Ohio: Total Eclipse of the Sun on April 8th
 

I never really got the obsession that some people have with total eclipses until I saw the 2017 event near St. Louis. Totality is eerie and fabulous.

I made arrangements to be in Cincinnati, a town (and MLB ballpark) I've never visited, for 2024. Wanting to recreate the great food/music experience we had at a Missouri winery, I called up a winery near Lima only to be told that "we don't work on Monday". I barely resisted snarking back, "no worries, I think the next one in 2099 is on a work day."

So, any great venues north of Cinci to share?

Are you looking for someplace organizing an "event" for the viewing, or just someplace to do a self-service viewing spot?

The Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum is in Wapakoneta, and in the direct path. Seems they are organizing some activities.
https://www.armstrongmuseum.org/grea...-solar-eclipse

About a 2 hour drive North of Cincy

Thanks for the suggestion.

We would like too go to an organized event, preferably one that includes good food, music and alcohol.

Ah, OK. I haven't seen anything like that, but will keep an eye out and post if I come across something.

On this topic, I’m exploring a visit to Cleveland for April 8th.

Have mileage tickets into CLE arriving around 1130 and leaving out of CAK (Akron/Canton airport) at 1925.

What’s the best way, short of hiring a car, to get to somewhere interesting to view the eclipse which would be fun and educational for an 8 year old child, and then get back again to CAK airport for the flight back?

totality is around 1510. There will be many events in the area like at a local science museum. Thr isdue is going to be transportation. I don’t understand why you aren’t just returning from CLE.

traffic in totality right after is going to be hell with folks heading south out of totality zone ehich is your way to ark on. You will be serious backed up that you might not make your flight trying to get out of Cleveland along with normal rush hour r traffic around 1600 and getting there by 1800.

The center of activities is the Great Lakes Science Center which is one of the NASA broadcast locations of the eclipse:

https://greatscience.com/explore/eve...ipse-fest-2024

You can get downtown (Tower City) by rail from the airport on the RTA Red Line. The Waterfront Line goes from there to the GLSC but it's been shut down for reconstruction. It *might* be re-opened in time for the eclipse but I haven't heard. If not, the walk from Tower City to GLSC is a little less than a mile.

Your issue is going to be getting from downtown Cleveland to CAK. It can be done with a bus transfer in Akron but no one would call if "convenient". Worse, I wouldn't count on Uber or Lyft, either, as they will be absolutely slammed and so could buses getting out of Cleveland. Estimates are there could be 200,000 more people in downtown Cleveland than the average weekday.

If at all possible, try to arrange your departing flight from CLE which has rail service.

Michigander Here
 

Like you, we did not understand how amazing it is until 2017 when we went to Kentucky to see it. I know it is not what you asked for, but we are going to be on cruise ship off the coast of mexico. Only a 5% chance of clouds and the ship can move away if necessary. Anywhere in the midwest may be fraughtwith clouds so be prepared to watch the weather and be mobile,

Maybe this will be helpful, maybe this won't. I went to Salem, OR for a previous total eclipse. We flew into PDX the day before - under an hour to the lodging just north of the SLE city center. Next day, we left back to PDX within about 15 minutes of the end of totality. It took under 90 minutes (and spent several hours at the airport). We spoke to others later, who waited a bit longer to drive back north to PDX, and it took them about 4 hours.

I would not rely on any transport, save your own rental car, for getting around. I'd also not rely on getting a rental car at this point.

Hudson and Essex in Mansfield is having a viewing party on their patio.