What are you doing for the Great American Eclipse?

[dirty ethel rackham]

I hope I can make plans for this one.  in 2017, Dh and the kids went to St. Louis with the kids and stayed with is brother.  I wasn't on the ball enough to take schedule time off work (and regret that.)  The kids took the train back to the Chicago area that evening (due to work and school schedules), but dh stayed an extra day and drove home himself.  

Unfortunately, I don't have any family or friends (close enough to visit) in the path of totality.  We will have to see what we can arrange.

DD22 fondly remembers reading Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass for a junior high homeschool lit club and re-read it prior to the 2017 eclipse.  

[vonfirmath]

Going out in my backyard. We live in the path. (I checked that website. 2min 11sec of 100% coverage)

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by vonfirmath

[Terabith]

1 hour ago, chiguirre said:

95% is good enough for me. I guess we could go to a friend's in Austin but is it really worth it with the traffic? 

The difference between even 99% and 100% is PROFOUND.  It is completely, totally worth the traffic.  I promise.  

[sweet2ndchance]

59 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Oh yeah, you couldn't pay me to drive to Hot Springs just before the eclipse.  Texarkana all the way!

We're going to Carbondale, which is where we went for 2017.  Only place that hits both eclipses!

We live two hours from both places. I imagine the town near us will put on a festival on Main Street for the eclipse. It's a small town (around 5,000 people) in the country, but we have the headquarters for the Christian Motorcycle Association just outside the city limits. I bet we will be hearing lots of motorcycles the week leading up to the eclipse just like when they do the Run for the Colors in the fall every year. Thanks for reminding me that I need to stock up on everything so we don't have to leave the house all week while it's going on. 😄 

[kbutton]

Oh, wow, we'll be really, really close to the totality, and we have family that will for sure be in the totality. Hmm...

 

[kbutton]

3 minutes ago, kbutton said:

Oh, wow, we'll be really, really close to the totality, and we have family that will for sure be in the totality. Hmm...

 

Looking more closely, we might be in the path of totality, but we'll be in an area where it's about at it's shortest. I need a closer map, lol! 

[vonfirmath]

I just checked. April 8 is NOT a school district holiday

That could be a massive oversight here.

 

[Ali in OR]

We live in the path of totality for the 2017 eclipse. It was an incredible experience. We went to the neighborhood park with many of our neighbors. Just a lovely day, and no other eclipse could top that experience so we don't plan to travel for the next one. BTW, it is not completely dark at totality. The horizon stays light. This is my favorite eclipse photo (dh got the actual eclipse, I got the "experience" with my iphone.)

[wintermom]

I experinced the solar eclipse in 1979. I remember my grade 6 teacher telling us all about it. It was pretty neat, but I also remember being scared of frying my eyes. 

I'm within 30 min of the totality zone in 2024, so I'll have to make a plan of where and when to go. 

Thanks for starting this thread!

[popmom]

5 hours ago, Janeway said:

I am having a party. I already bought glasses.

Where did you buy your glasses? I want to go ahead and order.

[Janeway]

Just now, popmom said:

Where did you buy your glasses? I want to go ahead and order.

Amazon. I ordered a package of 10 about a month ago and then I ordered another package attend tonight to be safe. I know I’ll need more like 15 or so. But I saw the price went up a little bit since the last time I bought it.

[vonfirmath]

I mentioned it on our local board and am being ROASTED because I'd consider taking my kids out of school for "A couple of minutes of sun watching" (Which says to me they just don't understand. It was several hours all told in 2017 and we never even got all the way to 100% gone -- both in the anticipation leading up, and then when it happened in our back yard and then the sun appeared again) A class MIGHT go outside for a little bit of that. But they won't experience the whole thing.  AND it's a "Might" thing -- if I take my kids out of school I make sure they DO get the whole experience and that it is safe.

[Rebel]

I live in the path of totality for about 3 and a half minutes. I am also somewhat rural so will be watching from my yard. I hope it is a clear day! 

[rebcoola]

If it is spring break which I think it will be we will probably go visit my BFF family indiana. 

We probably won't travel if it's not spring break since we saw totality in 2017.

Edited May 10, 2023 by rebcoola

[Indigo Blue]

2 hours ago, Terabith said:

Oh yeah, you couldn't pay me to drive to Hot Springs just before the eclipse.  Texarkana all the way!

