Lunch meetup: 11 AM on April 6 at El Rancherito in Mt. Vernon, IL (Mexican restaurant on IL 15 just east of I-57 off Exit 95)
Following lunch on Saturday - will be targeting roadgeek sites of interest around Southern Illinois (the I-57 widening project will be a main priority)
Sunday plans: going into St. Louis area
Monday: Venue TBD but expect a target location along or near the I-57 corridor between Mt. Vernon and Marion exits.
Update 2/13/24 - I work 3rd shifts at my employer and I cannot take off between April 5 to 9 from work this year as those dates are blacked out for vacation purposes, and cannot reschedule to the other weekends in April due to family obligations. As a result I had to change the plans of the actual meet and will be putting an optional part of the weekend that will be posted at a later date. This will only be done on a single day now and will involve an evening meeting place to get together and socialize.
Venue: April 6, CityPark at 4 PM (meeting at the southeast corner across the street from Maggie O'Briens)
I strongly recommend you joining the St. Louis Roads Facebook group (became private group per decision of group admins in July 2022) for more updated information.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/369721483111108
Having to join yet another private group is a buzzkill.
My in-laws are in Indy which is in the path of the eclipse so I'm probably going there.
Maybe for me, there are lots of National Parks and cities nearby my wife hasn't been to yet.
Path of totality goes right over my house. I'll be enjoying it from my patio (weather permitting)...
Quote from: Rothman on August 22, 2022, 06:54:27 AM
Having to join yet another private group Facebook is a buzzkill.
The eclipse doesn't fall during a great time of year for us here in the Northeast (can't even rule out snow in early April) but otherwise, I'm very much looking forward to my first total eclipse. Rochester and Buffalo are both right near the center of totality, with 3 minutes, 41 seconds of totality expected where I'm at. If the weather is good (and maybe even if it isn't), there will probably be an influx of eclipse viewers from both directions.
Here's an eclipse map for anyone interested: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 08:17:18 AM
The eclipse doesn't fall during a great time of year for us here in the Northeast (can't even rule out snow in early April) but otherwise, I'm very much looking forward to my first total eclipse. Rochester and Buffalo are both right near the center of totality, with 3 minutes, 41 seconds of totality expected where I'm at. If the weather is good (and maybe even if it isn't), there will probably be an influx of eclipse viewers from both directions.
Here's an eclipse map for anyone interested: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8
I'm sure they'll all head to Orleans County to watch the eclipse.
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on August 22, 2022, 08:37:26 AM
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 08:17:18 AM
... Rochester and Buffalo are both right near the center of totality, with 3 minutes, 41 seconds of totality expected where I'm at. If the weather is good (and maybe even if it isn't), there will probably be an influx of eclipse viewers from both directions. ...
I'm sure they'll all head to Orleans County to watch the eclipse.
That would be the place to go if you want to avoid crowds. ;-)
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 08:17:18 AM
Here's an eclipse map for anyone interested: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8
Here's another one (http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2024_GoogleMapFull.html) with a more scientific bent, for those interested.
I'll rather wait for the 2026 August 12 solar eclipse, as its totality will pass way closer to me. In fact so close, I'm actually right outside the totality path.
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on August 22, 2022, 09:49:20 AM
I'll rather wait for the 2026 August 12 solar eclipse, as its totality will pass way closer to me. In fact so close, I'm actually right outside the totality path.
I think we should all go visit for that.
Quote from: Rothman on August 22, 2022, 06:54:27 AM
Having to join yet another private group is a buzzkill.
Any group that remains public is getting swamped with spam. Going private with groups is a sensible decision.
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on August 22, 2022, 09:49:20 AM
I'll rather wait for the 2026 August 12 solar eclipse, as its totality will pass way closer to me. In fact so close, I'm actually right outside the totality path.
It looks like Spain (or at least southern France) might be in the path of totality for the 2024 eclipse if you're high enough that you can see significantly below the horizon, but I'm not exactly sure how this works.
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 08:17:18 AM
Here's an eclipse map for anyone interested: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8
Hard to tell the path of totality, with the slight difference in shades of red between the totality path and the partial eclipse path.
