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2017 SOLAR ECLIPSE TRIP


hunkaman

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HAS ANYONE CAMPED NEAR CARBONDALE, ILL. ? I AM PLANNING A TRIP THERE IN AUGUST TO VIEW THE SOLAR ECLIPSE. ANY INFO ON CAMP GROUNDS OR THE AREA IN GENERAL WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANKS, JOE FROM DOVER.

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The weather makes this a real crapshoot. Central WY will have 2:23 total Eclipse. The camp grounds around here are filling up real fast and most hotel space is gone.

Good luck in your search

For the rest of you here is where to go....http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/path_through_the_US.htm

Edited by WME
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WME, hey there, i checked out the same link a couple of days ago to find some where relatively close to Dover for viewing totality, i decided on the Carbondale Illinois. area. Carbondale is roughly 500 miles from where i live. was wondering if anyone has camped in that general area. i contacted two state/fed parks. one was Crabtree lake and the other was rend lake. spoke with someone at Crabtree and that person told me it is first come first served, they do not take reservations. at Rend lake, their website will only allow reservations 6 months in advance , no sooner.  if all else fails, maybe a wally world parking lot will suffice. guess i will just keep my fingers crossed. joe from dover

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Send your countdown timer and be on the phone/internet when it goes off.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

an update , secured a "camping" spot at a moose lodge near where i wanted to be in southern illinois for the eclipse. the person i spoke with at the lodge had no problem with staying one night or two in their parking lot. no hookups, but the fellow offered an extension cord ! told him thank you but i will be self contained. did find out this is common practice with the moose for their members, and some lodges actually do have hookups. good to know. this courtesy is extended to members free of charge. of course i feel a donation to the host lodge would be appropriate.  joe from dover.

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  • 4 months later...

Well it came and went, now just have to get 10,000 tourists to leave and not commit mayhem on the roads.

 

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The local airport ran out of parking spaces around 8:00 there were over 125 private planes on the ground, they had to turn away over 275 more.

I guess thats how the "other folks" live. Sorta sounds like the words from "Your so Vain"  Flying up to Nova Scotia to watch a total eclipse of the sun.

 

 

Edited by WME
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Myself and hunkaman just returned from Murphysboro Illinois (a little north of Carbondale) to see the Total Eclipse. 1200 mile round trip. We had 2 minutes 30 seconds of totality the longest in the country. Crystal clear sky. Most amazing thing I've ever seen. Being a photographer I got some stellar pictures! We stayed for free @ a Moose Lodge. We were out in the country with No crowds and No traffic! Both Grannie and Joe's Winnie ran flawlessly. Longest trip yet in our rigs. Hope y'all enjoyed it also!

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  • 3 weeks later...

the solar eclipse trip was "totality" awesome. (pun intended). this was the farthest mark and i traveled with our rigs. happy to report the 1200 mile round trip produced no problems. the rigs ran well, no issues of any kind. we planned our trip from dover, ohio to 4 miles north of carbondale, il.(murphysboro) with the intention of not using the interstates. the majority of the east - west travel took place on U.S. 50. the other roads were state routes. we definitely went through the heartland of the midwest. lots of soybean and corn fields to look at. as we went through many small towns, we enjoyed seeing the town squares and the small local businesses. the road conditions were excellent. only two or three very minor construction areas the entire trip.slowing down through small towns, stopping frequently, allowed for about 45 miles per hour average. we were in no hurry and enjoyed the slow pace.there was absolutely no traffic congestion either way.  utilizing the wally world campgrounds (once on the way to our destination and once on the way back) offered a teachable moment. not all wal-marts are friendly or receptive to parking in their lots. we were given permission, although reluctantly, along with stern warnings to be on our way at daybreak. even though we were in the farthest reaches of the parking lot, far from view of the main entrance, near the trash dumpsters, and loading docks, an employee was dispatched on a mission to inform me that my folding chair and i must vacate the parking lot immediately and return to the confines of my winnie. or we would be in violation of the strict no camping policy, and be asked to leave . i find it amusing that apparently three senior citizens,  who were polite, asked permission, made purchases in the store, some how posed a threat to the peaceful town of wally world, by relaxing for a few minutes in a folding chair. in the future, for me, i will explore other options for an over nite parking spot.one experience with the wal mart park(ing) lot ranger is enough! thank GOD he was not armed. the wally world encounters contrasted greatly with the warm, open welcoming we had at the murphysboro moose lodge. we asked months in advance and were told we would be very welcome to park or rigs at their lodge for the eclipse. we arrived sunday afternoon and left tuesday morning. a big shout out and thank you to the people of the moose for making us all feel like family with their hospitality. mark took some stellar photos of the eclipse. and the eclipse itself was awe inspiring. scratch one off the bucket list. joe from dover.

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I highly Recommend our members here consider joining the Moose. It's a charitable organization. For $40 a year membership you can "camp" for free @ their many lodges located around the USA! It's Perfect!

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