8 replies to this topic

[AdirondackAstro]

I live in Plattsburgh and enjoyed the total eclipse by myself in my yard in the company of my dog, but I could hear the crowd at the city beach and the music the band played. On our local facebook group someone posted something negative about "how about some pictures of all the garbage left behind?" And this is where the thank you comes from. You all did an amazing job of picking up after yourselves. Our own locals cause much more litter during the 4th of July and during the re-enactment of the battle of Plattsburgh. I have always said that a large crowd of astronomers is the least of your worries when it comes to littering and damaging property, and you all have proven me correct.

 

Also if you did visit our little city I hope you enjoyed it, the lake, and the nearby Adirondack mountains. I know our city doesn't have a ton to do here like other larger cities, but I hope that some of you found it inviting enough to visit again especially in summer when it is a bit more lively. 

 

If you visited Plattsburgh for totality I'd love to hear what you thought of our area and how the city handled the influx of visitors. 

 

Thanks again for visiting and hope you all had a wonderful time and safe travels back home! 

[Joe Bergeron]

I was in Plattsburgh for the eclipse, but not right in town. I chose May Currier Park, along with maybe 40 others, mostly locals I think. That worked out well, though I found the traffic patterns around the Target and other stores a bit confusing. 

[mikepier]

My family and I stayed in Plattsburgh. We enjoyed the town sites. One of them was Valcour Brewing where we had dinner one night and got to see a bit of history with the barracks from the 1800's, right off Lake Champlain.

 

A few hours before the eclipse we went to have lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and noticed all the people set up in the Walmart parking lot across the street. I wonder how they got out after it was over.

 

We watched from our hotel parking lot, the Marriot, which was just west of the entrance ramp to I-87. As soon as the eclipse ended, we packed and bolted, and was on I-87 within a minute.

 

Plattsburgh was my first choice to view the eclipse due to its proximity to Long Island. I'm glad the weather cooperated. This was my second eclipse.

[StarBurger]

Also a Plattsburgh resident. I watched from my front lawn and was pleased to see a good number of visitors, many of whom stopped by to look at my setup.

I was impressed as well at the lack of littering. 

One shameful oversight by the city was the lack of porta potties. Usually they are put out during 4th July and re-enactment weekends.

I personally and reluctantly had to refuse a request from a visitor and his family to use my home facilities.

It was very upsetting.

[Cliff C]

My wife, I and a college buddy all watched the eclipse from the parking lot at our hotel (LaQuinta). We hade a great time viewing the eclipse!

Unfortunately we did not have the time to take advantage of sightseeing nor the steakhouse across the way.

[Wolfwatcher]

My wife and I visited Plattsburgh for this event and watched from the field house of Plattsburgh State, along with many others. We took short drives around the lakeshore and ate in a downtown restaurant while there for two nights. The city was very accommodating we thought. Kudos to the university for having the field house open, along with bathrooms! The grounds were perfect to spread out lawn chairs, scopes, etc. Much appreciated and most welcoming.

 

Jett

[Nicole Sharp]

How was the weather in Plattsburgh?  I was staying in Malone but the weather forecast said partly cloudy in Malone and Plattsburgh so I drove over to Vermont instead.

 

Did anyone go to Point au Roche?  That was originally my alternate site for New York.

[Wolfwatcher]

Nicole,

 

Noticed no one answered, so I'll give it a shot. Plattsburgh was on the edge of oncoming clouds, But they were high and mostly thin. Leading up to totality, there were a few bands of thicker clouds, in between much thinner ones, although the partial eclipse, before and after, was easily seen. Fortunately, during totality, the sun was seen through thinner clouds that did not visually interfere at all with viewing. 

 

But those clouds also made the onset of sudden darkness a bit spooky. It looked like a storm was rapidly descending from the sky as the darkness swept in just before totality. Actually, a dramatic part of the show!

 

Jett

Edited by Wolfwatcher, 13 April 2024 - 11:31 PM.

[mikepier]

How was the weather in Plattsburgh?  I was staying in Malone but the weather forecast said partly cloudy in Malone and Plattsburgh so I drove over to Vermont instead.

 

Did anyone go to Point au Roche?  That was originally my alternate site for New York.

We lucked out, we only had high thin cirrus clouds. Was still able to see a great show.

And as Wolfwatcher said, the approaching shadow was dramatic because you were able to see it on the cloud cover.

 

Here is satellite image just at totality 3:25PM , you can see upper right circled in red is Plattsburgh, the weather held out.

 

Edited by mikepier, 14 April 2024 - 07:06 AM.