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Old 09-01-2016, 09:46 AM
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barx1963 (Malcolm)
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Total Eclipse USA 2017

Is any one else considering travelling to the US for the eclipse next year? We are planning on being in Memphis at the time and hope to find a suitable spot to observe, hopefully meet up with some Aussies while there.

Malcolm
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Old 09-01-2016, 10:35 AM
Wavytone
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Yes we're definitely going - it is a few days away from our wedding anniversary as well as our little boys birthday.

Still trying to decide where to go - west coast obviously not good but we're likely to aim for somewhere on the east side of the Rockies.
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Old 09-01-2016, 01:31 PM
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OzEclipse (Joe Cali)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barx1963 View Post
Is any one else considering travelling to the US for the eclipse next year? We are planning on being in Memphis at the time and hope to find a suitable spot to observe, hopefully meet up with some Aussies while there.

Malcolm
Malcolm,

It sounds as though you will be in Tennessee for some other purpose and the eclipse is just a bit of a bonus? If however you've chosen Tennessee mainly because you are chasing maximum duration, you should reconsider.

The clearest weather in is the west - parts of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Nebraska have mean cloudiness around 20-30% but not everywhere. Local topography means that there is localized cloud in parts. Cloudiness suddenly drops east of longitude 121W on the path of totality and stays low in parts to Nebraska. As you head to the south east of the USA cloudiness again climbs to 60-80%.

Joe
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Old 09-01-2016, 01:49 PM
Rob_K
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Been planning to go for some time now but it will depend on finances. Hope to catch up with some 'locals' we've observed other eclipses with. Maybe start in Oregon (where one lot live) and travel to who-knows-where along the line.

Cheers -
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Old 09-01-2016, 01:50 PM
SteveInNZ
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Casper, Wyoming. Booked accommodation about a year ago and it's sold out now.

Steve.
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Old 09-01-2016, 02:19 PM
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OICURMT
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My inlaws live in Rolla Missouri, so we'll head out north of Jefferson City on the day...
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Old 09-01-2016, 02:44 PM
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I would love to..
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Old 11-01-2016, 11:21 AM
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astroron (Ron)
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I have a friend who lives in Arkansas,will hopefully stay there and head up north for the eclipse.
Cheers
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Old 07-10-2016, 08:53 AM
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roddz (Rodd)
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Yep going

Hi Malcolm
I'm planning on going.
At the moment I'm looking as Casper Wyoming, which has a star party on before hand.

Rodd
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Old 16-10-2016, 06:47 PM
Protiotype (Ray)
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Hi all. I just booked all of my flights (with window seats) last week! My first independent overseas trip too - just a wee bit excited now.

I'll be arriving in Seattle on the 12th and departing from Portland on the 22nd. Would like to see it from Madras where the air is dry and elevation is high, but am unsure if traffic will be an issue (and I don't intend to be in the driver's seat). If so and the weather is CAVOK, Salem (around an hour or so south of Portland by train) could be a safer bet.

I was up in Cairns for 2012 but got clouded out during the crucial moments! I briefly considered 95% the way to the edge of the path for 2017, but I think 2 minutes of totality will work just fine for me, more or less a "first timer".

Will be cool to meet any IIS members while I'm over there!
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Old 22-10-2016, 04:49 PM
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Scope/Mount?

Hi everyone.

What camera/lens/telescope/mount are you all planning on taking?
At the moment I'm planning on taking my Canon 60Da, a Sigma 170-500mm lens with a 1.4 converter, on a Skywatcher adventurer mount.
All reasonabley portable.

Rodd
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Old 22-10-2016, 07:25 PM
Protiotype (Ray)
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Talking

I'll be taking a Google Pixel (128GB), and a Macbook Air for my trip. Planning on taking an excessive number of photos and some videos during my visit, but of course it's eyes first for what will be my first unhindered view of totality.
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Old 08-01-2017, 11:17 PM
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barx1963 (Malcolm)
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Well we are committed to the US trip now!! Flights to LA booked, managed a great deal, $900 each for the 2 flights with Virgin.

Happy days!!

Malcolm
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Old 09-01-2017, 04:49 AM
Protiotype (Ray)
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$900 each return! Did you score that through a travel agent?

My booking with Air New Zealand back in early October ended up being $1202 + $88 with preferred seating (at the back (2-4-2 seating), window seat for the overnight hops) - quotes online at the moment appears similar to what I paid.

I get to skip LAX entirely as well as take in a few more climbs/descents.

My new passport should be on track to arrive within a few weeks too. TINY bit excited. ;D I just have to sort out accommodation now - I'll aim to do that before February.

(Btw, Plan A will be Madras rather than Salem. I have a ("professional") driver sorted already. Plan B I guess would be Salem and Plan C & D would be to fly to interstate if the weather is looking armageddon. I *should* do better than Cairns 2012... It's going to be a great adventure either way.)
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Old 09-01-2017, 02:45 PM
rowena
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Hi All,


This is my THIRD eclipse!!! Ceduna, Cairns, and now most probably Columbia (missouri).

We have booked... 3 Aug BNE to SYD to DFW (Dallas fort worth) on the A380, then for totality looking at either Jeffersen City/Columbia Missouri region (flexible depending on clouds).

