April 8 - Plan Now for 2024

Posted on April 8, 2019


A lot of times I say things like, "On this date in" [some year in the past], "blah-blah happened..."

Today I am talking about "on this date in" [some year in the future"!!

Specifically, I am saying, "On this date in 2024, there will be a total solar eclipse in Mexico and the U.S. and a bit of Canada."

Path of the 2024 eclipse


And, honestly, you should probably plan ahead for that event!

I lived quite a few decades during which I never even considered trying to spend the time and money to see a total solar eclipse. I would hear about one that would be occurring in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (in 1983), and another in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (hey, no fair!) (in 1984), and one in the ocean near Antarctica (1985), one in Indonesia and the Philippines (1988), and one in Finland, the Soviet Union, and certain islands belonging to Alaska (1990). 

And by that time, it was clear to me that ordinary folks like me - people who didn't happen to live in Indonesia - people who didn't have the money and the passion to fly all over and book passage on eclipse ships - people who weren't full-fledged eclipse chasers - would never see a total eclipse.

Path of the 2017 eclipse
And then, in July of 2016, I heard that there would be a total eclipse visible in many parts of the U.S. Including Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska. It would occur on August 21, 2017...

!!

I remember thinking: I live in California! I could easily and rather inexpensively drive to Oregon or Idaho!! I have in the past, for less special reasons!!!

I remember thinking: I can see a total solar eclipse!!

My husband and I started making plans a bit more than a year ahead - and we discovered that hotels in the areas of totality WERE ALREADY FULL!!!!!






And we also discovered that many hotels in the areas near totality were completely unaware that there was going to be a total solar eclipse nearby, and many didn't want to take reservations longer than 12 months ahead. We found a very inexpensive motel that was rated as being clean and comfortable that WOULD take reservations 13 months early, and that was located just a couple of hours outside of totality, and we made our reservations...

...Six months later, friends who had pooh-poohed our making plans so early also found motels with vacancies just a few hours away from totality - but the prices had skyrocketed to four times the usual. We felt very lucky.

...And very close to the time of August 21, eclipse fever seemed to have grasped the nation, and a lot of people who had paid no attention to my ramblings about the upcoming event were suddenly trying to move heaven and earth so that they could see it, too. Most of them realized that it was going to be way too expensive and way too exhausting to try to put together last minute plans to see the total solar eclipse...so they ended up missing it.



My husband and I got to see it, and two out of three of my adult children got to see it, too. And I would say:

A total solar eclipse is really weird, but also really, really cool. And I think you should TRY to see one, at some point in your life. 



But for sure, don't take the time and trouble to go CLOSE to totality but not all the way!!! I talked to several people and read about several more who wanted to avoid traffic and crowds, so they traveled to an area about a mile away from totality and then stopped there.
How depressing!

I mean, partial solar eclipses are a dime a dozen. I've seen the moon partly cover the sun several times in my life, and it's cool and all - but it's NOTHING like totality! Of course, if you live in an area of a partial eclipse, and you want to get some eclipse glasses so you can check it out, do that - I'm not saying to skip it - but just don't consider it anything even remotely in the same category as seeing a total solar eclipse!

Because there was so much hubbub about the 2017 solar eclipse, and because so many people saw it and talked about it a LOT (or at least I did), it's likely that people will be planning for the 2024 eclipse even earlier (remember, 13 months ahead of the 2017 eclipse, we couldn't find any rooms in all of Idaho in totality!).



Also, the next total solar eclipse that falls across North America won't occur until 2045.

These are some of the reasons I think you should consider planning way, way ahead: 

  • Study a map like this Google map, which shows exactly where totality will be. Aim for a spot on the central line, where the eclipse lasts around four minutes.
  • Check out weather patterns, and try to choose a place that is likely to be clear (clouds spoil solar eclipses!). Your best bet may be to choose a spot in Mexico or Texas.
  • Figure out if you know anyone in the path of totality - someone you can visit and stay with. Or find out what motels are willing to sell you a room way ahead. 
  • Get the right kind of eclipse glasses (some nonsafe versions were sold in 2017 - so read articles like this one to buy the right kind!).
These people are in a long line trying to
get eclipse glasses at the last minute.
  • The 2024 eclipse will occur on a Monday. Figure out if your school will have spring break during the eclipse, or if spring break will be happening in big cities near the totality spot you are considering traveling to. Note that some schools have spring breaks that are influenced by the date of Easter, and in 2024, Easter will be March 31, a mere 8 days before the eclipse. Plan vacation time from work around a trip to totality.





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1 comment:

  1. DominickMay 21, 2020 at 7:32 PM

    I like your blog so much and also I like one more thing from your blog that is you start your planning from now for the year 2024. Like your we should also lead our life through the exact scheduling and timing. Because without proper schedule of time no one can achieve their success in life. So, you can use shift notes it is free software which is provided by Orapex.

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