Official Ollie Eclipse Rallies - Total Solar Eclipse 04/08/2024

[John E Davies]

LOL, I think this might be quite premature, but I wanted to start a thread for folks to think about. This will be the last TOTAL one in the USA until 2045. I do not expect to be around then, so this is my final shot. I saw the last one (August 2018) in central Idaho under crystal clear skies and it was a truly stunning, humbling experience.

*** EDIT 10/27/22: Please start a new thread with an appropriate title for all Oliver Mini Solar Eclipse Rallies (two or more Ollies). I can post links here, Please PM me if I miss one: ***

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6757-official-april-8-2024-total-solar-eclipse-fredericksburg-tx-rally-only-not-for-general-discussion/ .... as of 06/22/22 there are 8 Ollies registered!

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/7474-total-solar-eclipse-2024-in-waco-tx-any-interest-in-an-ollie-rally/

************************************

2024 Total Solar Eclipse Info, map

EDIT 06/25/21: alternate map link

https://nationaleclipse.com/overview.html

 

I am particularly interested in locations in Texas and Arkansas, since weather conditions are more likely to be favorable in early April.

If you live near the Path of Totality (the red line) and own suitable land, I hope I can plant a seed of interest so that you will consider letting some Ollies rendezvous there for the event. 

BTW, this is not my idea, my wife thought it up. But I think it would be a brilliant way to have an Ollie Eclipse Rally. Or several of them, spread across the eastern part of the country.

Please discuss.....

John Davies

Spokane WA 

[WhatDa]

Mercy sakes alive, looks like we've got us a convoy!

[The Shackelfords]

I am definitely down, I was in Korea for the one in 2018 so I missed it even though our farm was smack in the center of the red line. I have never witnessed a solar eclipse so I'm looking forward to being there this time. 

Edited May 20, 2020 by The Shackelfords

[Mike and Carol]

We are in the path, halfway between the southern green line and the red line. The red line goes right over Fredericksburg and Kerrville. We can fit one Ollie in the driveway, hardly a rally!  We are looking to buy some acreage around Fredericksburg and Kerrville in the next couple of years to build on, so maybe....

April can be very nice weather wise. Temperatures are mild but there are occasional storms.   Mike

[John E Davies]

1 hour ago, Mike and Carol said:We are looking to buy some acreage around Fredericksburg and Kerrville in the next couple of years to build on, so maybe....

Well, there we have it. The Texas Rally Chapter is forming. Put me down for a spot. FYI you could possibly pay off your land purchase by renting out spots to the general public. You would have no problem getting $200 per night for a three or four day RV stay, no facilities except for a permit, some porta potties and a WHOLE lot of liability “event insurance”. You can bet that some local owners are already  aware of this, so buy your land sooner than later if it is inside, or even a thirty minute walk from, those lines. Land prices will go up!

I would personally be willing to pay, but I would hope for a discounted Ollie Section. I do enjoy telling other people how to spend their money, LOL. 
 

John Davies

Spokane WA

[HMD1056]

You drove your Ollie trailer to Arkansas

To see the total eclipse of the sun

Ollie owners are where they should be all the time

And when you're not it's cause of the corona virus and

Stay at home orders.

Oh, you're not vain

You probably just own an Ollie

You're not vain, 

You know this song is about you...don't you, don't you!

Ok.  I'm bored.  Forgive my plagiarism.  But I do think this would be a wonderful eclipse rally!!!

Edited May 20, 2020 by HMD1056
skipped a word!

[BackofBeyond]

Great info  - seems I have a date in 2024 - probably some where near Mena Arkansas - my old stomping grounds.

 

[Kkmain]

Sounds like a plan!  Great suggestion John! (Or wife of John). We’d certainly be willing to pay a fee as neither of us has had the opportunity to see an eclipse.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

Have fun!!!  Here's a bit of advice from an Oregonian:

1. Get your reservations in now or scout out a good boondocking site.  Oregon campgrounds, RV parks, and motels in the path of totality were booked years in advance and sold out in the months just prior to the 2017 eclipse.  Campsites were trading on Ebay for $$$$$$$ and people were renting out prime sites on their property.  We could have driven to our son's house in Corvallis, which was in the path of totality, but weren't willing to endure the I-5 traffic jam which started several days prior to the event. 

