Advice for Upcoming Flight for Eclipse
Aug 10, 2017, 3:12 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: EUG
Programs: UA Silver, AS
Posts: 115
Don't go too far east of SLE or you might run into smoke from wildfires ...
http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/2017...r-fire_10.html
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/stor...ark/546663001/
http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/2017...r-fire_10.html
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/stor...ark/546663001/
Aug 10, 2017, 3:18 pm
#17
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Salem, in fact, is further south than the midpoint of the totality path! So in a sense going to Salem (from Portland) is "overshooting"!
Using this interactive map:
you can see that you only have to go halfway from Portland to Salem to get a 45s or 55s or 1m05s totality. That's shorter totality than closer to Salem, but if it makes it more likely that you'll catch your flight back, might a few seconds less of totality be worth being dozens of miles closer to the airport?
Aug 10, 2017, 3:47 pm
#19
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
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Posts: 5,798
I know this might stray OT, but in case anyone is planning on watching from Mt. Jefferson in eastern Oregon, the Mt. Jefferson wilderness area is closed due to fires. There are ways in if you know the area and want to hike (or fly) but officially it's "closed."
The problem with Wyoming is there's less roads into and out of the path. Even with the smoke this week, it would have been great weather to see it. The smoke in the Valley wasn't nearly as bad as Portland or Seattle this week.
I'll be in Portland on Friday and out early Tuesday. Keeping a keen eye on the forecast in case I need to make arrangements and get someplace sunny.
I'll be in Portland on Friday and out early Tuesday. Keeping a keen eye on the forecast in case I need to make arrangements and get someplace sunny.
Aug 10, 2017, 4:04 pm
#20
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,846
Well, one choice is to figure out the northernmost part of the eclipse path which still has a decent totality duration. That might be a bit further north than where most people are, since most people are not looking at precise maps of the eclipse path, just hearing that it will be visible in Salem and heading to the general Salem area, anywhere in the general Salem area.
Salem, in fact, is further south than the midpoint of the totality path! So in a sense going to Salem (from Portland) is "overshooting"!
Using this interactive map:
you can see that you only have to go halfway from Portland to Salem to get a 45s or 55s or 1m05s totality. That's shorter totality than closer to Salem, but if it makes it more likely that you'll catch your flight back, might a few seconds less of totality be worth being dozens of miles closer to the airport?
Salem, in fact, is further south than the midpoint of the totality path! So in a sense going to Salem (from Portland) is "overshooting"!
Using this interactive map:
you can see that you only have to go halfway from Portland to Salem to get a 45s or 55s or 1m05s totality. That's shorter totality than closer to Salem, but if it makes it more likely that you'll catch your flight back, might a few seconds less of totality be worth being dozens of miles closer to the airport?
I'm staying in Tigard, so I thought I could hop over to the Woodburn outlet mall and watch the eclipse from the parking lot before I do some shopping!
Aug 10, 2017, 4:16 pm
#21
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,846
I'm in Salem, ground zero. Places are gearing up around here for the madness. I know a lot of businesses will be closed and the hospital will be in disaster mode. They are adding triage tents and requiring some staff to sleep at the hospital. The real worry is with all the traffic emergency responders may not be able to get to where they need to go.
I did see that Hertz was in damage control mode on the rate increases and cancellations and that they were trying to get additional cars into the area. And Uber, not Lyft, just started service in Salem, so that could be an option too.
In Salem Enterprise has 2 good sized offices and Budget has one a the airport, which has no scheduled service, but if you take the Hut Shuttle from PDX this is where it lets you off.
I'll be spending the morning at Trinity Vineyards, which I can reach from my house using back roads. A lot of the vineyards around the area are doing special events.
The state attorney general just fined a bunch of hotels for unfair business practices for raising rates and canceling reservations. If this happens to you I would file a complaint.
https://justice.oregon.gov/consumerc...mplaintForm/en
http://www.opb.org/news/series/solar...rease-refunds/
I did see that Hertz was in damage control mode on the rate increases and cancellations and that they were trying to get additional cars into the area. And Uber, not Lyft, just started service in Salem, so that could be an option too.
In Salem Enterprise has 2 good sized offices and Budget has one a the airport, which has no scheduled service, but if you take the Hut Shuttle from PDX this is where it lets you off.
I'll be spending the morning at Trinity Vineyards, which I can reach from my house using back roads. A lot of the vineyards around the area are doing special events.
The state attorney general just fined a bunch of hotels for unfair business practices for raising rates and canceling reservations. If this happens to you I would file a complaint.
https://justice.oregon.gov/consumerc...mplaintForm/en
http://www.opb.org/news/series/solar...rease-refunds/
I actually have several back-up plans - but all require an operational rental car, so I can get there from where I'm staying in Tigard:
1. Solarfest in Madras (I bought tickets and overnight parking)
2. Total Eclipse of the Garden, at Oregon Gardens in Silverton (have tickets)
3. Free eclipse event at the Polk County Courthouse, in Dallas, OR
4. Viewing from the Woodburn Outlet Mall parking lot
Of course, who needs a back-up plan if the whole state is cloudy or smoky? I'm not sure what I'll do if this is the case.
