Coming from out-of-town, I am seeking public places conducive for viewing the eclipse as close to the path of totality as possible. Seeking tips for small parks (ie: state, county parks or “Dept of Parks and Recreation” parks and/or playgrounds, dog parks, public school grounds*) or such that are not heavily treed. I am targeting three general areas: (a) Clemson-Anderson greater area, (b) Santee / Santee St Park area, or (c) greater Columbia area. Trying to avoid crowds, at least mega-crowds, if possible, (but don’t let the crowd aspect get you hung up).
Suggestions? If it helps, here is a link to a SC detailed map by NASA showing extreme detail of towns with an overlay of the path of totality sliced thin from the centerline out to the edges of the 70 mile-wide shadow. Once the link opens, click on the map to zoom in. Use side bars to maneuver map as you cannot drag around with the mouse.
*Assuming public schools are still on summer break.
Well, if you don’t mind going a little south of Columbia, there’s a not-pretty but very high and open mini mall parking lot in Gaston. It’s exit 115 off I-26, or exit 1 off
I-77, then about 8 miles down 321 towards Gaston. It’s the Food lion lot, and there’s the Diamond dog food plant next door. It’s a high spot for sure, you can see downtown Columbia from up there.
And it’s about 1 mile off the central line of the totality
Browsing around in Anderson county, I notice that the Jockey Lot isless than a thousand feet from the center of the zone of totality. Large parking lot, only open on the weekends. On the (very) off chance that anyone would complain about you parking there, I’m sure you would be welcome in the parking lot of Whitefield Baptist church across the road.
I didn’t know when schools were supposed to start back, so I Googled and found that, interestingly, schools are supposed to start “no sooner than the third Monday in August.” And the third Monday in August happens to be eclipse day, so the government looked into making a one-time exception to that rule. Looks like it passed, because Pickens county schools start back on the 17th. Greenville and Anderson went in the opposite direction and start out on Tuesday 22.
We’re going with mom’s yard. In northern Anderson County just off a state highway, not too far off centerline. Rural tree lined road that won’t look too attractive to those not in the know. But there is a nice opening in the trees large enough for unobstructed viewing.
Nearby there is the Powdersville YMCA that shares its parking lot with a church on SC State Hwy 81. I heard some folks there mentioning that they thought a nearby farm field (near intersection of Hwy 81 and Orr Road) was going to be opened for viewing. That would be a much more open area. And this would be slightly closer to centerline than mom’s, but not much. The nearby Baptist Church parking lot might be a decent viewing site too. Add in various school parking lots and I bet you will find viewing groups all over.
Downside is lack of restroom facilities at most of those spots. I doubt that the YMCA is planning to open to non-members. And churches will likely be closed as well unless the church itself is planning a viewing event.
In the “its a small world” category, I have at least 11 relatives (including a great-great-grandfather) buried in the cemetery of that church. Including one with a death-date on her headstone that was 11 years off from the date in my genealogy database, so thanks for inadvertently helping me correct that.
Yeah. So which state has the longest viewing area as measured along the center line of the total eclipse viewing area? Nebraska? Hard to say without seeing it on a globe or map that corrects for the curvature of the earth.
OK… that cemetery is at a nearby church, Mt Airy Baptist. The YMCA and the adjoining Grace Church are very new and I doubt the church has a cemetery yet.
Anyway, for the purpose of this thread, there are assorted churches scattered about this part of the county. At least some will probably have a few people show for the eclipse viewing. But since this is a couple miles off centreline maybe it won’t be packed. I’ll take the loss of about 3 seconds of totality to avoid the traffic right on the centreline.
Yeah, sigh…we sat on the fence too long about what we were doing and will have to bite the bullet. We’re coming from the mid-Atlantic and going to drive to Forest City, NC area the night before. That’s about as close as we can get with hotel chains we prefer.
Ideally, I thought we could make to Clemson, but upon reading how bad the traffic is expected to be, we hope to make it somewhere around Greenville. We’re willing to sacrifice like 40 seconds of totality just to get somewhere in time. It’s all a gamble. Even the cloud cover is a gamble. Might be nothing or might be just enough fair weather clouds at the wrong spot at the wrong time. But, like I said: Regardless of all the “what-ifs”, we’re going to bite the bullet and go for it.
You don’t have to make it as far as Clemson. You could stop in Easley, for instance, which will also bottleneck but is before Clemson with a number of alternate routes from your starting point. Greenville and the closer surrounding area might be the best option, as at least you’ve got I-85 to get there. Sure, you’re going to sacrifice time, but at least you should see it. And those roads once you get outside Greenville aren’t the biggest or the fastest anyway.
I’d almost suggest driving in the middle of the night if you want to make Clemson. In theory, Easley to Clemson is 20-30 minutes in reasonable traffic. Greenville is 40-50. No idea if I-85 and US-76 would be less likely to bottleneck than US-123. From the Forest City area you’re looking at 2 hours in good traffic. My guess is you’re going to want to be on the road ludicrously early–like 6 AM at the latest–with a full tank of gas and plenty of patience.
My parents are going to be probably watching it from my great-uncle’s house outside Pickens. Small town, but that might work in your favor if fewer people try to go a smaller town like that.
Looks like there’s a rest area on I-85 in Anderson County. Something like that might work if you get there early enough.
Going into one of the denser population areas seems like a really bad idea (I was in the city of Greenville on July 4th for a fireworks show, and the crowds were terrible–Clemson isn’t as built up, but there could still potentially be annoying traffic.) I mentioned the parking lot of that flea market earlier–it wasn’t a facetious suggestion–it is a big parking lot a few hundred feet from the center of the path of totality. I emailed a friend of mine after noticing that (a friend who’s uncle happened to be a co-owner of the flea market before he died) and he had already noticed the location himself, but plans to watch it from a vacant lot beside a gas station on the other side of the road because being a few hundred feet from the path of totality isn’t good enough, he wants to be exactly dead center.
If not that, the parking lot of a church should be a good choice–nobody is going to chase you off from that. Here is one less than 500 feet from the center. A short distance away is another one around 1200 feet from the center. Here is one around 1500 feet away. Plus dozens of other choices further from the center but still deep in the zone of totality.
Fair warning, word is that Clemson University will be charging $50 for on campus parking for their eclipse viewing event. Somewhere nearby will provide the same show for less money.
