Who can get there?

most anticipated eclipse in American history is coming this summer. At the heart of it is Hopkinsville, Kentucky, which anticipates 100,000 visitors. Mental Floss takes a look behind the small town's preparations—and a deep dive into the passionate subculture of people who chase eclipses for a living.


In 2007, Cheryl Cook received an email from an out-of-towner planning a trip to Hopkinsville, Kentucky. As the executive director of the town's convention and visitors bureau, Cook was used to reading messages from potential tourists. There was one hitch, though: The visitor's projected stay was 10 years away.

The purpose of the visit: A total solar eclipse was coming to the U.S. on August 21, 2017, and Hopkinsville represented a plum location to observe it. The event would be huge, the traveler said. What exactly was the town doing to prepare?


Cook says she laughed when she first read the

ROAD TRIP!

Dave and Verslagen call ROAD TRIP to go see the eclipse in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Where is the proposed gather point for this August 19 - 21st ride?

There are low cost and free government campgrounds at the Land Between The Lakes Reservation (30 miles away from Hopkins).   Free Campgrounds.net lists 10-12 free sites in the Reservation itself and one is at the Corp of Engineers lakeside facility on the Hopkins side of the lake (looks like a swimming/boat ramp type area).

Be aware that if 100,000 people are actually invading the area that the free spots may not be there when you arrive.

Well the darn thing only lasts 2.5 minutes if you get right at the center....hopefully there won't be a cloud in the way!

And.......the center of the zone passes just south of Franklin - right in the heart of the TN/NC area we love to ride in.

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-maps

And whose bright idea was it to schedule the thing for a Monday?

I thought that this thread was going to be about a Pink Floyd song...

Oldfeller--FSO wrote on 07/05/17 at 10:31:11:


Unless MMR is going to preempt his 9/11 ride, I'll have used up the alloted 2 weeks vaca for this time period.

I live in Hendersonville, Tn so I will be right in the middle of it.