toomanybooks

This might be of interest. The 1922 eclipse when they tested Einstein's theory of relativity.:

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles...tern-australia

And a bit about Hopkinsville, KY, arguably the spot with max totality. They got their first inquiry from someone interested almost ten years ago! Looks like hundreds of thousands will attend:

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles...obsessing-over

lonelycrowd

I'm having a last minute impulse to go see the total eclipse. Since there's not really any hotel rooms left in the path of totality at this point, I think I'm going to check the weather forecasts on Saturday morning and choose between approaching via either Knoxville or Charlotte, knowing that wherever we can find a room for Sunday will require us to drive the last 10-100 miles into the the total eclipse path on early Monday morning. Leaning toward TN if the weather is slated to be decent to avoid traffic coming down the I-95 "driveshed," though I'm sure traffic will be awful anywhere we go.

Got the same email; my cardboard glasses had the "Great Eclipse" design and the ISO label stamped on them, but apparently the seller did not manage to provide Amazon with documentation that they came from one of the small handful of AAS recommended manufacturers in time. It seems unfair to both buyers and sellers that Amazon waited so long to add this additional requirement above and beyond the ISO certification label, though understandable why Amazon would want to act with an overabundance of caution. I tested the glasses myself with a bright flashlight as recommended by AAS and believe that mine are OK to use despite Amazon's disclaimer.

Zorak

FWIW I drove westbound on I-24 out of CHA this morning, and in TN there was an overhead sign alternating between the messages of "PLAN AHEAD" and "EXPECT HEAVY TRAFFIC"

Loose Cannon

Got itinerary booked:

AA2462 LAX-DFW connecting to AA1010 DFW-STL Saturday 19th August Scheduled departure from LAX 14h05 PDT
Scheduled arrival into STL 22h43 CDT

A friend of mine in the STL area is willing to take to the area of totality but details still need to be worked out as there are options to go south, southwest or west from STL. Where will depend at least part on the weather forecast which looks "pretty good" as of now.

Jailer

I'm flying into STL as well and thinking Perryville, as it's an easy jaunt and they have a fair bit going on. Wherever we go, we are making an early start to avoid as much traffic and to enjoy as much local vibe as possible.

That I'm at the St Louis Hilton at $125 per night speaks to some pre-planning, and a conference rate.

pseudoswede

Population of Wyoming: 500,000
Expected out-of-state visitors this weekend: 600,000

My plan is to re-fuel in Cheyenne, then refuel again the first thing I do when in Casper. That should give me enough gas to crawl back to Cheyenne and refuel for the journey home.

TuxTom

I've only been an occasional reader here before finally joining these forums so I haven't been following this thread, but anyone flying into PDX or BOI should be ready for madness. Reports from people in Bend, OR are saying that a lot of the small towns along the path in central and eastern Oregon are already running out of gas and food.

KathyWdrf

Another stat: Population of Oregon: 3.5 - 4 million
Expected eclipse visitors to Oregon: 1 million

Also an

And of course the expected 1 million could end up being more, or fewer.

toomanybooks

Website that aggregates weather forecasts from many places along the eclipse route:

http://skythisweek.info/eclipse2017_...wy_weather.htm

pinniped

I'll be in St. Joe. We're in that "20% chance of precip" range, but it looks like the forecast for everything north and west is "mostly sunny" with no mention of rain. That's a good sign.

Austin787

Teton, WY (near JAC) is calling for mostly sunny. Some other weather sources are calling for partly cloudy. We shall see.

Eastbay1K

Hopefully my motel vending machine is well-stocked, and functional!

PV_Premier

I may be forced to cancel my trip at the last minute, but if I don't, I am bringing sufficient snack food with me to cover my needs. My rental car will have enough gas for a round trip. One benefit of doing this in a quick hit and run style trip.

Planning to be on the southern edge of totality band and driving south to get back to the airport as soon as totality ends, I have less concerns about traffic than most here seem to have.

jerry305

I expect the traffic jam out of the eclipse area, in some states, will be colossal.

Gas stations that don't normally sell out, will. Keep your gas tank full.
I'm bringing food & water, cash, pillows, sunscreen... stuff I wouldn't want to be without if I-80 is a parking lot. A lot of roads will be parking lots.

Good luck all.

C W

I'm already with family in Salem, OR at the moment, so I won't have to brave the roads at all to see the eclipse. We are preparing for being housebound for a few days though.

I flew in from Germany for the visit on Tuesday in LH F. Airports didn't seem to be experiencing unusual volume at that time.