But it does provide info on the likelihood of cloudy weather on eclipse day. From some casual clicking, it looks like the best likely eclipse watching weather will be in Mexico, especially in the Mazatlan area (cloudy about 25% of the time on April 8). Within the U.S. you can get around 45% along the border, in Eagle Pass TX. It jumps to around 60% in Austin, and keeps getting worse as you head northeast, up to around 75% in Gander, Newfoundland.
Not like the 2017 eclipse, where serious eclipse watchers could camp out in central Oregon north of Bend for fairly reliable viewing weather.
Quote from: hbelkins on August 22, 2022, 09:55:33 AM
Quote from: Rothman on August 22, 2022, 06:54:27 AM
Having to join yet another private group is a buzzkill.
Any group that remains public is getting swamped with spam. Going private with groups is a sensible decision.
I prefer it when the host just sets up a private event. It's simpler.
I'll probably run to Texas for this one.
The idea of traveling long distance to see an eclipse that's also visible nearby gives me pause because of the off chance that there's poor weather there and clear weather at home.
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 10:51:18 AM
The idea of traveling long distance to see an eclipse that's also visible nearby gives me pause because of the off chance that there's poor weather there and clear weather at home.
That factor is one consideration that prompts me to plan to stay south of the border instead of turning it into a reason for a trip to Toronto or Montreal like I had considered at one point–I feel like I would have more flexibility to change plans on short notice if the weather forecast were problematic, whereas a change of plans that required crossing the border could prove problematic due to traffic, etc.
I'll be in Texas.
My initial thought is to watch from the summit of Whiteface Mountain, assuming enough snow remains for the summit chair to be open for skiing. No idea if that's going to be practical. In any case, I expect to be somewhere in central/northern NY.
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 10:51:18 AM
The idea of traveling long distance to see an eclipse that's also visible nearby gives me pause because of the off chance that there's poor weather there and clear weather at home.
It's upstate NY. The weather WILL be lousy. I guarantee it.
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 22, 2022, 08:13:43 AM
Quote from: Rothman on August 22, 2022, 06:54:27 AM
Having to join yet another private group Facebook is a buzzkill.
Amen.
I am actually planning to go to southern Illinois for that eclipse. For the prior eclipse, I had planned to take my father up to my mother's grave site to view the eclipse (she had just recently passed; it's not terribly far from Memphis; etc.), but he had some health issues, and the trip was aborted.
He's since passed, but the idea's stuck in my head and I'd like to check out his grave marker after it's installed. So.....
This, of course, means that it'll be overcast and stormy in southern Illinois for that eclipse.
It is usually cloudier in most of the US along the path in April - particularly north.
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 22, 2022, 04:34:27 PM
It is usually cloudier in most of the US along the path in April - particularly north.
Oscar's post goes into detail on this.
Quote from: Rothman on August 22, 2022, 04:35:19 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 22, 2022, 04:34:27 PM
It is usually cloudier in most of the US along the path in April - particularly north.
Oscar's post goes into detail on this.
This write up (https://eclipsophile.com/2024tse/) also goes into good detail on weather prospects (including this graph):
(https://eclipsophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Noam-centre-cloud.png)
Personally I'm hoping to go to Mexico or Texas for the best chances, but we'll see what happens. If not, I can drive down to Lake Erie and cross my fingers for clear skies.
Having traveled a few hours to watch the 2017 eclipse in Oregon, I'm eager to see totality again. Probably heading to Texas for a better chance of good conditions.
Quote from: Bruce on August 22, 2022, 05:50:24 PM
Having traveled a few hours to watch the 2017 eclipse in Oregon, I'm eager to see totality again. Probably heading to Texas for a better chance of good conditions.
I drove through the night, fueled by Mountain Dew, to TN from upstate NY. Spent what night hours remained in the car in Oak Ridge. Stopped at the Manhattan Project museum (whatever the real name is) and then over to the Obed River. Finally headed south of Crossville to get into the totality stripe, saw the eclipse, and then headed up to Winchester, KY to spend the night at my aunt's place.
