Are You Getting Mooned?

ColtsFan

A week from today, we’ll experience what local media is calling “The Largest Tourism Event in Indiana History!” I’m directly in the path of totality. They’re saying upwards on 100k peoples could come to my county alone. NASA and NSF are setting up shop at IU. 

My question is, has anyone here ever experienced being in the path of totality? They’re saying gas stations may run of fuel. Same with groceries. We have friends who have rented out small camp site for $800/night in a field and they’ve been booked for months. 

I get that this is a rare opportunity, but it seems very, very overblown. 

Dyal_SC

We had a total eclipse in 2017. The crickets coming out midday was pretty wild. Weird shadows on the driveway beforehand as it was about to happen. Old pic, looked way cooler in person. Wasn’t really able to capture any good photos. The day off of work was nice. 

GrateEggspectations

I will be heading to the path of totality with the family in tow. Weather is looking good, so far. Fingers crossed. 

There’s a compelling speaker who describes his experience with the total eclipse. https://youtu.be/cgxZ4H3gJ8c?si=KibTIHjyCyj_sl_P

Botch

Had a chance to see the last one, what, six years ago.  I didn’t want to fuss with bad traffic and had packed up my cameras and went to NW Utah, but not in the total eclipse path (I was only going to shoot landscapes in the “partial” eclipse areas, the results of which were “meh”).  I misplaced my truck keys, it started getting hot again, and the mosquitoes were eating me alive, and I was out in the middle of nowhere.  
Pretty panicked, finally located the keys, and got out of there.  Several of my coworkers got caught up in the return traffic, adding nine hours to their return journey.  I figured there were tons of folks with better photo gear than mine, and I could just see their pics on the ‘net, which I did.  
It’d be cool to experience totality, but it’s not worth a couple days’ investment, for me.  Enjoy it, charge anyone who steps on your lawn, and don’t look directly at it like Dear Leader!    

JohnInCarolina

Dyal_SC said:

We had a total eclipse in 2017. The crickets coming out midday was pretty wild. Weird shadows on the driveway beforehand as it was about to happen. Old pic, looked way cooler in person. Wasn’t really able to capture any good photos. The day off of work was nice. 

I was at this one too.  We watched it from a big park in Rabun Gap, which if I recall was near perfect for the eclipse.  

The mistake we made was trying to get out of there after it was over.  Traffic jam city.  I would definitely recommend being someplace you can stay for a bit if you plan on watching the whole thing.  

Elijah

I also don't understand the warnings about food, fuel, and safety. Maybe it's more about the population centers it goes over? I watched it in the foothills of SC. It was amazing and I believe we were a few miles out of totality. I guess if everyone converges it could cause shortages. I'd say go the opposite way of them that's still in the path. 

lousubcap

I have seen a couple of total eclipses of the sun in my lifetime (many decades), not traveling to gain the last 1.5% although that is a big number in terms of experience.  This event is the last time this happens in the lower 48 until 2044 FWIW.  

The Cen-Tex Smoker

We are right in the path as well. Our airbnb’s have been booked for months and we are having a few friends and family out to the ranch as well. We are expecting 1.5M people in our area (normally 100k population. It’s going to be a sh!t show. We did our grocery shopping today and plan to hunker down starting Friday or so. The grocery store was already mobbed. They are saying the same things you are hearing for down here. Gas and food shortages and our cell service is expected to implode for days. 

Buckwoody Egger

JohnInCarolina said:

Dyal_SC said:

We had a total eclipse in 2017. The crickets coming out midday was pretty wild. Weird shadows on the driveway beforehand as it was about to happen. Old pic, looked way cooler in person. Wasn’t really able to capture any good photos. The day off of work was nice. 

I was at this one too.  We watched it from a big park in Rabun Gap, which if I recall was near perfect for the eclipse.  

The mistake we made was trying to get out of there after it was over.  Traffic jam city.  I would definitely recommend being someplace you can stay for a bit if you plan on watching the whole thing.  

Rabun County!!!  The most northeast county in Georgia and has a lifetime of memories for me. Such a great place and, yes, the decision to stay there as long as possible is the right one. 

Atlanta was I think 97% so we enjoyed it here.  It was cool.

As with anything, of course it can be seen as overblown and of course it can be seen as a cherished lifelong memory.  

HeavyG

I lived in the path of totality of the total eclipse of March of 1970. It was a perfect Spring-like day and not a cloud in the sky. It was an awesome day and an awesome experience. I think a total solar eclipse, when seen in the path of totality, is one of Nature's greatest shows.

Wishing clear skies for anyone that makes the trek to see it!

Ike

An old friend and I are going to start an open fire, throw some chickens on a tripod cooker before it gets dark, cook in the dark, take them off when it gets daylight again.  Sounds easier than 40+ years ago when we went all weekend to accomplish the same thing.  OLD!

fishlessman

walked out of the cave i call work with a welding helmet, looked up, went back to work....heard it was a big event thousands of years ago....i really have no understanding of spending time, money, and travel for this.... that said, the two professors that live next door to me bought some very expensive glasses for this one, its not going to be a total event here

DoubleEgger

I’m with Fish on this one. Every time you turn around, there’s yet another once in a lifetime event. It gets old. 