We're going to Carbondale, which is where we went for 2017.  Only place that hits both eclipses!

I talked to ds about it tonight. He said it’s probably best to just drive west through the country from his house until we get to 100 percent. Maybe 45 minutes. That’s the plan as of now. Thank goodness. 
 

 

[KidsHappen]

53 minutes ago, Ali in OR said:

We live in the path of totality for the 2017 eclipse. It was an incredible experience. We went to the neighborhood park with many of our neighbors. Just a lovely day, and no other eclipse could top that experience so we don't plan to travel for the next one. BTW, it is not completely dark at totality. The horizon stays light. This is my favorite eclipse photo (dh got the actual eclipse, I got the "experience" with my iphone.)

Where we were at we experienced complete darkness. 

[Terabith]

12 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

I mentioned it on our local board and am being ROASTED because I'd consider taking my kids out of school for "A couple of minutes of sun watching" (Which says to me they just don't understand. It was several hours all told in 2017 and we never even got all the way to 100% gone -- both in the anticipation leading up, and then when it happened in our back yard and then the sun appeared again) A class MIGHT go outside for a little bit of that. But they won't experience the whole thing.  AND it's a "Might" thing -- if I take my kids out of school I make sure they DO get the whole experience and that it is safe.

It's not spring break, but I will be taking my senior in high school (in AP classes) out of school for two days for the event, and my college sophomore will have the option of coming with us, as well.  

It is a once or twice in a lifetime experience, and it's incredibly educational.  

[vonfirmath]

Just now, Terabith said:

It's not spring break, but I will be taking my senior in high school (in AP classes) out of school for two days for the event, and my college sophomore will have the option of coming with us, as well.  

It is a once or twice in a lifetime experience, and it's incredibly educational.  

yes before 2017 the previous time we had one visible in the US was 1979! (which I think I remember learning to make a box with a pinhole, etc.... )38 years of none. So there can be long gaps. My son will be a 11th grader in AP Physics... so we'll see what they are doing that day.

 

[maize]

40 minutes ago, KidsHappen said:

Where we were at we experienced complete darkness. 

It was very dark where we were as well, though the horizon probably was brighter than the center of the sky. Maybe it depends on how near the center of totality you are.

Here's a nice description of the different phases of an eclipse:

https://eclipse.aas.org/eclipse-america/eclipse-experience

 

[Faith-manor]

57 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

I mentioned it on our local board and am being ROASTED because I'd consider taking my kids out of school for "A couple of minutes of sun watching" (Which says to me they just don't understand. It was several hours all told in 2017 and we never even got all the way to 100% gone -- both in the anticipation leading up, and then when it happened in our back yard and then the sun appeared again) A class MIGHT go outside for a little bit of that. But they won't experience the whole thing.  AND it's a "Might" thing -- if I take my kids out of school I make sure they DO get the whole experience and that it is safe.

This attitude is infuriating. I have encountered it far too often from school administrators. They believe the only worthy educational experiences are exclusively the ones they provide. Sigh.

[vonfirmath]

Just now, Faith-manor said:

This attitude is infuriating. I have encountered it far too often from school administrators. They believe the only worthy educational experiences are exclusively the ones they provide. Sigh.

In this case it is other parents! Not school administrators (who I would at least understand. They are looking at the money the schools will lose if a lot of kids skip a day)

 

[Chelli]

We live directly in the path of totality in Arkansas and are supposed to get almost five minutes of complete darkness. Our town is already advertising and making a big deal about it all and the huge tourist influx that's expected. 

I've offered our two acre lot outside of the city limits to any friends from out of town that want to come. 

[Eos]

3 hours from totality so we will probably go up at dawn and hope to avoid traffic, lol, it's the middle of nowhere but I have a feeling it will be busy. 

The last one we saw was partial on the day I was dropping off ds at college for freshman year.  He was so cranky, I was trying to talk him down with watching the eclipse but it just made him worse.  Looking forward to this next one with him!  I saved my glasses the college had given us.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Eos

[Heartstrings]

I’m surprised to see so many people with connections to Arkansas.  I usually feel all alone in my little state.  

[theelfqueen]

We booked hotels in AR a couple weeks ago. 

[wathe]

We have family in the totality zone, which is just a few hours drive away from us.  We will be visiting!

 

 

[Indigo Blue]

6 hours ago, Heartstrings said:

I’m surprised to see so many people with connections to Arkansas.  I usually feel all alone in my little state.  

