Solar Eclipse on august 21, 2017 (Pocatello, Blackfoot: renting, live, airport)

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by GregW

Thanks again. We have reserved rooms in a lower cost motel in Baker City, Oregon. Some rooms are available in this small City inconveniently away from the larger airports and the path of totality. Even with these considerations many of the accommodations were already booked.


We are still debating weather we are going to drive cross country or fly to Boise, ID and rent something that will let us drive gravel but not 4WD roads in the area. The eclipse will the start of our vacation. We are planning to not only see the eclipse but visit other places in the area. I am a train, and historic technology nut and the Sumter Valley Railroad is on my list. We will also be visiting places in Idaho.

Baker City is about a 2 hour drive from Boise on I-84.
You would have to wake up a couple of hours earlier, but I think the drive would be better than flying, considering the occasion.
I'll bet a car will be easier to rent in Baker, too.

Ontario, OR, just on the Oregon side of the Idaho border, is 75 mi. alway, and rentals there might be easier to find, along with car rentals in Payette, Fruitland, or New Plymouth. They are all close to Ontario.

If a rental is hard to find from one of the standard companies, you may want to try a local car dealership. I'm pretty sure one of them would rent a good used car for a day or two if you strike out finding a car. I think any FWD SUV style vehicle will get you where you want to go on any graded gravel road in the area. At that time of year, ground clearance could pose a bigger problem than traction.

[echo7tango]

[mod cut] I will drive up from San Francisco to visit a friend who's moving to McCall. We'll drive down on Monday, eclipse day, to around Midvale to view the eclipse.

NASA put together a map using Google Maps that shows the path and gives details for any spot you select:

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoog...21Tgoogle.html

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

Bumping this thread! I will drive up from San Francisco to visit a friend who's moving to McCall. We'll drive down on Monday, eclipse day, to around Midvale to view the eclipse.

NASA put together a map using Google Maps that shows the path and gives details for any spot you select:

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoog...21Tgoogle.html

Try to get as close to the centerline as possible, to get the best experience. I hope you won't need a hotel room, or a camp site. Because they are mostly gone.

[echo7tango]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Try to get as close to the centerline as possible, to get the best experience. I hope you won't need a hotel room, or a camp site. Because they are mostly gone.

Thanks, yep, I'll stay at my friend's place. He is only about 70 miles away from the center line!

[GregW]

I have seen a couple of eclipses over the years. It is best observed from a hill as close to the center line as possible. I expect the good locations will be marked by the groups of people at these areas.


We are going to meet in Portland and drive a rental to Baker City. The trip has expanded to a week and we are looking forward to the experiences like the Sumter Valley Railroad and jet boating in the Snake River Canyon.

[mike1003]

FYI, I was able to get a room in Boise by calling in a big favor. Rooms in the area are as high as 7-800.00 a night, if there are any left. (I was able to pay with Hilton Points)

I posted request or help with where to go in Idaho forum and got a few responses. Some good ideas here.

I was thinking about Driving to Weiser (leaving early AM) I'll read through all responses here.

Is Weiser a decent idea?

Also, FWIIW, car rental prices are out of sight. I bit the bullet on that one. We just happen to get to Lewiston 2 days before the eclipse after a Colombia/Snake River cruise. Only hotel I could get was Boise

[banjomike]

Weiser has some pretty good hills at the edge of town for visibility. I don't know what time of day the eclipse will happen, but if it is later in the day, there's a possibility it could be partially obscured in Weiser. I think it would be a very good idea to contact their Chamber of Commerce and see what they say. Possibly the Idaho Dept. of Tourism may be of help. Anyone who can read a topo map and is familiar with the area could give you good info.

Be aware that it's all 2-lane to Weiser. And most of the drive is through bottom land. Weiser itself perches on the side of some foothills, and most of the residential part of town is built on a couple of hillsides. I haven't been there for a while, but the tops of those hills were bare the last time I was there. They may have housing on them now, as that's how the town was growing for decades. The downtown section lies on the banks of the Snake River, which flows right at the edge of downtown.

Boise may be just far enough out of the path that some of the corona may not be as visible, but in the 1961 eclipse, Idaho Falls was just out of the path like Boise is now, and the eclipse was still pretty danged total. I remember it very well.

I watched it out in the middle of an alfalfa field. My dog and I both got very nervous when the darkness came. So did all the birds. Everything turned very quiet during the eclipse. And when the sun peeped out again, the birds really began singing like crazy. Those are still my most vivid memories over 50 years later.

[mike1003]

The eclipse starts 10:10AM Totality 11:25 in Weiser. Lasts 2 minutes +

[mike1003]

What time should we leave Boise the morning of the eclipse to get to Weiser (assuming the roads are packed)?

Also, plan B, stay on 84 into Oregon. Is there anything close to the 2 minute 11 sec line on this map?
https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/oregon/ Possibly 84 to 201???? Doesn't look like many exits off 84

FYI, here is Idaho https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/idaho/

Having never been to either state, I have no clue where to go. All I know is that we have a room in Boise and a car.


http://www.astronomy.com/-/media/Fil...ng8seconds.pdf

[lyndaeggimann]

Question.. I live on a mountain top in Pocatelllo. About 20 minutes below Blackfoot. will we get a partial eclipse. 10% or 50% or 90%??? We have 10 acres and lots of trees and grass.. AND plenty of places to easily walk to even hight ground. I'm thinking of offering folks a place to crash, grass for a tent or place for an RV.. good idea??