Total Eclipse of 2017 -- 9/1/2017
Total Eclipse 2017
Members of my Wizard of Vegas forum can tell you I've been talking about the August 21, 2017 eclipse since July 22, 2009, or the date when I saw a total eclipse in China. You can read all about that experience in my blog entry Total Eclipse 2009. Since then, I've been counting the days until the first coast to coast total eclipse in the United States since 1918.
At first, my plan was to drive up from Las Vegas to eastern Idaho to take in the eclipse, roughly around the city of Rexburg. About six months before the big day, I decided it was time to get serious and start preparing. So I looked into booking a hotel room. By that time, everything in eastern Idaho was booked solid.
Let that be a lesson. For the 2024 eclipse, or any eclipse, book as far in advance as you can. I looked into the Waco Hilton, a great spot for the 2024 eclipse, but the hotel website says they book only a year in advance. I think this is a fairly standard policy at hotels. So, on August 8, 2023, be ready to reserve a room somewhere along the eclipse path.
After being rebuffed in my plan to view the eclipse in Rexburg, I looked into rooms in Boise, which was about 60 miles from the total eclipse path. Fortunately, there were still a few places with availability at reasonable prices. Since Boise was a bit far to drive, I booked a flight along with my hotel room and continued to wait. Continue Reading ...