2. Be sure to schedule extra travel time; the traffic was unbelievable.  Google 2017 eclipse Oregon to get an idea of what to expect.  Viewers came from all over the country.  Near the prime viewing locales, traffic was stalled for hours.  Plan to arrive several days before the event.  Even worse is the after-eclipse exodus.  Viewers travel and arrive over  days, but the window of departure is much shorter.    Eclipse traffic

3. If you want a little less chaos, view from near the path of totality.  We weren't in the path,  but even within 200 miles it was impressive.  We watched totality on our computer as we donned our glasses to see near totality from the comfort of our front yard, away from the chaos. 

4. Be mindful of the weather at the time of the eclipse.  I don't mean to be pessimistic, but a cloudy day or severe weather could ruin even the best made plans.  April weather can be unpredictable. 

5. If you have a plane, leave your Ollie home and fly in.  Don't have a plane?  Maybe there's an Ollie wing and jet engine mod.  😎

Madras, Oregon airport   

[Trainman]

I think I will just go outside and set down by the lake and watch it from there, we should get a pretty good view from there. 

trainman

[Starshine]

We missed the last total solar eclipse visible from the Pacific Northwest. So happy this one can be viewed from the east coast. Remembering the 2017 TV clips of traffic congestion, I think we will make the shorter trip and view it on the east coast from New York or Maine. Weather that time of year is always a gamble. We have missed several partial eclipse due to clouds but you get what you get. Plus, if it is cold we might lose the large crowds. Always fun watching the stars. Thanks for keeping us posted!

Audrey & Vincent

[Mch]

Love it! It’s not in the middle of the path but Big Bend National Park is amazing and talk about clear skies! Find a nearby ranch that will accommodate? Or terlingua?

[rideandfly]

On 5/19/2020 at 10:02 PM, WhatDa said:

Mercy sakes alive, looks like we've got us a convoy!

Agree, we plan to see it again, too.  Saw the last eclipse at Tennessee while camping with Ollie. 

[hobo]

Just to remind folks;  being "close" to the path of totality (e.g. 85% to 90%) is fairly useless.  Unless you're in the actual path, the effects will be almost non-noticeable.

The experience of seeing a total eclipse is quite remarkable whereas anything less than that is extremely under-whelming.

It's like hunting:  a miss-is-a-miss regardless of how far off you were from hitting the target.

Would love to see it again this go-round if we can find a suitable location.  Being with other Oliver owners would be the icing on the cake.

 

 

[John E Davies]

2 hours ago, hobo said:

Just to remind folks;  being "close" to the path of totality (e.g. 85% to 90%) is fairly useless.  Unless you're in the actual path, the effects will be almost non-noticeable.

The experience of seeing a total eclipse is quite remarkable whereas anything less than that is extremely under-whelming.

Thanks for the reminder. We were just a few miles from the path and it was amazing. As the sun began to be fully covered the stars came out, the songbirds started singing, a slight breeze started. The temperature dropped noticeably. People mostly went silent. A few dogs started barking, then stopped. It was most eerie, and humbling. It made you understand why ancient and primitive cultures were so very freaked out by it. 

https://www.treehugger.com/how-does-solar-eclipse-affect-animals-4868135

The stars and temperature drop affected me most. I hope those watching the next one have relatively clear skies.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited April 11, 2021 by John E Davies

[rideandfly]

Experimented with full Sun shot to prepare for the eclipse last time.

Used a 6' step ladder as a tripod for the last Eclipse.

Made a solar filter out of Solar Sheet:

Here's the 42X Zoom Point & Shoot camera with filter installed:

 

[SeaDawg]

On 10/3/2020 at 9:32 AM, rideandfly said:

Agree, we plan to see it again, too.  Saw the last eclipse at Tennessee while camping with Ollie. 