2024, Texas. :D
You guys are giving me the very interesting idea of going to Texas a few days early to see where I was born (I have not been back since 1974) and then to watch the eclipse from there.
Quote from: Rothman on August 22, 2022, 06:10:02 PM
Quote from: Bruce on August 22, 2022, 05:50:24 PM
Having traveled a few hours to watch the 2017 eclipse in Oregon, I'm eager to see totality again. Probably heading to Texas for a better chance of good conditions.
I drove through the night, fueled by Mountain Dew, to TN from upstate NY. Spent what night hours remained in the car in Oak Ridge. Stopped at the Manhattan Project museum (whatever the real name is) and then over to the Obed River. Finally headed south of Crossville to get into the totality stripe, saw the eclipse, and then headed up to Winchester, KY to spend the night at my aunt's place.
2024, Texas. :D
I wasn't too far from there, having spent the eclipse in Athens.
Can we please get through the 2022 Meet Calendar before we start speculating about meets in 2024?!
Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on August 22, 2022, 07:40:04 PM
Can we please get through the 2022 Meet Calendar before we start speculating about meets in 2024?!
The 2024 eclipse is less than two years away. Not too soon for people to start at least the early stages of planning, as IIRC some people did well ahead of the 2017 eclipse (especially the ones lining up prime Oregon viewing sites).
However, it wouldn't hurt to split the non-meet related eclipse discussion to a separate thread. (I thought we already had a general 2024 eclipse thread, but now I can't find it...)
Quote from: oscar on August 22, 2022, 07:56:27 PM
Quote from: roadwaywiz95 on August 22, 2022, 07:40:04 PM
Can we please get through the 2022 Meet Calendar before we start speculating about meets in 2024?!
The 2024 eclipse is less than two years away. Not too soon for people to start at least the early stages of planning, as IIRC some people did well ahead of the 2017 eclipse (especially the ones lining up prime Oregon viewing sites).
And lodging. Might be a good idea to lock in rates now before the hotels realize what's going on and jack up the prices like many of them did in 2017.
As for me, I'm probably going to view it with my brother again. He lives in Owen County, which isn't far from the path of totality, so he's proposed that we go to some casino parking lot in Indiana to watch it and then lose a few $$$ afterwards.
We saw the 2017 eclipse from a boat ramp directly across the river (lake) from the Watts Bar nuke plant in Tennessee. I met him in London, Ky., and we headed on down, and actually spent the night at a decent Motel 6 in Kingston, Tenn., that didn't raise its rates for the special event. Discovered a regional chain, Buddy's BBQ, which was tasty.
Quote from: froggie on August 22, 2022, 08:03:47 AM
Path of totality goes right over my house. I'll be enjoying it from my patio (weather permitting)...
I'll have to drive about an hour north or west to get into good totality, depending what kind of mood I'm in. Currently thinking of heading toward Tug Hill. Maybe use it as an excuse to finish off Jefferson County if I haven't done so by then.
Quote from: Rothman on August 22, 2022, 01:13:01 PM
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 10:51:18 AM
The idea of traveling long distance to see an eclipse that's also visible nearby gives me pause because of the off chance that there's poor weather there and clear weather at home.
It's upstate NY. The weather WILL be lousy. I guarantee it.
Let's hope not, because this is the only time in my life that a solar eclipse will happen somewhere that is practical for me to view it. I can barely even contemplate the logistics of multi-day roadtrips as in (and every one not tied to a roadmeet or family gathering has blown up in my face, so I think I'm cursed to never go on one), and that's before adding in the additional difficulties of eclipse traffic and weather forecasts not being known until a few days in advance, if that (I'm the type to plan things out to the hour weeks/months in advance).
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 08:41:48 PM
However, it wouldn't hurt to split the non-meet related eclipse discussion to a separate thread. (I thought we already had a general 2024 eclipse thread, but now I can't find it...)
Not sure I disagree. But the 2017 total eclipse discussion is in Road Enthusiasts Meetings. Even though there were no specific plans discussed early in the thread, there was at least one informal eclipse-watching non-meet gathering.
