So are you going to see the total eclipse? ..we are going to fly out to Wyoming,..(they are gouging prices,..a cheap motel is going for 800 bucks a night!,) IF you can get a room,..people are renting room for about the same,..Planing on staying a 4-8 hour drive away,..prices shouldn't be nearly as high,..maybe more able to get a room /car and driving to it in the morning.

weather is a factor,..so I'm waiting for at least a 5 day forecast,..BUT every day airfare ,cars and hotels are going way up,.availability going down....the reason of Wyoming is that its on the dry side of the Rocky's,... chances of clear weather is much higher than either coast.

So some people say whats the big deal? It just gets dark than light again,..but people that I know have been to a TOTAL) eclipse, say its nothing like you have felt before.

Most times a total eclipse is in Siberia, central Turkey, in the Indian ocean ect,etc,..hard to get to,..but people that have experienced one often go to great lengths to experience another,..

They try to explain it,..but often say they can't,..I remember years ago they sent the whole Today Show to Turkey to see it,..immediately after the women and men were either teary eyed or choked up,..So I'm guessing its pretty moving,..

Some say "oh I've seen an eclipse" almost for sure they have seen an partial one. I saw a 92% partial,..not impressed,..amazing that it DIDN'T get very dark with 92% of the sun obstructed,..(I don't know the physics of why that would be)

"MAYBE" they saw an annular eclipse,..I MIGHT put down my newspaper to see that,..but not any partial ones,..BTW those that say they have experienced a total one AND a annular one (Thats where the moon covers the sun but when the moon is a bit farther from earth so you see a ring of fire around the edge,.)

They say there is no comparison,..to the feeling between the two.

Hope you consider experiencing one,..generally a once in a lifetime for most of us,...

I live in the path of total eclipse, so Yay!

We're flying into Kansas City and then a short drive to St. Joseph to watch it. Booked it all a few months ago, so was able to use points for both the flights and the hotels. So, pretty cheap (free!) trip for us!

Just a short one. Flying in on Sunday, eclipse on Monday, flying out on Tuesday.

Vee: 1984 was an annual though, so not a total eclipse like this one.

And, we all have glasses now so that we can look right at it. None of that old hole-in-a-box crap any more. :)

- John...

There will be another total that hits the USA in 2024. Rare that they are that close together. So, another chance. But, I'm certainly taking advantage of THIS chance first. If I get bad weather this time, then I'll have 2024 to fall back on. But I'm not risking skipping a good view of this one just because it MIGHT be a good view in 2024. :)

Heck, I'm sure we'll fly to see that one too. :)

- John...

Might be a biochemical thing that causes odd feelings. One minute we are reacting to a full shot of sun and then a giant thing slides over it.

I don't think the media are saying often enough: DON'T LOOK AT IT. They are saying "are you going to watch it"? I hope all the ophthalmologists and emergency rooms are ready for the stupidity.

can think of other ways to spend thousands of dollars for an experience lasting a few minutes

TEX

I thought about that but I think my arc welding helmet only has #10 Lens.

My sister has been reading that you need a #14 lens.

So would using a normal #10 lens welding helmet and getting a #5 lens like is use in brazing goggles work.

Again, it certainly CAN be done on the cheap too. Especially if you planned ahead. :)

I'm flying for free and staying for free -- and the car rental is only costing me $46 total because I booked it many months ago. :)

- John...

There must be something to the feeling,..as I know several people that spent much more traveling half way around the world to see another one after seeing their first. Has to be total,..

I can remember seeing on the back of hotel room doors the maximuim $$ they can ever charge for a room,..I can't say that I have looked in recent times,..so if there was a convention in town they could charge half again for the room but not 8X's

Hollis

You probably haven't seen me post here. I am more of a lurker.If you can get to Wyoming I would give you a room to stay in for a couple of nights. I,m in Casper which is right on the path of the eclipse.

Billings Mt. is a 4hr. drive and Salt Lake city is a 6 hr drive. Denver is about 5 hours with terrible traffic on a good day. Rapid city SD is about 4 hours also. I don't know if you can get a flight into Casper at this point but you might.

I don't know how to get you my contact information, but if you are interested we could probably make this work.

Howard that is so increadibly nice of you! However we have had to change our plans,..cannot get a car w/in 300 miles (tried Denver AND Salt Lake city!) Also flights to there have more than doubled IF you can get one.

So we are targeting Chicago,...they at least have cars as of now,..5 hour drive to total area.

Plan C may be Memphis and drive to cerca Nashville,..

Watching the weather for that part of the choice...

I hope things are not too crazy for you in Casper,..I understand they are getting that way already,..

