You may want to make plans now for April 8, 2024.

[Guest]

Next year will be the last time there'll be a total eclipse of the sun in North America for another 20 years, apparently. It sounds like hotels may be selling out, and some seem to be charging exorbitant rates. I looked at cities in the zone of totality (Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo), and was pretty shocked at what I found. Here's Cleveland, but the others are the same (Hilton website):

 

Yes, they want to charge $1500 PER NIGHT!! I'm going to wait and see what Marriott/Bonvoy, IHG, and Best Western come up with when those go on sale. In the meantime, I do have a room booked at the La Quinta Inn, for a paltry $200/night, if the other sites don't come up with something reasonable...

[+ azdr0710]

The further south, the better chance for clear skies!  They don't call it "The Mistake On The Lake" for nothing!!

[+ Lucky]

I saw this and my first thought was that @Unicorn was going to hold a big party for us next year on April 8th.

[+ purplekow]

It seems cheaper to wait for one in another part of the world and travel there.   2026 in Iceland and Greenland for example.  

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by purplekow

[+ ThroatCummer]

Last time this happened, I drove out to Carbondale, IL with a bunch of friends, which was the exact best point to watch it if you were in Chicago at the time. It was pretty surreal.

There is something pretty rad and very, very unexpected that happens in the areas where you have 100% coverage during it, but I don't want to spoil the fun for those who haven't experienced it before. You'll know when it does. Get to a totality zone, and especially dead center inside of it if you can, and see for yourself.  

Edited April 8, 2023 by ThroatCummer

[SirBillybob]

Absolutely clear skies today southern Quebec, likely decent Spring skiing in Eastern Townships in centre of which is city of Sherbrooke smack dab in eclipse arc next year. Snow-blind or Sun-blind, take your pick? About 15:30, still about 4 hours prior to sundown in case mountainous terrain thereabouts would otherwise obscure it. 

Looks like Sherbrooke hotels sold out April 7th though it’s a fair sized city. However, the luxurious Manoir Hovey not that far away has at least one room at $371CAD. 

All that said, it’ll be apparently total in Montreal and likely throngs of people on the city’s mountain, but on the Belvedere Outremont side, not the main lookout over downtown.

In Ontario, interestingly, Niagara Falls also right about on the arc. 

It’s the Monday a week following Easter Monday.

Edited April 8, 2023 by SirBillybob

[Jaroslav]

Eh. I’ll pass. 

[SirBillybob]

Just now, Jaroslav said:

Eh. I’ll pass. 

As it will.

[+ azdr0710]

if you haven't seen a total solar eclipse before, anybody able to manage a trip to the area of totality next year should try to do it....

it's a "see it before you die" thing and should be on everybody's bucket list!

we were in Oregon for the 2017 eclipse....a local we were with suggested a mountaintop and that made all the difference.....about 150 others also made the three-mile RT hike and we watched the shadow sweep toward us from 50 miles away......absolutely incredible......the 360-degree sunset effect, looking at the corona (remarkably small), cooler air temperature, birds stopped chirping, distant town lights on, weird shadows just before and after.....

try to get to a high piece of land for it with a view toward the SW from where the shadow will come.....99% eclipse will be like full daylight!!....gotta get in the 100% area!........

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2024/apr-8-total/where-when/

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/prepare-for-2024s-solar-eclipse-now-with-these-four-key-steps-180981933/

 

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by azdr0710

[BuffaloKyle]

17 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I looked at cities in the zone of totality (Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo), and was pretty shocked at what I found.

So you're saying I could flip the tables and ask a provider to pay me instead for an overnight and not the other way around! 🌓

[Simon Suraci]

@BuffaloKyle It’s close to Dallas but I’ll be in San Diego next year. Bummer. I’ll have to settle for Bonnie Tyler.
For the heart stuff, you may still need to hire a provider. 😘

 

[SirBillybob]

1 hour ago, BuffaloKyle said:

So you're saying I could flip the tables and ask a provider to pay me instead for an overnight and not the other way around! 🌓

And charge voyeurs to watch this 4-minute spectacle through a pinhole. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by SirBillybob

[kingsley88]

he's a cute guy in that eclipse video!

[Luv2play]

I experienced a total eclipse back in the 70's in the Laurentian mountains and it was spectacular. Occured around midday as I recall and it went quite dark.

Next year I will be in the zone as I live south west of Montreal so should be interesting. Whether its cloudy or not it will still get dark.

[samhexum]

I've made plans to stay home & do nothing.

[mike carey]

3 hours ago, Luv2play said:

Next year I will be in the zone as I live south west of Montreal so should be interesting. Whether its cloudy or not it will still get dark.

I too experienced totality in the mid 70s about 200km south of Canberra. Unfortunately I chose somewhere where it ended up being overcast. Still as totality approached it gradually became darker, but as the sun was completely obscured a noticeable shadow moved across the land despite the clouds. Whether that happens in any particular eclipse may depend on how heavily overcast it was at the time.

[Moke]

Thanks for this reminder. I have experienced one previous total eclipse and now want to be a “chaser”. It was fantastic and never to be forgotten. Does anyone have recommendations for the path as it goes through Texas?  

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Moke said:

Thanks for this reminder. I have experienced one previous total eclipse and now want to be a “chaser”. It was fantastic and never to be forgotten. Does anyone have recommendations for the path as it goes through Texas?  

I'm going to take @azdr0710's advice, and head for Dallas instead of Cleveland, although it's been much longer since I've been to Cleveland, but am nervous about the possibility of overcast skies. It looks from the map that Waco will have the greatest amount of time in totality, but that's probably a yuck of a city (the thought of the city gives me the creeps). 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Unicorn

[+ Italiano]

On 4/8/2023 at 1:41 PM, azdr0710 said:

if you haven't seen a total solar eclipse before, anybody able to manage a trip to the area of totality next year should try to do it....

it's a "see it before you die" thing and should be on everybody's bucket list!

we were in Oregon for the 2017 eclipse....a local we were with suggested a mountaintop and that made all the difference.....about 150 others also made the three-mile RT hike and we watched the shadow sweep toward us from 50 miles away......absolutely incredible......the 360-degree sunset effect, looking at the corona (remarkably small), cooler air temperature, birds stopped chirping, distant town lights on, weird shadows just before and after.....

try to get to a high piece of land for it with a view toward the SW from where the shadow will come.....99% eclipse will be like full daylight!!....gotta get in the 100% area!........

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2024/apr-8-total/where-when/

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/prepare-for-2024s-solar-eclipse-now-with-these-four-key-steps-180981933/

 

 

I experienced this in Mexico City in 1991. Unbelievable and unforgettable experience!