Kentucky did a lot of planning for the 2017 eclipse from a road standpoint. That included putting a whole lot of signage on a bunch of rural roads directing traffic to I-24 and I-69.
Quote from: hbelkins on August 23, 2022, 11:11:36 AM
Kentucky did a lot of planning for the 2017 eclipse from a road standpoint. That included putting a whole lot of signage on a bunch of rural roads directing traffic to I-24 and I-69.
Fat lot of good it did. Still took my parents hours and hours to get from Hopkinsville to Winchester.
I passed through some dinky town in northern TN that was really excited something exciting was finally happening there. Local police and their kids were out directing traffic and they made sure they all had walkie-talkies. Pretty sure they loused things up worse than if they had just let traffic take its course.
The sudden shift of traffic away from the path of totality in 2017 was something to behold. It took nearly 6 hours to get from Salem to Portland, most of which was spent trying to reach I-5 from city streets.
Can't be helped when cars are involved. If only Amtrak was able to run more trains.
People were too beholden to Google Maps. They just followed the suggested detour, which soon became as crowded as the usual fastest route.
Had my parents just taken a good look at the map, I bet they could have made the trip to Winchester in much less time.
In 2017, Eclipse day in Nebraska for my group (which needed 2 cars) started and ended at our friends' house in Papillion, with viewing in Grand Island. We started the morning on I-80 toward Lincoln, which was packed but moving. I was concerned about I-80 getting worse as we got into the main path of totality further west, so we switched to US 34 north of Lincoln and had a pleasant, traffic-free ride through several small towns. Grand Island was busy but not so much that we couldn't get around to check out some possible viewing locations (considered a WalMart parking lot and a couple of parks before settling on a nice spot on the shore of a small lake in L.E. Ray Park). Kind of like a sporting event, I was concerned that while people's arrivals are a little more staggered, everyone would want to move at about the same time after the eclipse. We did not rush out immediately after totality, waiting in the park and enjoying the weird crescent shadows as the sun became more exposed. Once we left, I decided to take our time via US 30 up through Columbus and Fremont, while the other car in our group started that way and switched to what they hoped would be a faster and more direct route on Nebraska 92. US 30 was great, some traffic that was probably much more than typical, but we had no significant issues until we got into Omaha metro and got into afternoon rush. The Nebraska 92 group got delayed quite a bit at the bridge over the Platte (no delays shown when they chose the route, long delays by the time they got there), and arrived back in Papillion later.
Obviously it helped that we were in a wide-open part of the country with several good road options and far from huge population centers from which people would do an out-and-back. It will be interesting to see what happens in 2024 with a lot of people from Boston to Washington likely to head north to the path. Non-interstates through the Adirondack, Green, and White Mountains are quite a bit different from the non-interstates in the farm and ranch lands of Nebraska.
^ The path of totality in NY also creates an interesting dynamic. It's nearly split in two because of Lake Ontario, with the prime viewing areas closest to the center line being along the I-90 corridor from the PA line to Rochester, and then further north along the NY 3 corridor from Watertown to Plattsburgh. I could see Syracuse (which is right on the edge of totality) being hit from both directions with traffic heading further into/away from the path on both I-81 and I-90.
Quote from: Rothman on August 24, 2022, 06:48:33 AM
People were too beholden to Google Maps. They just followed the suggested detour, which soon became as crowded as the usual fastest route.
Had my parents just taken a good look at the map, I bet they could have made the trip to Winchester in much less time.
One of the best viewing spots, said to be with the longest totality in the region, was near the community of Cerulean. It's northwest of Hopkinsville. I'm not sure where they viewed the eclipse, but if it was anywhere near Hoptown, they'd have been well advised to take US 68 east to Bowling Green, then I-65, the Cumberland Parkway, KY 80, KY 461, US 25, I-75, and KY 627 to Winchester. I'm guessing most of the traffic in that area used the WK Parkway.