I do have experience with this -- I went to Cornwall, England in '99 for the total eclipse there. It rained.
But I did get to experience the darkness and the birds nesting - quite an eerie experience, so it's worth being in the area of totality, regardless!
Aug 10, 2017, 4:24 pm
#22
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,846
I'm flying in Sunday AM and hope to be in my Hertzmobile by 1030a (if they haven't given it away). I hope to get to my Roachmotel in SLE before they give my room to someone else (I even comped status into the Roachmotel program so I'd be less likely to get walked). I then am leaving PDX Monday after 6pm, and plan to leave SLE as soon as the sun is coming back out.
I suppose I can take Uber everywhere if there is an issue with my rental car. But I don't know much about taking Uber on really busy event days - do the prices go sky high?
Aug 10, 2017, 4:42 pm
#23
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Hilton/Marriott Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 2,036
Good info - thanks!
I actually have several back-up plans - but all require an operational rental car, so I can get there from where I'm staying in Tigard:
1. Solarfest in Madras (I bought tickets and overnight parking)
2. Total Eclipse of the Garden, at Oregon Gardens in Silverton (have tickets)
3. Free eclipse event at the Polk County Courthouse, in Dallas, OR
4. Viewing from the Woodburn Outlet Mall parking lot
I actually have several back-up plans - but all require an operational rental car, so I can get there from where I'm staying in Tigard:
1. Solarfest in Madras (I bought tickets and overnight parking)
2. Total Eclipse of the Garden, at Oregon Gardens in Silverton (have tickets)
3. Free eclipse event at the Polk County Courthouse, in Dallas, OR
4. Viewing from the Woodburn Outlet Mall parking lot
Aug 10, 2017, 4:49 pm
#24
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Ahem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberts_Field
Still space on the 8/21 SEA-RDM flight that gets you in an hour before the eclipse (AS 2517). It's pretty close to the south end of the zone of totality, though.
(My plans are to drive into Central Oregon overnight well east of the Cascades from Seattle, and to proceed south to a party in northern Nevada with a few of my friends. I reserved the car to do that a LONG time ago.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberts_Field
Still space on the 8/21 SEA-RDM flight that gets you in an hour before the eclipse (AS 2517). It's pretty close to the south end of the zone of totality, though.
(My plans are to drive into Central Oregon overnight well east of the Cascades from Seattle, and to proceed south to a party in northern Nevada with a few of my friends. I reserved the car to do that a LONG time ago.)
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Aug 10, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Aug 10, 2017, 4:57 pm
#25
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,846
You'd be far from the only person at the outlet mall, and last I checked that parking lot was kind of awful even on a normal weekday. You may have much smaller crowds heading southwest from Tigard--I believe Newberg is along the very edge of the path of totality--although 99W will likely be swamped by people trying to bypass I-5 and people heading for the coast. But if 99 is as much of a parking lot as people seem to think it'll be--and as a southwest Portlander who does most of his grocery shopping in the Tigard triangle, I can attest that it's already bad during a normal rush hour--Google says you can walk from the Washington Square DoubleTree to Newberg in about five hours. Bring lots of water.
Newberg is actually outside the path of totality. I think McMinnville looks to be the closest fair-sized town on that highway (if you don't count Lafayette and St Joseph) and they do have a viewing event at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. Costs $5 and still has tickets. Maybe that's a better additional back-up than the outlet mall?
Aug 10, 2017, 5:03 pm
#26
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,846
Ahem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberts_Field
Still space on the 8/21 SEA-RDM flight that gets you in an hour before the eclipse (AS 2517). It's pretty close to the south end of the zone of totality, though.
(My plans are to drive into Central Oregon overnight well east of the Cascades from Seattle, and to proceed south to a party in northern Nevada with a few of my friends. I reserved the car to do that a LONG time ago.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberts_Field
Still space on the 8/21 SEA-RDM flight that gets you in an hour before the eclipse (AS 2517). It's pretty close to the south end of the zone of totality, though.
(My plans are to drive into Central Oregon overnight well east of the Cascades from Seattle, and to proceed south to a party in northern Nevada with a few of my friends. I reserved the car to do that a LONG time ago.)
Aug 10, 2017, 5:15 pm
#27
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I've read on another thread that Amtrak on that route is booked solid. I'm not discouraging anyone from checking, but don't get your hopes up.
(Hotels booked up nearly a year ago. By early September 2016, many hotels in the path of totality were sold out for eclipse dates.)
(Hotels booked up nearly a year ago. By early September 2016, many hotels in the path of totality were sold out for eclipse dates.)
Aug 10, 2017, 5:18 pm
#28
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My car rental is not with Hertz (Alamo as a SEA to RNO one-way spanning two days), and it's out of SEA, not PDX. Alamo lets you pre-reserve cars to where you can print the paperwork and then hop in your car class and drive off.
Aug 10, 2017, 5:54 pm
#29
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Leave early. Hwy 26 through the mountains will probably be stuffed with cars, RVs, campers, ... Large parts are 2-lane highway.
Aug 10, 2017, 5:56 pm
#30
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