My thoughts for this blog

So, what am I hoping for with this blog? Why am I announcing this eclipse so early?

My intention- at this point- is to try and get all of you excited about the vacation part of all of this. I am hoping that you all will take a look at the path of totality in the first post. Look at areas in the totality path, as well as areas close to it. Make a note of areas that you find interesting. Ideally, pick several. You're not making non-refundable financial commitments here; you're just picking areas you might be interested in visiting. Even if you have very little or no interest in astronomy or eclipses, it's worth taking a look at your options- even this early. Remember, the eclipse only takes place for a few hours. 

Some thoughts:

1. This is an opportunity to have a great vacation, and to see what is arguably nature's most incredible spectacle. Take advantage of this! 

2. Of course, if you are going to travel for this, you have to be within the path of totality for the eclipse itself. Close doesn't count! You may find a region that's in the path of totality that you are possibly interested in visiting. 

3. You don't have to be within the shadow path on the days when the eclipse is not happening. If you can't find anyplace within the path of totality that strikes your interest, then you can consider visiting locations that are outside of the totality path (for the vacation). You could actually spend most of your vacation outside of the totality path. I would suggest looking at locations that are fairly close to the path of totality. The reason for that is because you would still need to access the path of totality for the eclipse (ideally, the day before the eclipse to get into position). Therefore, places such as Miami, Los Angeles, and Boston may be a bit far from the eclipse path to consider spending the majority of your vacation. But places like Portland (Oregon), St. Louis, and Atlanta may be good places to spend your vacation, because those locations give you quick and easy access to the path of totality.

4. It's not my intention to have you spend a lot of time doing research on all these areas. The idea is that you take a look at the eclipse map, and just use the knowledge you may already have about these regions (places you've been to but want to go back again; places you've researched before but never visited; places that friends have recommended, etc.) to pick which ones you may be interested in visiting.

5. If you don't know much about an area, I encourage you to do some research. Don't let lack of knowledge lead to lack of interest. You're not spending hours doing extensive research or making detailed plans. All I'm asking is that, if you're not sure if you're interested in a region, then get on sites like TripAdvisor or similar ones, or do a web search for "things to do in..." and just get a basic idea of what that area has to offer. That should only take a few minutes per region. You may be surprised.

By the way, those of you who are parents with school-age children: that may be a time of year when your kids are back at school. It may be a little more difficult for you to travel to this eclipse with them. In my opinion, though, this event is so spectacular that it may actually be worth pulling your kids out of school for a day or 2. (The eclipse is on a Monday.) All I'm saying at this point is: don't rule anything out, even if it's just a quick trip.

You may also wonder why I'm announcing this eclipse to all of you so early. There are numerous reasons for this: 

1. This will be a VERY popular event. Total eclipses of the Sun typically draw thousands of people- even to remote regions. The experience is that incredible! 

2. This one is easily within reach of millions of people. It's passing over regions that are easy and relatively inexpensive to reach (even for those who do not live in the United States). This is an opportunity for people who already have experienced the wonder of totality to share it with their families and friends. It's also an opportunity for people who have never experienced a total eclipse before to see what the excitement is all about.

3. It is the first total Solar eclipse to hit any part of the continental United States since 1979- and that one was only visible in the Pacific Northwest. This one is the first one that crosses the country from the Pacific to the Atlantic since 1918. 

4. It's already making the news in the general media. 

5. Not only is the word spreading for this in the astronomical and eclipse- chasing communities, it's also being discussed in groups that have nothing to do with astronomy.

6. The idea is for you to narrow your search to the places you may want to go BEFORE most places fill up for it. Beat the rush! 

7. Any area that is already popular with tourists that is within or near the eclipse path is likely to fill up first- you don't want to wait too long to research where to go, then decide to go to one of these popular areas, and find out that it is very difficult to book a room there. 

8. Some places are already filling up for this (I'm not sure if these are non-refundable financial commitments, or just names being put on waiting lists, but this does mean that people are making serious inquiries about it this early, and some hotels/ lodging areas are taking reservations this far in advance).

9. Many places can't take reservations more than 1 year in advance- does this possibly mean that many places in and very close to the path of totality will fill up in the late summer and fall of 2016? 

10. Some places may start raising their prices, require multi-night minimum stays, or both- once they start to realize the popularity of this event (if they get numerous requests, for example.) 

11. Some tour groups are ALREADY filling up for this eclipse- if you'd like to join a tour for this eclipse (especially one that has experience with eclipses), you may want to act soon! 

12. A total Solar eclipse does take place somewhere in the world every 1.5 to 2 years. The next ones in the United States are in 2024, 2044, 2045, and 2052. Unless you're willing to travel overseas to see one, these are your best chances. 

There are some places that already have begun preparations for this eclipse. Others have not caught on just yet- but I am quite sure they eventually will, once they realize how big of an economic opportunity this is for them. I don't know if interest for this eclipse will grow gradually, or if something or some things will happen that will cause a sudden surge in interest for this.

I know I may seem a bit obsessive about this. I know it may seem strange to be thinking about a vacation this far in advance. But I hope this post makes it clear that all I'm really hoping for at this point is to start the discussion, and to generate some interest in taking a vacation to one of these places, as well as - hopefully, eventually, through future posts here on this blog- in the eclipse itself. And that this eclipse- though it may not seem this way now- will be a REALLY big event. 

I'm here to help. Any questions that you may have- feel free to post it here as a comment on one of the blog posts, or on the Facebook page (if you would feel that it would benefit the group) or email me at eclipseaugust2017@gmail.com if you'd rather keep it private.

Thanks so much for reading this long post!