Sadly, where I live (Kansas City) is NOT on the path of totality, so I was thinking about going down to Dallas, which is squarely within the path, for a "long weekend"-type trip (the eclipse itself is on Monday, April 8; based on what I've imagined, I would be driving down on Friday, April 5 and back to KC on Tuesday, April 9). While I'm there, I also plan on doing some other Dallas-area stuff (JFK museum, Reunion Tower, Epic Waters indoor waterpark in Grand Prairie, and see the Rangers, Mavericks, and/or Stars play if they have a home game - as well as find some bar at which to watch the Final Four, which happens to be the same weekend).
Regarding this proposed trip, one thing I'm trying to figure out is where to watch the eclipse itself. I've pictured myself doing it from the top of some parking garage in downtown Dallas, much like what I did in 2017 (at the time, I was in Columbia, MO, on the first day of my last semester at Mizzou, and I - along with many other fellow students - saw the eclipse from atop one of the many garages on campus). Anyway, what do you think would be some good eclipse viewing spots in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, and what do you recommend in terms of other stuff to do in the area during my time there, aside from the stuff I've already mentioned? Thanks!
One thing I had no idea to expect in 2017 that I would have missed if I ended up in a parking lot or something like that instead of a park is the crescent shadows of leaves.
(https://www.teresco.org/pics/eclipse-20170814-23/21/DSCF0131-800.jpg)
Quote from: webny99 on August 24, 2022, 11:08:04 AM
^ The path of totality in NY also creates an interesting dynamic. It's nearly split in two because of Lake Ontario, with the prime viewing areas closest to the center line being along the I-90 corridor from the PA line to Rochester, and then further north along the NY 3 corridor from Watertown to Plattsburgh. I could see Syracuse (which is right on the edge of totality) being hit from both directions with traffic heading further into/away from the path on both I-81 and I-90.
Anyone staying in NY for the eclipse or, even sillier, heading north, is fooling themselves that they'll see anything but gray clouds.
Quote from: Rothman on August 24, 2022, 10:31:27 PM
Quote from: webny99 on August 24, 2022, 11:08:04 AM
^ The path of totality in NY also creates an interesting dynamic. It's nearly split in two because of Lake Ontario, with the prime viewing areas closest to the center line being along the I-90 corridor from the PA line to Rochester, and then further north along the NY 3 corridor from Watertown to Plattsburgh. I could see Syracuse (which is right on the edge of totality) being hit from both directions with traffic heading further into/away from the path on both I-81 and I-90.
Anyone staying in NY for the eclipse or, even sillier, heading north, is fooling themselves that they'll see anything but gray clouds.
If it was February or March, then yes. April is a more of a toss up, there's certainly a non-zero chance it will be clear or partially clear.
Quote from: Jim on August 24, 2022, 10:26:14 PM
One thing I had no idea to expect in 2017 that I would have missed if I ended up in a parking lot or something like that instead of a park is the crescent shadows of leaves.
(https://www.teresco.org/pics/eclipse-20170814-23/21/DSCF0131-800.jpg)
I was outside the hotel I was staying at in Grand Island during the eclipse. I drove in the day prior and left the day after - thus I didn't have to deal with the traffic. However I had to deal with my health which prompted me to abandon a US-30 clinch in favor of getting the **** home.
Quote from: webny99 on August 24, 2022, 10:46:03 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 24, 2022, 10:31:27 PM
Quote from: webny99 on August 24, 2022, 11:08:04 AM
^ The path of totality in NY also creates an interesting dynamic. It's nearly split in two because of Lake Ontario, with the prime viewing areas closest to the center line being along the I-90 corridor from the PA line to Rochester, and then further north along the NY 3 corridor from Watertown to Plattsburgh. I could see Syracuse (which is right on the edge of totality) being hit from both directions with traffic heading further into/away from the path on both I-81 and I-90.
Anyone staying in NY for the eclipse or, even sillier, heading north, is fooling themselves that they'll see anything but gray clouds.
If it was February or March, then yes. April is a more of a toss up, there's certainly a non-zero chance it will be clear or partially clear.
Oh, come on. Totality crosses the cloudiest areas of New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Tug Hill...We're talking April 8th. Sure, a non-zero chance...but you're talking about areas of the country where even on the days of the greatest chance of being clear (during the summer), that chance is still less than 70%. On April 8th, you're looking at the chance of it being cloudy as more than 50%. Weatherspark merely states that in Watertown in April, cloud cover is constant.
