How to plan a total solar eclipse road trip

You've probably heard by now that a total solar eclipse will sweep from coast to coast across the contiguous United States on Aug. 21.

You may have also heard sky watchers and space nerds booked every available room along the 70-mile-wide eclipse path years in advance. You can be forgiven for not planning ahead. This is the first total eclipse to cross both coasts in 99 years.

Since that eclipse in 1918, automobiles and interstate freeways have both become big parts of American life. As a result, we're witnessing a truly new kind of vacation: the eclipse road trip.

Here's what you need to do to make sure you don't miss out:
Pick your ideal viewing spot

While everyone in the lower 48 states will be able to see at least a partial eclipse on Aug. 21, you need to be somewhere along the "path of totality" to get the far more dramatic experience of seeing the sun go dark in the middle of the day. Temperatures plummet and animals start to behave strangely before the lights are turned back on after just a few minutes.

NASA has put together a map -- along with detailed instructions for using it -- that shows where you'll need to be to get the full eclipse experience.

Some key things to consider when choosing where to view the eclipse include distance, weather and traffic. In general, your odds of cloudless skies are better in the Western states. The more densely populated East means more crowds and traffic, but also more roads and accessible viewing spots. There's a great eclipse weather guide here and the map below features predictions on what traffic could look like leading up to and following the eclipse.

"Once you have arrived at a location in the path of totality, find your spot," said filmmaker and veteran eclipse chaser Mark Bender, director of the "Eclipse Across America" series on CuriosityStream. "You don't need to be high up, or away from buildings. But do look for a place away from a lot of bright lights. During totality, when darkness falls and the stars become visible, you don't want any bright lights to take away from your view."
Find a place to stay

At this point, it's not going to be as simple as spending a few minutes online and booking a room in a town along the path of totality. If you call around enough, it might be possible to find a room thanks to a cancellation. Or maybe someone will decide last minute to cash in by putting a room up on Airbnb. But trust me, it's slim pickings right now and "event prices" and shameless gouging are in full effect. Rooms are even totally booked in many towns within short driving distance of the path of totality. According to one site, the entire state of Idaho is essentially out of vacancies for the dates.

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