Category: Travel General

Don’t Take Pics of the Total Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse Path of Totality

Don’t take pics of the total solar eclipse tomorrow, April 8, 2024, with your phone or camera! The stronger sun rays can damage your gadget’s lens.

For the same reason that you should not look directly at the sun during the eclipse since the sun’s rays will be so strong, you should not aim your phone or camera at it either. It can cause serious damage if you’re not using the appropriate solar lens filters. Just figured I’d mention it since we’re just so used to snapping pics real quick of everything nowadays that we may not even think about that. Myself included.

Instead, use your phone to safely watch a professional’s livestream instead if you must and take some screenshots. NASA will have a webcast from 1pm to 4pm EDT where you can watch live.

If you do have the appropriate solar lens filters, here is some information for taking pictures of the eclipse:

Otherwise, there are many creative ways to view a reflection of it instead, such as making those pinhole reflection boxes. Some locations are giving away those fashionable paper eclipse glasses, though I imagine they’ll run out fast. They sell them on Amazon and other places too, but make sure they are legit certified and approved ones. Don’t just use regular sunglasses either. They won’t provide enough protection for staring at the sun.

More eclipse and eclipse viewing info here:

Many locations, including some national parks, colleges, and science museums, are holding eclipse viewing parties. Search “eclipse viewing near here” for events near your local area.

If you’re planning to travel to locations along its totality path, plan for huge crowds and traffic! Most hotels are already sold out too. Plan accordingly.

A total eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth line up in a row with the moon directly between the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow on the Earth. Totality occurs when the moon covers the entire sun except for the corona. The next total solar eclipse over the United States won’t be until 2044, so catch this one if you can!

Happy eclipse viewing!

Eclipse phases from the past

Last Minute Gift

White Mountains, New Hampshire

Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate it! Do you still need a last-minute gift?

Book a trip!

You can still very quickly book a future weekend getaway, a cruise, or an even longer trip today. Just do an initial booking and plan the rest together. That’s part of the fun!

Most hotel bookings don’t even need a booking payment and resorts or cruises usually only need a 20% deposit. There are plenty of deals out there right now for Disney, Universal, cruises, and many other locations. If you book far out enough, that can give you plenty of time to save up the balance and plan the rest of the trip itinerary later.

Just make sure to book something where your reservation and deposit are cancellable and refundable just in case you end up deciding to change plans. Be sure to read the fine print and know the policies.

If you want me to help you plan and book your trip, contact me anytime. For some ideas of possible trips, check out my Instagram and website.

AdventuresByAnne.com

AdventuresByAnne@gmail.com

Road Trip Prep

Road trip

Since we are doing a much longer than usual 3-week road trip this year, much more planning and prepping is involved. I’ve compiled a list of planning steps and tips to hopefully help you too. Check out how I planned our itinerary, plus packing and other prepping info.

Feel free to contact me if you want me to help you plan your trips too.

Let’s go!

Don’t Take Pics of the Solar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse

Don’t take pics of the upcoming solar eclipse with your phone or camera! The stronger sun rays can damage your gadget’s lens.

For the same reason that you should not look directly at the sun during the eclipse since the sun’s rays will be so strong, you should not aim your phone or camera at it either. It can cause serious damage if you’re not using the appropriate lens filters. Just figured I’d mention it since we’re just so used to snapping pics real quick of everything nowadays that we may not even think about that. Myself included.

Instead, use your phone to safely watch a professional’s livestream instead if you must and take some screenshots. NASA will have a webcast from 10:30am CDT to 12:15pm CDT where you can watch live.

Otherwise, there are many creative ways to view a reflection of it instead, or you can get those fashionable paper eclipse glasses that many locations are giving away. Don’t just use regular sunglasses either.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out yesterday’s post about the cool “ring of fire” solar eclipse starting in a few hours.

More eclipse and eclipse viewing info here:

The next annular solar eclipse won’t be until 2046, but there is a total solar eclipse next year on April 8, 2024. Plan ahead because lots of people do travel to locations along its path so book your hotels early!