Bellavista52

I saw the total eclipse in 2017 in SC also and it was very impressive.  Definitely worth watching - everything @DyalSC said happened also happened where I was. The weird shadows created by the tree leaves was a real interesting phenomena! Afterwards we just went back to work and there was no increase in traffic or anything by the time I left work.

fishlessman

now if the sun got between the earth and the moon........

Foghorn

I have to confess that I think it is a cool phenomenon that is worth seeing.  With that said, I saw one in Ecuador in 1998 (just happened to be there) so I thought I was set.  Then I was told that we were going to go to Charleston for the one in 2017, so we did.  Then we saw an annular eclipse in our back yard in October... so I'm definitely all set... or so I thought.

My nephew and his wife (and 3 and 1 year old daughters) are flying in from Georgia to see it - so my sister (his mother) and a friend are driving in from Florida to join us. 

Even though we'll get about 1 min 30 seconds of totality at our house, that isn't good enough so we had to make other plans.  We were originally planning to go to Rancho Centex as he graciously invited us, but then we realized we can't get there or back in any reasonable time period.  So we have settled for going to another friend's house on the Guadalupe River near Boerne to have some pool/river/BBQ time for a fun day.  We'll get about 3 min 30 seconds of totality and have a good day with some friends and their extended family.   I'm not complaining as it is going to be a good day with family, but I will say that if I were left to my own devices, I would probably just go to work.

Thatgrimguy

Went to north GA to see the one in 17 and headed to Austin to see this one!! Great fun and educational event for the kids.

JohnInCarolina

DoubleEgger said:

I’m with Fish on this one. Every time you turn around, there’s yet another once in a lifetime event. It gets old. 

This might be something that presents a little differently when you have young kids:

alaskanassasin

July 22nd, 1992 (I had to look it up). I was a young lad in Alaska and a remember standing outside the elementary school watching the eclipse. They told us to hold our hand up to our face and peak between our fingers. 

alaskanassasin

We are in the path for this one, I’m guessing around 45 seconds of total eclipse based on estimated eclipse times in the area. 

Thatgrimguy

alaskanassasin said:

July 22nd, 1992 (I had to look it up). I was a young lad in Alaska and a remember standing outside the elementary school watching the eclipse. They told us to hold our hand up to our face and peak between our fingers. 

That would have been a partial. The Path of Totality was in the southern hemisphere for that one. They gave us a piece of paper with a small hole in it.

alaskanassasin

That reminds me of the Mt. Redoubt eruption of 1989, totally dark outside, in the middle of the day and it was raining ash. We had roughly 1.5” of volcanic ash cover the whole area, it was crazy. 

HeavyG

fishlessman said:

walked out of the cave i call work with a welding helmet, looked up, went back to work....heard it was a big event thousands of years ago....i really have no understanding of spending time, money, and travel for this.... that said, the two professors that live next door to me bought some very expensive glasses for this one, its not going to be a total event here

"walked out of the cave i call work with a welding helmet, looked up, went back to work..."

Viewing a partial eclipse thru filters is not even close to the same experience of experiencing the period of totality thru ones own naked eyes.

DoubleEgger

HeavyG said:

Viewing a partial eclipse thru filters is not even close to the same experience of experiencing the period of totality thru ones own naked eyes.

You are really teeing one up here. 

JohnInCarolina

PSA in case some of y’all need help:

Foghorn

I have to add that when we flew to Charleston for the 2017 eclipse I felt like I had become the cliche of a Carly Simon song.

dbCooper

Foghorn said:

I have to add that when we flew to Charleston for the 2017 eclipse I felt like I had become the cliche of a Carly Simon song.

@Foghorn - That is apropos based on the pics in your wedding thread, you have definite a Warren Beatty look going on. 

kl8ton

DoubleEgger said:

I’m with Fish on this one. Every time you turn around, there’s yet another once in a lifetime event. It gets old. 

Do you watch the MLB?  :-)  Each team plays 160+ game schedule and in nearly every broadcast (slightly exaggerating) you get to enjoy watching a new record being made.  

Dyal_SC

Here were the leaf shadows on my sidewalk when it was underway. Had no idea that would be a thing, but it was interesting. 

DoubleEgger

kl8ton said:

DoubleEgger said:

I’m with Fish on this one. Every time you turn around, there’s yet another once in a lifetime event. It gets old. 

Do you watch the MLB?  :-)  Each team plays 160+ game schedule and in nearly every broadcast (slightly exaggerating) you get to enjoy watching a new record being made.  

No. I haven’t watched baseball in 30 years. I would literally rather watch paint dry. 

Botch

Foghorn said:

I have to add that when we flew to Charleston for the 2017 eclipse I felt like I had become the cliche of a Carly Simon song.

Your scarf, was it apricot?