Those photos are beautiful!

[Ray and Susan Huff]

7 hours ago, hobo said:

Just to remind folks;  being "close" to the path of totality (e.g. 85% to 90%) is fairly useless.  Unless you're in the actual path, the effects will be almost non-noticeable.

The experience of seeing a total eclipse is quite remarkable whereas anything less than that is extremely under-whelming.

It's like hunting:  a miss-is-a-miss regardless of how far off you were from hitting the target.

Would love to see it again this go-round if we can find a suitable location.  Being with other Oliver owners would be the icing on the cake.

 

 

We were home for the 2017 eclipse . . . . 80% totality.  It didn't get real dark, just dusky, but we did see the patterns on the ground.

 

[dhaig]

We were fortunate to have an excellent vantage point for viewing the most recent solar eclipse on 8/21/17 at the home of my brother-in-law & sister-in-law in Simpsonville, SC, near Greenville.  They hosted an eclipse party on several acres in front of their house.  Shooting conditions were excellent, except for temperature in the mid-90s.

I collaborated with my wife's nephew to photograph the eclipse using Solar Eclipse Maestro software to control exposure settings and shutter release on two Canon full frame DSLR cameras.  The shoot was not fully automated, as we manually tracked the Sun/Moon to keep them centered as much as possible in the frame.  The manual tracking proved to be challenging, as we were using 150-600mm Sigma lens mounted on ball heads.  We prepped the software for several weeks prior to the event and conducted numerous dry runs.  The exposure settings to shoot all of the events which occur during a solar eclipse must be changed multiple times, often within very short periods.  We were pleased with the results and learned many lessons for the next solar eclipse. For anyone interested in photographing the 2024 eclipse, I am happy to share lessons learned and list of Internet resources useful for preparation.  Send me a PM if interested.

Anyone interested can view a gallery of 33 images covering all phases of the 2017 solar eclipse at: 

https://jdhddh.smugmug.com/Photography-General/Photography-DDH/2017-Solar-Eclipse/

We live in Dallas, which will be within the Path of Totality for the 2024 solar eclipse.  Unfortunately, we do not have space to accommodate any guest Oliver trailers.  I am concerned that large trees on and near our property may obscure our view.  I have not yet taken the time to check the azimuth and elevation details to determine if tree blockage will be an issue.  April weather in Dallas is usually excellent.  However, as mentioned above, thunderstorms can interfere.

[SeaDawg]

Love your photos. Thanks for sharing the link.. 

[Clp]

I know my husband will want to do this. He say the last eclipse. Glad you brought this up. We would be interested.

[Carl Hansen]

We are interested in any additional information on this rally. Please count us in. 

Carl and Miriam

[DavidP]

Was in Nebraska for the 2017 Eclipse we camped in a farmers field with a small tent and a couple hundred other eclipse watchers. We were very lucky and had fantastic weather was a very moving experience and addictive. We traveled to South East Asia for a Annular Eclipse in 2019 and was scheduled for another eclipse in South America canceled by COVID. Looking forward to seeing the next in the USA in our Oliver!!

 

[Ray-Sam Moody]

@John E DaviesWe are interested in this possible rally event . We live in Glen Rose, TX, just southwest of Ft Worth so we are pretty much able to travel anywhere along the TX path. Thanks for the heads-up and rally idea, sounds like 2024 is not so far off to start planning now for this. The last one I saw was when I was 11yo, have some doubts I'll be around for the next one ; :)!

[Kathy Tewart]

I'm new to Oliver TTs-we take delivery of ours April 29. I think Bandera Tx would be a great place for a eclipse rally, it is in the path of totality and there are many  RV parks in the area.  We have attended MFRVG rallies at Skyline Ranch RV park in the past.  Do you know of anyone planning an Oliver rally for the eclipse? I'm very excited about the eclipse as I am 67 and have never been witness to a total eclipse so this may be my chance!