Total eclipse of the north
Where to watch the cosmic ballet
Two alarming things suddenly occurred to me last week, when I was crafting plans with friends for the total solar eclipse that’s going down on Monday, April 8th. First and most pertinent to planning is the level of traffic that northern New England is going to endure before and during Eclipse Day. Since the path of totality cuts through the northernmost parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, where quieter local roads rule, the congestion could be nightmarish. (And considering how many of these local roads are dirt roads which are now thawing, it could also be a mess.) But the other thing that suddenly registered for me was the weather. If the sky is overcast on Eclipse Day, all the hours you’ve driven and the money you’ve potentially burned on jacked up hotel fees might be for naught if you’re determined to stare at the sun’s cornea for two minutes.
Granted, clouds won’t spoil the vibe of an eclipse. You are still going to experience a temporary bout of darkness in the middle of the day, which is pretty cool with or without the corona view. And once you absorb this, the idea of traveling north and contending with the legions of fellow eclipse chasers doesn’t seem so dodgy. The only question that remains is, “Where should I go?” What northern New England destinations will make for decent observation posts, and will they be relatively free of the traffic that’s likely to strangle metro areas like Burlington or Montpelier.
