total eclipse - first since 1979

[Ken Crawford]

Around Idaho Falls we're being told to purchase extra food, fuel and misc supplies a couple weeks before the masses descend because the infrastructure won't be able to support the increased demand on basic items and services.

[Three Valves]

Darkness cuts a swath, dividing America...

Delicious!!

[iiipopes]

I live in SW MO. I'm planning on taking the day off, driving @ 2 1/2 hrs northeast on I-44 and enjoying the spectacle.

[Three Valves]

Not exactly flying your Lear Jet up to Nova Scotia is it??

[bearphonium]

I'm about 45 miles outside the "path of totality". I had briefly entertained the idea of going up to Madras, in Central Oregon to watch. Apparently, there will be waaaay more people there than I care to deal with. I'm just gonna get up early, drive due north if the sky is clear (never assured here in Oregon), ooh and aah over it, and drive home. One of the more interesting factoids I've heard about this event is that you cannot rent a porta-potty between August 18 and August 23 in Oregon. Every. Last. One. has been rented, and has been since about January. I have also heard, anecdotally, that the production and delivery of ice has been quadrupled for the middle two weeks of August.

[gwwilk]

I live within the zone of totality, although it will only last around 39 seconds here. That's probably enough, although a 30 mile drive to the south would get me over two minutes of totality. My initial thought when I learned of the eclipse was to go to the Homestead National Monument near Beatrice, NE. Unfortunately many, many others have had the same idea, including NASA who is hosting a 3 day eclipse event there and the only access will be by bus. So much for that plan.

This place will be crawling with people looking for the experience of a lifetime. I'll probably just set up my cameras in my backyard and hope it's not a cloudy day...

I also got to experience this one in where I lived in 1954 (Knox County, NE). It was right after sunrise, so we had to get up very early for that one.

[NCSUSousa]

Carbondale, IL, is supposed to get the longest exposure, so if folks are planning a road trip to watch it, that might be the best bet.

While IL is getting the longest (by a few seconds) exposure, the average weather pattern for that region in late August includes clouds (and storms) during the afternoon timeframe when the eclipse is happening so many of the scientific types are heading further west (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska) to go to places that are more likely to have little to no cloud cover.

I'm just headed to my sister's place in upstate SC. I'll take my chances on the weather there since I don't have to buy a hotel room and it's only a 1/2 day drive from where I live in Raleigh, NC.