I traveled to Dallas to see the eclipse with my brother. I saw the previous one in 2017 and it was so incredible, I knew I had to see it again. And let me cut to the chase, it was 1000% worth it! I recommend everyone travel to witness it at least once this time. I feel even more bullish on that statement now. It is a rare event meaning it’s worth capitalizing on when you get the chance. And there is simply no way to describe just how awesome it is.
When traveling to see the eclipse, you need to make sure to plan a few key things ahead, but also be flexible with your plans (as ironic as that sounds). The following is what you should plan ahead:
- General Location:
- When deciding to view the eclipse, make sure to study the path of totality. There are always many maps that make this very clear. There is a line in the middle showing maximum totality, but there is a pretty broad area that will experience some kind of totality. The closer you are to the line of maximum totality, the better your experience will be. Definitely avoid the edge of the area, as working your way just a few miles in will make the experience much more enjoyable (the difference between a few seconds and over a minute).
- Travel Plans
- You need to make sure to have the basics like travel and accommodations figured out. An eclipse is a huge event and you’ll see travel prices reflect that. If you are flying, book your tickets way in advance. Same with the hotel if applicable. If you are driving, you’ll obviously have more flexibility. Be prepared for crowded travel when arriving to the area of the eclipse and when heading back home. Traffic will likely be very bad, airports can be crowded, etc…
- Eclipse Viewing equipment
- If you do any research about viewing the eclipse, you’ll quickly see a lot about eclipse viewing glasses. I won’t share too many of the details as there are a lot of great sources for this kind of information available, but make sure to have a great pair of glasses that is reliable and properly certified. If you want to take pictures of the eclipse, you’ll need a similar solar filter for your camera.
However you also need some flexibility for your eclipse viewing trip:
- Precise Eclipse Viewing Location
- There are a lot of eclipse viewing gatherings and some might require a reservation (in many cases the reservation is free). However all you really need to view and enjoy the eclipse is a clear view of the sun. It can be in a rural field or in a crowded city, but as long as you can see the sun, you will enjoy the eclipse. The reason why you need flexibility is because you need to be ready to move if the weather doesn’t cooperate. If there is too much cloud cover, you might miss the eclipse completely. Therefore I recommend studying the weather intently the day before and the day of, and being ready to quickly travel to improve your chances of enjoying the eclipse
- Your activities surrounding the eclipse viewing
- The eclipse will likely be the highlight of your trip, and it definitely should be! I highly suggest you start viewing it when the partial eclipse begins as you’ll appreciate the moon encroaching on the sun. And then after totality, I suggest staying for at least a few minutes and you’ll see the crescent shape of the sun grow. However you’ll still want to fill your day before and after with some other activities. Just make sure to be flexible, as who knows at what time you’ll actually be looking for other things to do, how crowded some activities will be, how bad traffic will be, etc…
I hope these tips help you view an eclipse. If you are lucky enough to experience this phenomenon, make sure to make the most of it!
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