Western and central Upstate NY is simply one of the cloudiest areas of the entire country. Sure, if you can't get out of Dodge, you're stuck with the high likelihood that it will be cloudy. But, staying in NY if you really want to see the eclipse and have the means to head off to better climes, is just foolhardy.
Quote from: Rothman on August 25, 2022, 07:02:59 AM
Quote from: webny99 on August 24, 2022, 10:46:03 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 24, 2022, 10:31:27 PM
...
Anyone staying in NY for the eclipse or, even sillier, heading north, is fooling themselves that they'll see anything but gray clouds.
If it was February or March, then yes. April is a more of a toss up, there's certainly a non-zero chance it will be clear or partially clear.
Oh, come on. Totality crosses the cloudiest areas of New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Tug Hill...We're talking April 8th. Sure, a non-zero chance...but you're talking about areas of the country where even on the days of the greatest chance of being clear (during the summer), that chance is still less than 70%. On April 8th, you're looking at the chance of it being cloudy as more than 50%. Weatherspark merely states that in Watertown in April, cloud cover is constant.
Western and central Upstate NY is simply one of the cloudiest areas of the entire country. Sure, if you can't get out of Dodge, you're stuck with the high likelihood that it will be cloudy. But, staying in NY if you really want to see the eclipse and have the means to head off to better climes, is just foolhardy.
The same Weatherspark says for Rochester, there's a 47% chance of being partly or mostly clear, 53% chance of partly or mostly cloudy. That's pretty much the definition of a toss up.
Taking another look at the graph that 7/8 posted in
reply# 24 (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=32064.msg2764712#msg2764712), there's really not a huge difference between most of Texas and western NY. If you really want the greatest chance of clear weather, you have to go well into Mexico, and that's a whole different story. I also have anectodal experience of being in Texas in late March (San Antonio area, 1-2 weeks before the eclipse date) and it was cloudy when I arrived and at least partly cloudy for most of the stay until the final day, so that's not swaying me towards Texas either. No denying there is a greater chance of it being clear there, but for the big jump from around 50% down to almost 0%, you'd have to go to extreme western Texas or Mexico.
Quote from: webny99 on August 25, 2022, 07:59:57 AM
Quote from: Rothman on August 25, 2022, 07:02:59 AM
Quote from: webny99 on August 24, 2022, 10:46:03 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 24, 2022, 10:31:27 PM
...
Anyone staying in NY for the eclipse or, even sillier, heading north, is fooling themselves that they'll see anything but gray clouds.
If it was February or March, then yes. April is a more of a toss up, there's certainly a non-zero chance it will be clear or partially clear.
Oh, come on. Totality crosses the cloudiest areas of New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Tug Hill...We're talking April 8th. Sure, a non-zero chance...but you're talking about areas of the country where even on the days of the greatest chance of being clear (during the summer), that chance is still less than 70%. On April 8th, you're looking at the chance of it being cloudy as more than 50%. Weatherspark merely states that in Watertown in April, cloud cover is constant.
Western and central Upstate NY is simply one of the cloudiest areas of the entire country. Sure, if you can't get out of Dodge, you're stuck with the high likelihood that it will be cloudy. But, staying in NY if you really want to see the eclipse and have the means to head off to better climes, is just foolhardy.
The same Weatherspark says for Rochester, there's a 47% chance of being partly or mostly clear, 53% chance of partly or mostly cloudy. That's pretty much the definition of a toss up.
Taking another look at the graph that 7/8 posted in reply# 24 (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=32064.msg2764712#msg2764712), there's really not a huge difference between most of Texas and western NY. If you really want the greatest chance of clear weather, you have to go well into Mexico, and that's a whole different story. I also have anectodal experience of being in Texas in late March (San Antonio area, 1-2 weeks before the eclipse date) and it was cloudy when I arrived and at least partly cloudy for most of the stay until the final day, so that's not swaying me towards Texas either. No denying there is a greater chance of it being clear there, but for the big jump from around 50% down to almost 0%, you'd have to go to extreme western Texas or Mexico.