Coming back on the 31 Aug departing San fran.
Got flights with qantas going into Dallas and back out from san fran to Brissy for $999. The cool part was they had this deal on before xmas, and i could choose any city (LAX, SFO or DFW) going into USA and then any city of those 3 going out of USA for no extra add on price.

Will be 4 of us travelling, so 2 kids (4 and 7!) and my other half.

I will be taking my trusty Canon 7D and 100-400mm lens. I have a thousand oaks solar filter (which i love), so that is what i will be shooting the eclipse with. Will also get the eclipse glasses for the kids. I am also looking at getting another camera, either a 5D or 1D. Not sure which way i will go, but i do know looking on my 27Inch imac at home my pics i can see all the dead pixels in anything night related photography! also will take my other halfs macbook pro. But normally something like this, i will copy my photos to pc, but not delete from CF card, and buy several large CF cards. e.g 128G. Last trip to usa i shot over 7000 photos in a month, i reckon i could do more this time.

Unsure if to go with car hire or camper van(rv).
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Old 09-01-2017, 04:16 PM
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barx1963 (Malcolm)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Protiotype View Post
$900 each return! Did you score that through a travel agent?

My booking with Air New Zealand back in early October ended up being $1202 + $88 with preferred seating (at the back (2-4-2 seating), window seat for the overnight hops) - quotes online at the moment appears similar to what I paid.

I get to skip LAX entirely as well as take in a few more climbs/descents.

My new passport should be on track to arrive within a few weeks too. TINY bit excited. ;D I just have to sort out accommodation now - I'll aim to do that before February.

(Btw, Plan A will be Madras rather than Salem. I have a ("professional") driver sorted already. Plan B I guess would be Salem and Plan C & D would be to fly to interstate if the weather is looking armageddon. I *should* do better than Cairns 2012... It's going to be a great adventure either way.)
Ah, so you are heading to Oregon? We have decided to fly to LAX then on to New York for a few days, then fly to Denver, rent a car, drive to Cheyanne in Wyoming then drive to the Casper area on the day of the eclipse, though plan may change with forecasts!!
Then we do a 10 day bus tour around the National Parks (Yellowstone, Bryces, Grand Canyon finishing in Las Vegas, then back home via LAX.
The $900 price is net of the award points that we picked up going to the US, Hawaii and Europe over the last few years, price was about $1200 before that for a direct flight Melbourne to LAX with Virgin it was a special that was only available yesterday as far as I can see.

Malcolm
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Old 09-01-2017, 08:34 PM
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Omg I'm getting excited and nervous I have my passport Woohooo so I'm sort of organised 😜😜😜 Yes tickets are on special through virgin at the moment I need to really start planning out what I'm going to do 😱 I'm a little worried about just jumping in a car and taking off on the wrong side of the road 😱😱 I might be travelling solo 🔭🔭 I still have no idea where I'm going to be viewing the eclipse 🤔🤔 but I want to spend at least three weeks over there 😬😅😎
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Old 30-01-2017, 07:47 AM
rowena
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Hi all,

Thought id give a update as to what im doing.. so last post i couldnt decide on either rv or car hire or what camera...

So the second camera will most likely now be a canon 7d mark 2. I am already familiar with the 7d and it has a lot of features which i prefer over the 5d mark v.

I also went camper van hire, but from the 8th of august. First couple of days will fly into dallas and do car hire, will go down to houston and possibly over to san antionio and back out from dallas to fly to tampa.

We are doing rv hire from tampa to san francisco, because it was the cheapest location to hire from, trust me i litereally searched every site!! Orlando is second cheapest. 25 Foot camper van for 4 people including insurance is going to cost $4950US. The same hire from dallas as a example is $6500. So cheaper to add on extra flights from dallas to tampa!. Also means i get to add a side trip to cape caneveral!. The rv allows us to be flexible for the eclipse. As ive learnt from the previous two eclipses, clouds are your worse night mare, and you need flexible transport arrangements in my opinion!

The other thing i have also done is gotten my visa done. Any aussies/kiwis can apply for a short stay visa and must be done before travel.
Website is https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
Submitted the application and it took 20 minutes for it to be approved. Its valid for two years, and the way trump is changing policies i thought best to get this over and done with first.

We are also looking qt being more westerly then previously posted. Was looking at jefferessen city, but now looking more in kansas state. Due to the fact we will have ten days to get to san francsico, via yellow stone with two kids. Lots of driving!
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Old 08-02-2017, 02:58 PM
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Jezkerwin (Jeremy)
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My wife and I are heading over. I booked into Moonrise hotel in St Louis as part of the Astronomy Cast podcast event.

We're spending a bit of time in Nashville and Memphis as well. I'm just going to be taking my DSLR gear, but I'm upgrading to a longer focal length lens.
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Old 08-02-2017, 06:46 PM
bigjoe (JOSEPH)
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I just recently got back from LA and LAS VEGAS , GRAND CANYON, where my brother has some properties , which I hope to stay in to prepare to watch the Eclipse thats when I go back for some more hols!
bigjoe
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