

Yes!  Remember, this path crosses straight through the most populated part of the US.  Competition for lodging is going to be fierce (and so is the traffic on eclipse day!).

[Nankins]

Might go to Indianapolis.  I have family that lives there, and it's smack in the center of totality.  It will be much nicer to only have to drive an hour to get to totality.  My family and I were in southern Illinois with some friends in 2017 and it was really neat to watch.

[mogur]

I was just across the border 

 

Might go to Indianapolis.  I have family that lives there, and it's smack in the center of totality.  It will be much nicer to only have to drive an hour to get to totality.  My family and I were in southern Illinois with some friends in 2017 and it was really neat to watch.

I was just across the border from you in Kentucky Dam Campground. It was PACKED but I made my reservation a year ahead of time at the regular price. Very nice campground with the hostess giving out eclipse glasses and bug repellant for free at check in. Didn't even have to get out of my car! Pretty hot but I brought a fan since electricity was there. I stayed an extra day and traffic back to WI was not too bad. It was nice not having to drive somewhere at the last minute to find a spot to observe from. Somewhat lucky in that regard, I guess. This time I plan to visit my sister in Arkansas, who's house is right under totality!

[Nankins]

I was just across the border

I was just across the border from you in Kentucky Dam Campground. It was PACKED but I made my reservation a year ahead of time at the regular price. Very nice campground with the hostess giving out eclipse glasses and bug repellant for free at check in. Didn't even have to get out of my car! Pretty hot but I brought a fan since electricity was there. I stayed an extra day and traffic back to WI was not too bad. It was nice not having to drive somewhere at the last minute to find a spot to observe from. Somewhat lucky in that regard, I guess. This time I plan to visit my sister in Arkansas, who's house is right under totality!

We were in Anna, IL at a church whose ground we got permission to be on. Around the Carbondale area. We had some friends who tried to make it down from Benton County, IN that day but they had to do their chores that morning and only just managed to get to a pull-off about fifteen minutes away from where we were staying before they had to stop because totality was just starting.

[Bill Weir]

We are. 
 

We are booked for the Discovery Princess.

See you there. I’ll be packing a PST and a Questar with white light filter.

 

Bill

[bladerunner6]

See you there. I’ll be packing a PST and a Questar with white light filter.

 

Bill

Good deal! We were lucky to spot this when it became available last August.