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thrillist.com /travel/nation/total-solar-eclipse-2017-where-to-watch
8/18/2017
Travel
If youve been avoiding the news for the past six months (and hey, I dont blame you) you may have missed that
Americas about to experience its first total eclipse of the sun in 38 years. On August 21 the moon will completely blot
out the sun, and stretches of the United States will be in complete darkness as the moon casts its shadow. During an
eclipse like this, the temperature drops, light takes on a spooky filtered effect, and the suns corona is visible as a
spectacular aura around the moon, just for a moment.
People are rightfully stoked. This is the first time since 1979 the US has been in the path of a full eclipse, and even
then it was visible only in six Northwestern states. This years will cross the country from Oregon to South Carolina,
marking the first time in 99 years that weve had a coast-to-coast eclipse.
The madness is still ramping up. If you haven't made travel plans yet, be sure to look for late flight deals to cities in
the path of totality, and watch out for counterfeit eclipse glasses.
But unlike in horseshoes, hand grenades, and any work you do after lunch on a Friday, close enough just isnt
going to cut it. As one quote from Columbia, South Carolinas dedicated eclipse page put it:
For those who choose to experience this eclipse outside the path, a partial eclipse is all they will see. Even if the
sun is 99.9% eclipsed for these observers, they will not experience the full, jaw-dropping, knee-buckling,
emotionally-overloading, completely overwhelming spectacle that is totality. -- Dan McGlaun, veteran of 12 total
solar eclipses
What Dan is trying to say, yall, is that to really experience this thing youre probably going to have to travel. The line
of totality is only about 70 miles wide, and even within that 70 miles the duration of the eclipse can only be a few
seconds, so only a handful of places will be truly great for viewing. We took a look at The Great American Eclipses
picks for the best places to see it, and found out whats going on there. Then, three days from the eclipse, we added
the weather forecasts for each, courtesy of Wunderground.
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party, and the city has a number of public spaces hosting smaller events.
Madras, Oregon
Time of eclipse: 10:19am
Duration: 2 minutes, 4 seconds
Site: madraseclipse.com
Weather forecast: Immaculate. A 0% chance of rain during the eclipse.
This tiny town in central Oregon has been cited by some as THE best place to see the eclipse, and its definitely the
top far-west spot to put yourself in the line of totality. The city has set up a campground along the centerline dubbed
solartown where outdoor enthusiasts can hang out and wait for the show. Did we mention weed is legal here? So
theres that. Theres also three days of live music featuring local acts and tribute bands to Aerosmith, Heart, and Tom
Petty.
Nashville, Tennessee
Time of eclipse: 1:27pm
Duration: 1 minute, 57 seconds
Site: visitmusiccity.com/eclipse
Weather forecast: Outstanding. Clear with a 1% chance of rain.
We didnt call out Nashville as one of the best places to visit in 2017 because we liked the Predators chances in the
playoffs. Its the only metropolis in the line of totality, and the city boasts more than a few rooftop bars, restaurants,
and pop-up locations to view the most unusual two minutes of the decade. In addition to all the parties, the
Adventure Science Center will host a music and technology festival from the 19th to the 21st, and the Nashville
Sounds will have a special eclipse party during their Monday game. Every park in the city as well as the zoo and
public waterways have some kind of festivities going on. If you can snag a hotel room (or a couch) Music City might
be the most exciting place in America on August 21.
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Time of eclipse: 1:24pm
Duration: 2 minutes, 41 seconds
Site: eclipseville.com
Weather forecast: Ideal. Clear with about a 2% chance of rain.
Hopkinsville is promoting itself as the point of greatest eclipse, which while it may not technically be true doesnt
diminish the wealth of activities in one of the longest-eclipsed cities in the country. Its Kentucky Bourbon Mashoree
kicks off on the 17th, drawing bourbon makers from all over Kentucky to the MB Roland Distillery for four days of
food, music, and sweet brown liquor. Sunday will feature a Bluegrass Bash at nearby Burdoc Farms, and Eclipse
Con will bring luminaries from the world of comics, anime, and sci-fi to the Bruce Convention Center for the weekend
as well.
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Time of eclipse: 2:35pm
Duration: 1 minute, 17 seconds
Site: www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/2017-solar-eclipse.htm
Weather forecast: Strong. Clear with 3% chance of rain midday.
Straddling the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, Americas most-visited National Park will get an even bigger
boost this year, as its the only one with significant viewing areas in the line of totality. The parking lot at the
Clingmans Dome trailhead will be closed to host scientists, storytellers, and park rangers explaining the cultural and
natural significance of the event. The dome is the parks highest point, and will offer the best viewing, but events are
also planned for Cades Cove and Oconaluftee. Even if you cant make those, anywhere in the western part of the
park should give you an excellent view.
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Carbondale, Illinois
Time of eclipse: 1:20pm
Duration: 2 minutes, 41 seconds
Site: eclipse.siu.edu
Weather forecast: Pretty good. Partly cloudy, no chance of rain.
The longest duration of the eclipses totality will be just south of Carbondale in the Shawnee National Forest. But
does that forest have a football stadium from which to see the blazing corona? No, it does not. Southern Illinois
University in Carbondale does, however. Its opening up Saluki Stadium for viewing, charging $25 a ticket, with
luxury suite packages available if you really wanna go all out. Around the stadium will be a technology expo, arts &
crafts fair, and food vendors. Mat Kaplan, the host and producer of Planetary Radio, will be your guide and MC for
the day. If you miss this one, Carbondale will be right in the same path for our next solar eclipse, in 2024.
Casper, Wyoming
Time of eclipse: 11:42am
Duration: 2 minutes, 26 seconds
Site: eclipsecasper.com
Weather forecast: Pristine. Clear and dry in the morning, with a chance of rain in the afternoon.
Wyoming and its big, clear skies have been at the top of many an eclipse-viewers list for places to watch the event.
The best viewing in a populated area is going to be Casper, where a five-day festival will descend on the city,
culminating in the main event on the morning of the 21st. The Astronomical League is holding its annual convention
here just before the eclipse, so there will be plenty of people around to explain everything in painstaking detail. And
though places like Jackson Hole and Grand Tetons will be in the eclipses path too, Casper is the only place in the
direct line of totality. And will likely be less crowded -- and maybe cheaper -- than other parts of the state.
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Seeing the eclipse in the great out-of-doors might make it feel like a more transcendent experience than in a big city.
For drop-dead gorgeous scenery and recreation, no place tops the Snake River Valley. This region about four hours
north of Boise has some of the best whitewater rafting in the northwest, and the drive through the Snake River
Canyon scenic byway is worth a trip any time. But a gondola ride up to the top of Bald Mountain and its 9,150 foot
summit offers one of the most unobstructed, close-up views of the action.
Still not satisfied? None of these great places good enough for you? Check out Thrillist's state-by-state viewing spot
guides for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse in Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, North
Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wyoming.
Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in
food/drink/fun.
Matt Meltzer is a staff writer with Thrillist whos been looking for an excuse to get back to North Platte. Follow him on
Instagram @meltrez1.
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