So...leave it up to a toss of a coin? One out of two days is cloudy? Fuhgettaboutit.
Head south, young man.
I know I'd absolutely get somewhere with more reliable weather if the timing of it allowed. Realistically, it's likely a day trip or nothing for me in April. Though looking at the recent history of cloudy days (according to https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8), even Texas struggles to get below 50% chance of clouds.
Quote from: Jim on August 25, 2022, 02:45:59 PM
I know I'd absolutely get somewhere with more reliable weather if the timing of it allowed. Realistically, it's likely a day trip or nothing for me in April. Though looking at the recent history of cloudy days (according to https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8), even Texas struggles to get below 50% chance of clouds.
Mazatlan has a 28% chance of clouds, but I'm not sure I'd be keen on flying to Mexico for this. Even Del Rio, Texas, is in the 47% range.
I saw a total eclipse in a tiny break in an overcast sky in Argentina. I'll take New York. Can we leave this discussion to the meet itself please.
Perhaps the general eclipse discussion (at this point, basically the entire thread after the first few posts aside from a couple replies regarding the Facebook group) could be broken off into a separate thread?
Quote from: vdeane on August 25, 2022, 09:20:06 PM
Perhaps the general eclipse discussion (at this point, basically the entire thread after the first few posts aside from a couple replies regarding the Facebook group) could be broken off into a separate thread?
Quote from: webny99 on August 22, 2022, 08:41:48 PM
However, it wouldn't hurt to split the non-meet related eclipse discussion to a separate thread. (I thought we already had a general 2024 eclipse thread, but now I can't find it...)
:cheers:
Or we could discuss that episode of the A-Team where they hypnotized B.A. so he would fall asleep whenever someone said "eclipse."
To be honest I am not sure on this one, it is happening the time of the year that my other hobby has a BIG spring diecast convention held at a random city in the mid west so depending on how that pans out will decide if Steph and I can view another eclipse like we did in 2017 when we met up with a few fellow AARoads members in McMinnville, TN just an hour away from our house.
Possible, but only if poo.
Quote from: jpi on August 26, 2022, 11:48:09 AM
To be honest I am not sure on this one, it is happening the time of the year that my other hobby has a BIG spring diecast convention held at a random city in the mid west so depending on how that pans out will decide if Steph and I can view another eclipse like we did in 2017 when we met up with a few fellow AARoads members in McMinnville, TN just an hour away from our house.
McMinnville, TN is not in the totality path. <1% of TN is.
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 26, 2022, 12:06:06 PM
Quote from: jpi on August 26, 2022, 11:48:09 AM
To be honest I am not sure on this one, it is happening the time of the year that my other hobby has a BIG spring diecast convention held at a random city in the mid west so depending on how that pans out will decide if Steph and I can view another eclipse like we did in 2017 when we met up with a few fellow AARoads members in McMinnville, TN just an hour away from our house.
McMinnville, TN is not in the totality path. <1% of TN is.
I read that as he met up with others in McMinnville during the 2017 event.
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 26, 2022, 12:06:06 PM
McMinnville, TN is not in the totality path. <1% of TN is.
You ain't kiddin':
(https://i.imgur.com/E07L6EN.png)
Quote from: froggie on August 26, 2022, 12:44:15 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 26, 2022, 12:06:06 PM
Quote from: jpi on August 26, 2022, 11:48:09 AM
To be honest I am not sure on this one, it is happening the time of the year that my other hobby has a BIG spring diecast convention held at a random city in the mid west so depending on how that pans out will decide if Steph and I can view another eclipse like we did in 2017 when we met up with a few fellow AARoads members in McMinnville, TN just an hour away from our house.
McMinnville, TN is not in the totality path. <1% of TN is.
I read that as he met up with others in McMinnville during the 2017 event.
Well, I suppose I did not :ded: :pan:
So...Upper Sandusky, Ohio it is (for 2024).
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on August 26, 2022, 03:04:02 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 26, 2022, 12:06:06 PM
McMinnville, TN is not in the totality path. <1% of TN is.
