USA Eclipse Map
Image: NASA
— a 48-mile long one. In the century and
a half since, it’s become home to one of
the country’s premier nature escapes, with
hiking trails, whitewater rafting, camp
grounds, luxury retreats, wildlife refuges,
and ski resorts.
The surrounding mountain peaks offer prime
viewing spots for the eclipse, which begins
at 10:17am and reaches totality at 11:35 for 2
minutes and 20 seconds. The biggest viewing
party takes place at the summit of Snow King
Mountain, starting with a no-holds-barred
breakfast and followed by talks by NASA
astronaut Scott Altman and astrobiologist
David Grinspoon.
Almost any peak in the national park will do,
however; and hiking paths up Rendezvous
Mountain, Jackson Peak, Sheep Mountain,
and Mount Glory should be well-beaten.
Automobiles can also drive to the top of
Signal Mountain or over to the heights of
Curtis Canyon off the National Elk Refuge
Road. Wyoming Stargazing will also be co-
hosting a public eclipse event at the base of
Snow King Mountain in Jackson.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
It was Queen Victoria that first dubbed
Nashville “Music City,” after being wowed
by a performance in 1873 of the Fisk Jubilee
Singers, from Nashville’s Fisk University. Ever
since, Nashville has lived up to the moniker
and produced one music star after another,
including both Allman Brothers and Miley
Cyrus. Dozens more musicians consider it a
spiritual home and a performance on The
Grand Ole Opry, America’s longest-running
radio show, the pinnacle of their career.
With the arrival of the total solar eclipse,
the first in the Nashville area since 1478, the
magic shifts skyward, as the sun disappears
altogether at 1:27pm for 1 minute, 55
seconds. Viewing locations abound in the
city and region, with the biggest celebration
at Nashville’s Adventure Science Center.
The three-day party features live music
performances, science demonstrations, solar
telescope viewing stations, games, contests,
and local food trucks, all culminating in the
outdoor viewing party.
Similar celebrations take place in several
other Nashville area locations, including
on the rooftop of Acme Feed & Seed, the
55-acre botanical garden of Cheekwood
Estate, and the paddlewheel General Jackson
Showboat on the Cumberland River itself.
CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS
As the name suggests, rich coal deposits
brought settlers, business, and the railroad
to the Carbondale region. The immense
wealth generated led to the establishment
of Southern Illinois University, earning
Carbondale the nickname “Athens of Egypt,”
thanks to the close proximity to Cairo,
Illinois, just 50 miles to the south.
It’s in the football stadium and camp us of the
university that the day’s largest festivities
take place, with NASA itself in attendance to
film the eclipse for its national live feed with
new sun-observing technologies. Filling out
the program are talks, presentations, and a
science and technology expo, with the main
attraction beginning at 11:52 am and reaching
totality at 1:21 pm for 2 minutes, 38 seconds.
In the five-day run-up to the eclipse,
Carbondale will also host a carnival, a Comic-
Con, an arts and crafts fair, space science
activities at the nearby Adler Planetarium,
and even the “Moonstock” rock festival (at
Walker’s Bluff, 8 miles northeast), where
Ozzy Osbourne, is slated to sing, you guessed
it, “Bark at the Moon,” during the eclipse.
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
The capital of South Carolina, named for an
early term used for the United States, played
a leading role in the Civil War, when it was
largely destroyed by fire (hence the World’s
Largest Fire Hydrant in Busted Plug Plaza).
Significant historical preservation in the years
since has retained many architectural gems,
128 of which are on the National Register
of Historic Places, including South Carolina
State House, Robert Mills House, and
Woodrow Wilson Family Home.
Columbia’s location, near multiple interstate
highways, makes it one of the easiest
locations along the eclipse route for the
millions of Americans to reach, and the 2
minutes and 30 seconds of totality, starting
at 2:41 pm, is the longest period of 100% total
eclipse for a metro area on the entire East
Coast of the United States.
More than 50 eclipse-related events will join
the fun, including astronomy activities at the
new South Carolina State Museum featuring
the 10th man to walk on the moon, Charles
Duke; a space-themed performance by the
South Carolina Philharmonic, ranger-led
eclipse tours at Congaree National Park, and
a party on the rooftop of the Sheraton hotel,
the highest viewpoint in the whole city.
AUTUMN 2017 39 FLYWASHINGTON.COM