I’ve been twice to visit. It is a beautiful state!

[Faith-manor]

This is where we are staying. We will drive to Alabama to get N on the 4th, and then make the 6 hr drive to Heber Springs on the 5th. We will take him to Bridal Veil Falls, and do some fish and horse back riding during the day on the 7th, night sky viewing at night on the 6th and 7th, and then buckle down for the eclipse on the 8th, check out on the 9th and drive him back home. We will get up the 10th, and make the 12 hour drive home from there hopefully avoiding the worst of the traffic returning home from their eclipse vacations.

We have acquaintances who will be two hours away from us in Texas. They are two sisters who have seen every single solar eclipse since they were little girls. One is 79, the other is 82. They have traveled all over the world for them. One of their favorite trips was an astronomy cruise with a bunch of professional astronomers and a couple of NASA astronauts that took them to South Africa for the event. I can't remember which year. They told me that there were astronomy and space travel lectures and activities every day on the cruise ship. They are neat ladies, subscribe to Astronomy magazine, and are still performing to this day as.concert pipe organists though they are definitely slowing down. Neat ladies. I had coffee with them a week ago, and they are already gearing up and jazzed about it. Given their ages, this could be their last one. 2026 will have one over Iceland. I hope they will be in good enough.health to travel for it. I told them all about our trip to Iceland, and they do want to go. However, their health problems may not allow for it.

https://www.expedia.com/Heber-Springs-Hotels-Wilson-Ranch-Log-Cabin-Getaway-Retreat.h33693891.Hotel-Information

[vonfirmath]

That is absolutely amazing @Faith-manor

 

[Faith-manor]

3 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

That is absolutely amazing @Faith-manor

 

We are pretty excited, and we got it for a song if you ask me. I know folks paying two and three times what we paid for less amenities and having to drive from their accomodations to a viewing area. We just unload the telescope, and voila, we are there, no crowds. We have invited the owners to come view with us if they like. At first Mark thought I was crazy to book it so far in advance. But now that all of his colleagues are making plans, scrambling to find places to stay, and complaining about prices and lack of availability, he is glad I did it. Hopefully some of our adult kids will be able to join us. We reserved for 7 adults and 2 kids (C will be 4, and we were unsure if he would be okay going with us without mommy or daddy). So we still have bed space.

[Innisfree]

Do those of you who traveled for the last eclipse think it would be better to be in a bigger city or somewhere more remote? One website I looked at recommended cities, as being more capable of absorbing lots of extra people without problems. I could see advantages to a setup like @Faith-manor is describing, too, though, where you rent a more rural place and plan on hunkering down for several days. Thoughts?

[ddcrook]

17 hours ago, maize said:

Yes it is.

95% is nothing at all like totality.

Yes! Before the last eclipse someone said that if you're in the 99% zone, then you 100% missed it. We found that to be true.  We drove and stayed in a hotel and were so moved by the experience that we have been counting down until the 2024 eclipse.

We live in the path of totality, so we will be hosting family from out of state. So far we'll have my sister and her husband and dh's brother. I'm so excited!

[sbgrace]

We live in totality. We drove to my sister's home for the last one, and I am excited to experience it again.

Hoping for clear skies for every place in totality on April 8! 

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, Innisfree said:

Do those of you who traveled for the last eclipse think it would be better to be in a bigger city or somewhere more remote? One website I looked at recommended cities, as being more capable of absorbing lots of extra people without problems. I could see advantages to a setup like @Faith-manor is describing, too, though, where you rent a more rural place and plan on hunkering down for several days. Thoughts?

If you can hunker down away from light pollution, and in a quiet spot, I think the experience did more ethereal, more spiritual if you will. But, that generally only works if you can lay over, arriving the day before, and waiting until the day after. The reason for this is that the junction points at which you need to the on a highway will be plugged, and you may be in the back of the pack leaving which could mean significant delays unless you want to navigate by atlas (gps on phones will always navigate shortest distance plus basically as many freeways as possible, not by scenic sides). I am a big atlas/map person so often Mark drives and I navigate. I keep WAZE on so if we are on the freeway, we can see traffic jams up ahead, and get off.