Hollis

Sorry you aren't going to make it to Wyoming.I wondered if you could get here at all on this short of notice.

There are private airplanes coming here from all over the world. As of today the airplane parking is completely full with lots of calls still coming in requesting a place to land and park. the commercial airlines have added extra flights. The airport will be a good place to stay away from.

I hope you will get to somewhere to see the eclipse. and maybe someday you can get to Wyoming. It's a pretty great place to visit and live.

If we ever get to be in your area we will definitely let you know.

We were in Oregon a couple weeks ago. They are freaked about the MILLIONS of people planning on going. Saying there will not be enough food.

We were going to go to Jackson Hole but it's just nuts. The SIX motel is over $250 a night!

We were also in Idaho, the whole west is busier than I have ever seen it. Not just the eclipse but too dang many baby boomers on vacation.

It is going to be crazy in Missouri with Kansas City, St Joseph, Columbia, Jefferson City, and St. Louis being in or very near the path of totality, they are preparing as if it is a natural disaster.

The most important thing the fake cable media are not saying is DON'T LOOK AT IT. They are saying instead: Watch it.

Most people know to not stare at the sun. And, every time I've seen any news report about it, they have been talking about the little cardboard glasses that everyone is wearing.

So, I really don't see this thing where the media are allegedly telling people to stare at the sun.

Maybe you need to watch better media if that is really what you're seeing on TV about this. Again, everything I've seen has reminded people to wear the glasses if you want to watch it directly.

- John...

We're 10 minutes from the edge of totality, so planning to drive about a half hour and watch it in a lawn chair by the side of the road or in a park somewhere.

I've seen one other total solar eclipse, in Africa in 2001 on the banks of the Zambezi River. It was very cool. Not enought to make me cry or anything, I don't get that. But cool enough that I'm letting my 25 employees off at lunch if they want to go see it.

Hollis:

I have a vacant 1 br 40 mins from totality. If you want to fly into STL you can stay for free. I have a queen sized blow up matress and bedding I can provide, but there's no other furniture in there. I thought about renting it out but don't trust strangers for 1 night, and it's an upstairs unit of a duplex that the lower unit is occupied.

Wow! what a site we have here,..Thank you too. But wife just got and paid for a package deal,...airfare, car, and hotel all now paid for,..but thank you,.also you too are welcome if you ever travel to western Ma!

You're welcome! Glad you will see it.

AllyM: During totality, it is safe to look at the eclipse. During that time, the sun will not be visible.

Whenever sun is visible, you need to look using eclipse glasses.

Again, I've seen this repeated over and over again on the news and every web site that talks about the eclipse. Hopefully, people know to not stare at the sun...

- John...

AllyM: Did you even read what I wrote?? I know that people aren't supposed to look at the sun. That is why, if you want to, you need to wear special protective glasses.

That is exactly what I said: that WHENEVER THE SUN IS VISIBLE, YOU NEED TO LOOK USING ECLIPSE GLASSES.

What are you disagreeing with?

- John...

John, You said when there is totality it is safe to look. I just watched the Fox News meteorologist who demonstrated the glasses and the NASA website had an explanation of why they are needed.

The Fox News meteorologist just said that there is no time when it is safe to look at the sun without the correct glasses. An example she gave is that a person can still get a suntan on a cloudy day.

I'm not a fan of your style, but I would hate to think someone got hurt from reading your post.

As John said, and you refuse to believe, is during totality you can remove the glasses. In fact if you don't, you won't see the corona, which is kinda the whole point.

Exactly. When it is in totality (which is only for about 2 minutes and ONLY in very specific areas), then the moon completely blocks out the sun's rays. You are safe to remove the glasses to look at that point. You will only see the corona from the sun around the moon. It is completely safe for your eyes.

And, as Blue said, if you do NOT take the glasses off at that point, it will be too dark to see anything.

But, again, this is only for the areas experiencing TOTAL ECLIPSE.

Nothing I said was unsafe for anyone. I repeated multiple times the same thing that your FOX NEWS meteorologist said: any time that you are LOOKING AT THE SUN, you need the glasses. During totality, you are NOT LOOKING AT THE SUN.

This is simple stuff, Ally. I'm sorry you're having such a terrible time understanding it.

- John...

Also, if you want official confirmation, here's the page by NASA:

www.nasa.gov/content/eye-safety-during-a-total-solar-eclipse

Note that it says this: "During the short time when the moon completely obscures the sun – known as the period of totality – it is safe to look directly at the star, but it's crucial that you know when to take off and put back on your glasses."

So, just like I said, during that brief period of totality, you can look directly at it. You only take off your glasses during that limited period.

NASA agrees with exactly what I said.

- John...