Eclipse:

I just read an article in the newspaper that said cities are expecing unprecedented traffic as large numbers of people gather along the eclipse path. This prompts me to bring up a practical matter. I'm sure you've thought of this but I want to share the experience we had on our trip the last eclipse. We had a midnight to 5AM or so bus ride to the site, a brewery with beautiful grounds well on the path but outside of the eclipse "hub." When we left, the ride took 10 hours instead of the 5 it took to arrive. Much of the first hours were spent inching with traffic leaving the nearby downtown, which we had to traverse to get back to the highway. I don't recall the details as I tried to sleep through much of it. There was adequate water on the bus, someone kept the bathroom in surprisingly good condition, and people seemed content with the snacks they had taken onto the bus; spirits remained good. I wanted to put this reality out though, so that we can best prepare to greet the unexpected with snacks and humor.