In one week from today, North America will experience a total solar eclipse. The path will begin on the Pacific coast of Mexico at 11:07 a.m. PDT (2:07 EDT) and end at the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada at 5:16 p.m. NDT (3:46 EDT), crossing through several states and provinces of the United States and Canada. My husband has been very excited about this eclipse. I didn’t know how excited until a couple of weeks ago when he said he was going to drive two and a half hours to view it and would I like to come. We made plans and tried to get a hotel room in Syracuse. He always has a list of comic stores and places to visit all around the area, and so we made a plan for the weekend. Unfortunately, the hotels were way too expensive, so new plan. And a change of direction. Now, we’ll go to Plattsburgh. He checked out the comic stores (this is a thing for every trip we take, even visiting family) and I checked out the hotels. They were not too expensive. They were also not available. Not one hotel. They were all booked. What was the difference between Syracuse and Plattsburgh? Totality was my only guess. The amount of totality for Syracuse was 1 minute and 24 seconds while Plattsburgh’s amount of totality was 3 minutes and 33 seconds. Now what would we do?
Plot twist.
Montreal Canada is in the path of totality with a total viewing time of 1 minute and 51.8 seconds and it is only about an hour further north than Plattsburgh. And yes, there are hotels available, and they are significantly cheaper than Syracuse before factoring in the exchange rate.
For anyone considering this, just a reminder that you will need a passport to travel from the United States across the border into Canada, and according to the US Customs and Border Protection and Border Patrol, the border will remain open although agents are expecting higher than normal traffic and delays should be expected.
The article also mentions that despite being legal in both Canada and New York state, marijuana may NOT be transported across the border. The municipality of Niagara on the Canadian side has already declared a state of emergency in preparation for the influx of what they believe will be one million visitors on top of their regular attendance in and around the Falls. Scrolling down to read the article, they offer a list of eight (useful) travel tips with their own links, so check that out.
Once you arrive at your eclipse viewing destination, remember the importance of eclipse glasses. They are special glasses that protect your eyes from the sun’s rays. Regular sunglasses are NOT safe during an eclipse. Do NOT look directly at the sun without special eclipse glasses. Many places are offering them for free, including libraries and (in New York) some Thruway rest areas. I bought mine for $2.49 at Staples.
Be aware of your surroundings. Act as though you would at any vacation destination. Keep your wallet in your front pocket, wear purses across your body, messenger bag style, don’t flash your cash, wear comfortable shoes, dress in layers, follow all laws and ordinances, and pay attention.
Here are some links to help plan your day for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse:
Great Information from National Eclipse
Griffins and Ginger Snaps 