Where to view my next Eclipse?

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MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
The next total eclipse I've got any hope of seeing is in 2024 and crosses North America... my initial plan was to go to Prince Edward Island because there's lots of old railway tracks and I could spend the week cycling and maybe camping around the island (there's not much else to do there) ...but it's in early April and looks like it could be a bit on the chilly side, knocking the cycle-camping idea on the head.

The path passes over a few easy to fly to huge cities, but apart from Montreal, I've no desire to visit any of them. The further north the shorter the Eclipse and the colder the climate so I'm thinking maybe somewhere south of Indiana... although somewhere in Canada is also tempting.

somewhere nice... with breathtaking landscapes, ideally no further from the path than Nashville... any ideas?

504515
 

PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
Nov 2021...in the Southern Ocean, en route to Antarctica.😁
 
Nice to see you are planning ahead.

I can offer no help whatsoever of the area between Ohio and Texas (TX). The Dallas/Austin sector could be good but would not be my choice...but my experience of TX is further west. I have even less knowledge south of TX as I've only crossed the border from El Paso and only for a few hours but after following @HobbesOnTour 's tour here, it might be of interest.

Areas of Pennsylvania, upstate New York, Vermont and Maine can be very pretty countryside. And easily accessible from Toronto, Montreal or Boston by car. Not sure about exploring by bike.

Now to areas where I do have some knowledge:
PEI would be a good choice. It is lovely. Maybe less so early april weather-wise but you could be lucky. It is very flat, so bike friendly, if you don't like hills. There is plenty to do. It has a good traditional/folk scene. This lot come from there. All depends on what you like. But my guess is the closest place to fly into from UK would be Halifax.

So a better option would be to explore Nova Scotia (NS). Great scenery - the Cabot Trail is superb. Lovely towns, lovely folk. Hills too - for more fun on a bike. I saw my first moose and whales in NS.

I'm guessing your preference would be as close to the red line on the trajectory shown on the map in your first post. So, another idea. A few days in Toronto, drive to Niagara (almost exactly where the white line bisects the red line south of Toronto). Pleasant countryside, scenic enough for a bike. See the Falls at night. Taste some superb wines from the area. Cross the border into the weirdness that is Buffalo, NY (avoiding North Tonawanda at all costs). Fun on the Lake is probably best for later in the year.

Whatever you decide, remember that distances are HUGE by UK standards. e.g. Montreal to Toronto is 500 km - a five hour drive, Toronto to Niagara is a 2 hour drive minimum.
 
Location
España
The Natchez Trace Parkway starts just south of Nashville and runs for 444 miles to Natchez - a charming town. It's a great route for cycle camping and Spring is a very popular time on it. Mind you, some may find it boring. From there you could drop down to New Orleans via Baton Rouge. Alternatively, turn west and head for Austin & San Antonio.
If you had the time to continue on into Mexico I heartily recommend it! In fact, looking at the trajectory of the eclipse it goes over Durango and Mazatlán - one of the great cycling routes -El espinazo del diablo! Scrap Canada & the US - go to Mexico!
 
OP
OP
MontyVeda

MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
The Natchez Trace Parkway starts just south of Nashville and runs for 444 miles to Natchez - a charming town. It's a great route for cycle camping and Spring is a very popular time on it. Mind you, some may find it boring. From there you could drop down to New Orleans via Baton Rouge. Alternatively, turn west and head for Austin & San Antonio.
If you had the time to continue on into Mexico I heartily recommend it! In fact, looking at the trajectory of the eclipse it goes over Durango and Mazatlán - one of the great cycling routes -El espinazo del diablo! Scrap Canada & the US - go to Mexico!

Great post, thank you.
I was looking at Mexico, in particular Mazatlan on the pacific coast whose official main economy is tourism, yet is also the centre of Mexico's drug trade, so i could finance the trip working as a mule :blink:

The Natchez route looks great, but popping over the see the eclipse would be a four or five hundred mile detour from it.

Nice to see you are planning ahead.

I can offer no help whatsoever of the area between Ohio and Texas (TX). The Dallas/Austin sector could be good but would not be my choice...but my experience of TX is further west. I have even less knowledge south of TX as I've only crossed the border from El Paso and only for a few hours but after following @HobbesOnTour 's tour here, it might be of interest.

Areas of Pennsylvania, upstate New York, Vermont and Maine can be very pretty countryside. And easily accessible from Toronto, Montreal or Boston by car. Not sure about exploring by bike.

Now to areas where I do have some knowledge:
PEI would be a good choice. It is lovely. Maybe less so early april weather-wise but you could be lucky. It is very flat, so bike friendly, if you don't like hills. There is plenty to do. It has a good traditional/folk scene. This lot come from there. All depends on what you like. But my guess is the closest place to fly into from UK would be Halifax.

So a better option would be to explore Nova Scotia (NS). Great scenery - the Cabot Trail is superb. Lovely towns, lovely folk. Hills too - for more fun on a bike. I saw my first moose and whales in NS.

I'm guessing your preference would be as close to the red line on the trajectory shown on the map in your first post. So, another idea. A few days in Toronto, drive to Niagara (almost exactly where the white line bisects the red line south of Toronto). Pleasant countryside, scenic enough for a bike. See the Falls at night. Taste some superb wines from the area. Cross the border into the weirdness that is Buffalo, NY (avoiding North Tonawanda at all costs). Fun on the Lake is probably best for later in the year.

Whatever you decide, remember that distances are HUGE by UK standards. e.g. Montreal to Toronto is 500 km - a five hour drive, Toronto to Niagara is a 2 hour drive minimum.

Another great post... yes, the distances are huge. The last time I went it was a four hundred mile round trip (by car) from my cousin's in Virginia to see the eclipse in Tennessee... next time I'd be looking at an 800 mile round trip, so staying with my cousins again isn't really a viable option. Niagara is the obvious destination, but it'll be absolutely heaving and accommodation will be at a premium. Eerie, PA looks like a nice little place, and i could pop up (on a bus) to see The Falls another day.

I also have to consider the likelihood of cloud, which takes me back to Mexico... and ultimately, there's the cost of getting there.

Thanks again :smile:
 
Location
España
Great post, thank you.
I was looking at Mexico, in particular Mazatlan on the pacific coast whose official main economy is tourism, yet is also the centre of Mexico's drug trade, so i could finance the trip working as a mule :blink:
Hmmmmm.....
I'm not sure where you're getting that information, but it's contradicted by my own experience and most Government's travel advice. Yes, Sinaloa (the State) is active in the drugs trade, but Mazatlán (and Durango) are explicitly listed as "safe" for international travellers.

Mazatlan in my experience has the charm and friendliness of a small village with the traffic of a giant metropolis - in the off season.

If seriously considering Mexico do look at weather patterns. April is the start of the rainy season in those parts.
 
OP
OP
MontyVeda

MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
Hmmmmm.....
I'm not sure where you're getting that information, but it's contradicted by my own experience and most Government's travel advice. Yes, Sinaloa (the State) is active in the drugs trade, but Mazatlán (and Durango) are explicitly listed as "safe" for international travellers.

Mazatlan in my experience has the charm and friendliness of a small village with the traffic of a giant metropolis - in the off season.

If seriously considering Mexico do look at weather patterns. April is the start of the rainy season in those parts.
Wikipedia. :blush:

April is a potentially rainy season in a lot of places on the path. The climate graph on wikipedia (:blush:) suggested that it's more likely to be sunny in western Mexico than eastern North America.

Maybe i need a better source of info :smile:
 
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