Anyone excited for the upcoming solar eclipse over southern IL? (Champaign: school, live)

[Kraftask]

Originally Posted by Little Egypt

We had a huge influx of people at the last eclipse, and personally, I expect even more people this time. There are any number of eclipse related events around the region, and I think that people will get a different view of Southern Illinois than they may have been led to expect. This is an incredibly beautiful area. Many people found this out during their visit for the eclipse, and even more who came during the pandemic.


If you are planning to come for the eclipse, I highly recommend that if you have not yet done so to make your arrangements NOW. Much of the available lodging has already filled up, and even primitive camping will be hard to find by the time the event comes.


But when you do come, try to arrive a few days early to take advantage of the events and the beauty of the area. And be patient when the eclipse is over. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper, and people took hours for what would otherwise have been short trips.

Yea all the hotels & campsites are booked solid & crazy expensive down there. Best deal i could find was way out in Tuscola for Friday night on the way down. Luckily, my aunt already has a camper set up in Vienna for that weekend. Which sections of I-57 do you think will be the worst traffic wise?

[Little Egypt]

From a Carbondale blog...


"it took about 3 hours to get from here to Marion and about 6 hours to take 51 north to the interstate"


So that was just to get to the interstate from Carbondale.

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by Kraftask

Yea all the hotels & campsites are booked solid & crazy expensive down there. Best deal i could find was way out in Tuscola for Friday night on the way down. Luckily, my aunt already has a camper set up in Vienna for that weekend. Which sections of I-57 do you think will be the worst traffic wise?

The section from Mt Vernon south to Goreville & I-24 is always busy with truck traffic. Not sure where the construction zone is in this stretch. Expecting to be busy until you get to Missouri.

Expecting I-24 to be bad all the way to Lake Kentucky & Lake Barkley. May be fun to get items at Big John grocery then use Fort Massac state park to watch the action. Not sure about any construction on & near Ohio river bridge. Nobody should use the Brookport bridge.

Come to think of it nobody should use US 60 Ohio bridge from KY or Mississippi bridge into MO.

Thinking of the interstates may need to heed no parking restrictions on the ramps. Could be dangerous to park on/near off ramp. Not many rest areas in the zone.

[Little Egypt]

Some advice from Southern Illinois Tourism:




Driving to Southern Illinois for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse?

Here are some tips for routes & planning!

Many GPS & direction apps may tell you to take I-57, then Highway 13 west. But taking that route may delay you significantly due to wrecks, stop lights, heavy traffic, etc.

In this case, it's faster to take the scenic route! If you are attending events in Murphysboro, Makanda, Alto Pass, Pomona, etc., here are the alternate routes we recommend.

Don't get stranded! There are areas of Southern Illinois where the nearest gas station is over 20 miles away. Smaller stations may run out of gas. Fill up when you have the chance, and incorporate fuel needs into your route.

Be mindful of others when parking. Because several events are outdoors, their lots are in unmarked fields. Without handicap parking, this can create issues for those who need more space to enter and exit their vehicle. Leave a doors width of space between cars when parking, do not block a car from being able to leave (including parallel parking too close to back up), and do not block any roadways or entrances.

* As an added tip, event holders, please insure there is always a path or route for emergency vehicles to your venue.*

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by jmgg

I was looking at the states that will experience a total eclipse and the ones with a partial eclipse. It appears like it starts in Maine (total eclipse state) and runs diagonally from northeast to the southwest down to Texas (the last total eclipse state). New Mexico is to experience a partial eclipse.

The closest to where I'm at is for me to drive to southern Missouri. It would be cool, but hard to justify for only a 4 or 5 minute rush. ALTHOUGH, we won't have another one like this until the year 2044.

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024

Its worth it! Once in a life time. My kids are coming up from Florida.

[MarianRavenwood]

I'm excited about Tom Skilling coming back for a few days. Is that weird?

[Kraftask]

Any good backroads on the way back, without taking the interstate? I wanting to take my girlfriend thru Paris, IL then make a stop in Rankin, IL before heading back. I'll be leaving right in the mad rush afterwards since my daughter has school the next day.

[Little Egypt]

“How lucky can the residents of Carbondale, Illinois, be?” -BBC


https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68597945

[Little Egypt]

Lots of information for visitors coming to Southern Illinois to view the eclipse from the Shawnee National Forest:


https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/shawn...=FSEPRD1122842

[Little Egypt]

Not just the eclipse, but lots of other things to do while you're here.



https://www.hikingwithshawn.com/tota...clipse-events/