You ain't kiddin':
(https://i.imgur.com/E07L6EN.png)
If Kentucky Bend is in the path of totality -- which it appears to be, based on the graphic above -- that would be a rather desolate place from which to view the darkness.
It would also be an outstanding excuse to visit there.
(https://eclipsophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Noam-centre-cloud.png)
Oooooohhh! This makes it really tempting to time a Mexico trip with the eclipse. The town we always do mission work in is only a two-hour drive from Torreón. And our friends live on the outskirts of town, away from the city lights. And their house is two stories, with a balcony...
Keep in mind meet is a long term plan the hotels will likely be booked a year in advance for this event. You cannot control Mother Nature this far out, and dad being at an advanced age (will be turning 80 less than two weeks after that event) means I will not be traveling far.
Is there a good state or national park/monument in Southern Illinois?
Mike and I saw the 2017 eclipse from Homestead National Historical Park in Beatrice, NE and what was really nice about it was that we took our time at the museum and on the grounds before and after the event so that we didn't have to deal with traffic. I think I read every single informational placard at the site!!! Before the eclipse, we stayed at a very inexpensive and nice Airbnb about 2 hours away in Columbus, NE (an entire single family house and pool to ourselves for cheaper than a hotel room). Since it was outside of totality there was no reason for our host to raise the price.
I would be open to doing something like that again. It was a great excuse to visit parts of the country that I otherwise might not visit. Plus it was fun to be at a national site with other people (including Bill Nye the Science Guy, who I got a selfie with!!!)
Quote from: Laura on January 20, 2023, 03:27:55 PM
Is there a good state or national park/monument in Southern Illinois?
Mike and I saw the 2017 eclipse from Homestead National Historical Park in Beatrice, NE and what was really nice about it was that we took our time at the museum and on the grounds before and after the event so that we didn't have to deal with traffic. I think I read every single informational placard at the site!!! Before the eclipse, we stayed at a very inexpensive and nice Airbnb about 2 hours away in Columbus, NE (an entire single family house and pool to ourselves for cheaper than a hotel room). Since it was outside of totality there was no reason for our host to raise the price.
I would be open to doing something like that again. It was a great excuse to visit parts of the country that I otherwise might not visit. Plus it was fun to be at a national site with other people (including Bill Nye the Science Guy, who I got a selfie with!!!)
come up to Quebec with me! enjoy poutine!
Quote from: Alps on January 20, 2023, 04:03:56 PM
Quote from: Laura on January 20, 2023, 03:27:55 PM
Is there a good state or national park/monument in Southern Illinois?
Mike and I saw the 2017 eclipse from Homestead National Historical Park in Beatrice, NE and what was really nice about it was that we took our time at the museum and on the grounds before and after the event so that we didn't have to deal with traffic. I think I read every single informational placard at the site!!! Before the eclipse, we stayed at a very inexpensive and nice Airbnb about 2 hours away in Columbus, NE (an entire single family house and pool to ourselves for cheaper than a hotel room). Since it was outside of totality there was no reason for our host to raise the price.
I would be open to doing something like that again. It was a great excuse to visit parts of the country that I otherwise might not visit. Plus it was fun to be at a national site with other people (including Bill Nye the Science Guy, who I got a selfie with!!!)
come up to Quebec with me! enjoy poutine!
But clouds!
Anyway, I found some Southern IL eclipse info from 2017 that provides some ideas: https://southernillinoiseclipse.com/the-eclipse/places-to-watch
The easiest way to see this eclipse from Florida, which is also the most climatologically favored, is going to be to drive to someplace in Texas. It's on a Monday, so ideally I'd make a long weekend out of it.
Bad news is that I didn't get the outcome I was hoping for with work regarding vacation (too many requested that weekend off so it got blacked out) so I have to change the plans considerably. More detail information will be coming in due course.
My plans have been updated for this, I will be doing a toy show in Nobelsville, IN that Sunday, staying in the metro Indy area Sunday night then driving the new I-69 to Bloomington where I will camp out at a shopping center parking lot like we did in 2017 in McMinnville TN and witness the eclipse then drive home from there