But you also need to take into account family needs and culture. Does your family need to be close in to large, handicap accessible bathrooms if you are not observing from a house or public business that is allowing the use of their facilities and parking lot for the event? Do your children need a city park with somewhere to play while you wait, and can you find one that won't be so packed that they can actually run around and enjoy themselves? Would a beach be better for you? How much science do you want to encounter? If you really want to astronomy the "sh#t out of it" (to coin a phrase from the movie, The Martian), then you probably want to plan now, stay close to a Night Sky Park that is in the path of totality, and brave the crowd because amateur and professional astronomers and physicists will be hanging out, and like the wonderful science nerds they tend to be, will willing to talk with anyone genuinely interested. Above all, plan to take your own food and water, your own shade for while you wait, sunscreen, your own certified viewing glasses, and things any children traveling with you will need to be entertained. I am a big fan of a big container of bubble wand refill, and several different sizes of wands. Seems like everybody likes to run around blowing bubbles. During the last eclipse, we were with teens and adults who are all rocketeers. I provided a box of rubber band/finger rockets, stomp rockets, bubbles and wands, and paddle balls. I kid you not, they all came up with crazy contests and games out of the supplies and kept themselves very busy while we set up both telescopes and filters. It was hilarious to watch! We were in someone's backyard for that, so we had space.

[Elizabeth86]

Wow!  I feel so emotional! The 2017 one felt like yesterday! I had a 2nd grader and 1 boy in K. My oldest girl was a toddler. I was pregnant with #4. I remember telling the boys how old they’d be for the next one. That seemed so weird to think of them so old and how it only felt like yesterday. 😭 No plans yet because I had no idea it was so soon. We were closer to 💯 last time. Less this time, but my mom’s brother will be in the 💯 range. I’d love to go visit them and see it.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Elizabeth86

[wintermom]

I just wanted to clarify that this is in fact the Great North American Solar Eclipse. The eclipse does indeed extend beyond the US borders into Mexico and Canada. 

This map shows the full extent of the eclipse pathway over the entire continent. 

 

This map is just weird. The US looks like an island. Come on fellow homeschoolers, we know our correct geography and names of continents! 😅

[Janeway]

18 hours ago, popmom said:

Where did you buy your glasses? I want to go ahead and order.

Amazon

[Faith-manor]

We have used these before. I need to check our stash and see if we have any left. I might need to place an order.

https://www.amazon.com/Solar-Eclipse-Glasses-Certified-Viewing/dp/B08GB3QC1H/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2DNU8ENMHNP08&keywords=Iso+nasa+certified+eclipse+glasses&qid=1683753154&sprefix=iso+nasa+certified+eclipse+glasse%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-4

[ikslo]

23 hours ago, City Mouse said:

Oh wow! Thanks for starting this post and for the map. My sisters live just outside the 100% zone. The map says their town will have 99.73% coverage. I may have to plan a visit for next April.

Yup, just saw my sister in TX is in the 100% zone. I’m texting her now to claim dibs on her spare room!

[historically accurate]

Just booked a Vrbo outside of Paducah for us. It's rural enough that I think we should just be able to stay in the yard. My 21 year old (22 next year) is going to come along for the long weekend, so it'll be a full family trip - we haven't had one of those in about 5 years. Yay!

[wintermom]

16 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

We have used these before. I need to check our stash and see if we have any left. I might need to place an order.

https://www.amazon.com/Solar-Eclipse-Glasses-Certified-Viewing/dp/B08GB3QC1H/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2DNU8ENMHNP08&keywords=Iso+nasa+certified+eclipse+glasses&qid=1683753154&sprefix=iso+nasa+certified+eclipse+glasse%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-4

I just purchased 3 sets of the 2-pack of these. I'm glad they're the right kind! 

[ktgrok]

16 hours ago, historically accurate said:

Just booked a Vrbo outside of Paducah for us. It's rural enough that I think we should just be able to stay in the yard. My 21 year old (22 next year) is going to come along for the long weekend, so it'll be a full family trip - we haven't had one of those in about 5 years. Yay!

You should check out the Quilt Museum while you are there! 

[QueenCat]

We live in the path of totality. I've ordered our Eclipse glasses. 

[Storygirl]

Ooh, I just realized that FIL and SIL live in the path of 100% totality. They are about 2.5 hours from us. I will have to inform them that we will be visiting one or the other of them on that day! It's not a day off of school for my kids, but I'm thinking we will let them skip. I saved our eclipse glasses from the last one but will check to see if I should order more.