Happy viewing!

Eclipse

Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse Tomorrow

Are you traveling to see tomorrow’s solar eclipse, or are you lucky enough to be within its full view path?

In case you don’t know, on October 14, 2023, the moon will orbit between Earth and the sun, thus blocking our view of the sun. However, unlike a “total solar eclipse” where it blocks the whole sun, this one will only partially block it since the moon is at its farthest point from the Earth currently, so it’s called an “annular solar eclipse”. The cool part is that the way it partially blocks it will leave the outer edge of the sun still visible, thus creating a “ring of fire” effect when we look at it.

Obviously, don’t look directly at a bright sun though! There are many creative ways to view a reflection of it instead, or you can get those fashionable paper eclipse glasses that many locations are giving away. Don’t just use regular sunglasses either.

Here in the United States, you will get the best view of the full ring in the southwestern part of the country but many of the other states and countries will still get views of it. These sites have charts and tools to check how much of it you’ll see and at what time.

NASA will have a webcast from 10:30am CDT to 12:15pm CDT where you can watch live.

More eclipse and eclipse viewing info here:

The next annular solar eclipse won’t be until 2046, but there is a total solar eclipse next year on April 8, 2024. Plan for that because the next total one won’t be until 2025. Lots of people do travel to locations along its path so book your hotels early!

Happy viewing!

Eclipse

CLEAR thru airport security

©CLEAR

Did you know that you can bypass the long security line at some airports?

Yes, TSA PreCheck is awesome and I totally recommend it if you travel often. Best travel item we ever bought! You get thru so much faster than the regular security line and don’t have to take out liquids, electronics, and shoes.

However, if you don’t have TSA PreCheck, some airports now have Reserve, powered by CLEAR, which is free! This lets you schedule a time for your security check and bypasses the much longer security line. It is currently available at several huge airports in Orlando, Los Angeles, Newark, Phoenix, Seattle, and Calgary.

For more details and to reserve your arrival window, proceed to the CLEAR Reserve site here:

Note: this is different from the regular CLEAR service.

Trusted traveller programs

You’ve probably heard about the trusted traveller programs such as TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, CLEAR, etc. If you don’t have one of them already, you might be wondering if they’re worth getting, and which one to get.

We got our Global Entry and TSA PreCheck a few years ago and we’ve been kicking ourselves for not getting at least PreCheck sooner. It’s so awesome to breeze through the PreCheck security line, which is usually much shorter than the regular line, not have to take out all of our electronics and liquids, and not have to take off our shoes.

The decision on whether it’s worth it for you should be based on how often you travel and your tolerance level for lines and hassle. I know our ability to fly is rather limited right now, but if you’re going to apply for one of these, now is the time to get started if you’re going to need it in the next few months. They may take several weeks to months to process.

Here’s an article that highlights the major programs. Check the website of each program for specific details though, especially for any changes due to the pandemic.

Newbies and Non-U.S. Citizens: TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, CLEAR, NEXUS, Sentri: What’s the Best for You?

Trip Planning

How are you doing? I know things are pretty unstable around the world, and there’s a lot of uncertainty for future travels. However, eventually, we will find a way to safely explore the world again, and I encourage you to do so as much as you can.

Traveling doesn’t have to be an around the world trip. It can just be a simple trip to a nearby national park or a visit to the next city. There are many places near and far that can be great opportunities to broaden our horizons and learn about other cultures and peoples. We need that right now, and these places need our patronage.

Now is the perfect time to start doing our research and planning our itineraries for future trips. That way, when things become more stable, we are prepped and ready to book. There are many sites online that can help us plan and visit places virtually for now. Let me know if you need any help.

This site is a work in progress, I’ll continue to add more content. In the meantime, feel free to email me if you want to talk about the destinations that we’ve visited so far or any other places that you would like to explore.

Contact me at adventuresbyanne@gmail.com