We live about 3 hours from the path of the total eclipse on April 8th. I started looking into accommodations in Indiana and Ohio, and was astounded by the rate increases. In Milan Ohio the Hampton and Holiday Inn normally charge about $120/night, which increases to $500/night. Even the Motel 6 jacks it up from $53 to $305. This is not unique to Milan, everywhere I've looked in the path of the total eclipse has done likewise.

Sounds about right.
When the F1 race rolled into Vegas, hotel prices got exorbitant.
There was a site that was tracking pricing and 9 months our form the race, I think the average nightly rate had gone up 200-700%

I am always amazed at the extreme interest that eclipses get. If I was an ancient Mayan and thought that my god was laying his judgement upon his peoples then I would get it. I on the other hand have watched the videos and understand there is nothing supernatural going on. It doesn't happen all the time, it gets dark, don't look at it directly, and then it is past. I will watch if I am in the path, I can't even imagine paying a bunch of money to travel to see this. Honestly what is the big pull? I could understand astronomers getting psyched up but in nearly 6 decades I have never really known anybody who considers themselves an astronomer. Clearly many people travel for this. I can't wrap my mind around the draw.

Maybe if I owned a hotel chain in the path I would understand better lol. (those are some crazy rates)

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:... Honestly what is the big pull?...

If you have ever experienced totality (not partial, and not an annular eclipse), you would understand the "big pull".

No where else in this solar system does this occur, and no idea where three bodies, where the viewer would be, with their star, and a body that would perfectly occult the disk of the star to create the same totality might be found.

So, this is the only place, and the distance to travel and cost to do so is not unreachable. Even if the event only lasts a few minutes.

Mankind has spent that and more, seeking experiences that are as fleeting.

I am fortunate my house in in the middle of the path and it will be 4.5 minutes of totality.

Heck, a SIGforum Shoot where we all get nekked, beat the ground with sticks and yell and shoot at the dragon in the sky that's eating the big yellow ball...

What's not to like?

My IT Director put this on calendar for time off 18 months ago. I think he is planning to wing it on rooms in rural Texas that day. I've offered my experience with that just during rodeo season and suggested he not.....

Since I don't think I will make the 2099 eclipse, this is my once in a lifetime chance.

I too am lucky enough to be only a few miles off the direct center of the path in Ohio. I am really looking forward to this event !!

I’m gonna be right in the middle of it in central Texas. Last one I saw, I drove to mom n dads in the western NC mountains.

It was one of the coolest things I’ve seen-and I’ve seen a lot.

My dad had no idea that leaves can be a natural lens, when the half covered sun’s shadow played on the ground. Thousands of little half eclipsed shadows.

We're just outside the path of totality in Indiana. You guys are welcome to come camp in my yard the night before. Sigforum friends and family rate of only $200/night...bring your own tent. I accept payment in cash or ammo ! Honestly, the way the weather typically is here in April, I fully expect it to be cloudy the day of the eclipse, but I would like to see it so I hope it's not.

I attended the approximately 1978 full total event near Pasco with friends.

Drove 500 mile round trip. Way more bedazzled by
all the various stages we studied about beforehand.

The quiet of animals, the sudden cooling, etcetera
showed the differences between TOTAL and hohum.

People have things on their “bucket” lists that make far less sense to me than experiencing a rare natural phenomenon like a total eclipse of the sun in person. There are countless things that appeal to only limited numbers of people and if we questioned the allure of every one of them, that’s all anyone would have time for. Is it really worth your time to ask why?

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I’m gonna be right in the middle of it in central Texas. Last one I saw, I drove to mom n dads in the western NC mountains.

Eclipse parts at Mike's!

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
My dad had no idea that leaves can be a natural lens, when the half covered sun’s shadow played on the ground. Thousands of little half eclipsed shadows.

We had a partial within the last couple months & I remember seeing the little eclipsed shadows, and even noticed a slight temp cooling.

We booked an rv spot in Wimberley almost a year ago. I think it is $40 a night.

I went to Germany right after that one they had around 1998. I always mail postcards when I travel and there were tons of postcards with photos of the event. It was a real big deal there.

It looks like we'll drive about 3hrs. to somewhere near Upper Sandusky OH to see it, then stay in my old hometown about halfway back. No way in Hell I'll pay $500 to stay in a mid-tier hotel right in the line of fire.

Had to laugh when I did the math and realized that $300 is a 5000% increase from the original price of Motel 6 (yes, I'm old and cheap).

Well it’s a discussion board so I guess my answer is yes. I didn’t get the memo that said we all had to agree on everything. My bad. I was commenting that I’m surprised it’s such a draw. To the OP’s point I find it crazy that hotels can charge 500 bucks a night and get it for an eclipse. I don’t see the draw, obviously many do because 500 a night for a mediocre hotel is a lot of $$$and they clearly are getting the business.

If you've never seen one it's worth the higher room rates. I almost considered re-renting the condo I rented for the last one, because they were going for triple price closer to the event.

The feeling is hard to explain.

It went through my hometown outside St Louis last time in 2017 and we all drove 5 hours to see it with our two kids (and also experience it with my parents, both of whom have since passed away). 2024 seemed forever away then and here we are, with another kid my wife was pregnant with in 2017.

We are planning on staying with friends in St. Louis but booked a hotel room in Illinois just in case. There was no difference in the rates and this was last month I booked. I think if you pick a large enough metro area there is less chance of the spike in prices. I am planning on seeing it in Mount Vernon, IL as I think Carbondale, IL, the location where the two eclipse totality paths cross, will be crazy busy. Our backup hotel room is in Edwardsville, IL.

It is worth the trip, even if it is 4 minutes long. We are pulling our kids out of school for it. I'm just hoping clouds don't happen, because that takes away your ability to turn in a circle and see a 360 degree sunset/sunrise around you when you are in a totality spot.

After looking at hotel rates in northern Vermont, I think it will be a pretty long day of driving if we go.

Then there is traffic ... with everyone doing the same thing as us - driving all the way up I-91 and back.

I was in Madras, OR for the 2017 eclipse. It was a life experience. The light changes throughout the eclipse, it doesn't just get dark then light, there was a point that the light was "silvery". The birds got quiet, the air temperature dropped. Words don't do justice. If you can make it to the path of totality, do it.

We were lucky, stayed with friends. We walked to a high spot where there were about 50 people. The town and airport grew from a population of 8,000 to over 100,000. Renting a plot of land large enough for a car and tent was running a couple hundred bucks a night. It was crazy busy.

And yeah, we booked a spot at a friends camp about a year ago. We will be there.

quote:

Originally posted by SPWAMike0317:
I was in Madras, OR for the 2017 eclipse. It was a life experience. The light changes throughout the eclipse, it doesn't just get dark then light, there was a point that the light was "silvery". The birds got quiet, the air temperature dropped. Words don't do justice.

Now you know why ancient civilizations considered eclipses to be religious experiences and spiritual omens.