Eclipse viewing recommendations for an out of towner (Dayton, Mansfield: hotel, safe)

[Waterboy526]

Hello All. I'm planning a trip from the Raleigh, NC area with my 15-year-old son and we'll be staying in Dayton on the night of April 7th. The following day, we intend to drive north of Dayton to be within the mid-line of eclipse totality. There seem to be several smaller cities and towns in the vicinity that could serve as good spots to view the Eclipse. I'm seeking recommendations on which area or town would be ideal for viewing and less congested in terms of traffic when leaving after it's all said and done. We'll return to stay in north Dayton that night and head back to NC the next day.

During my preliminary research, I've been "intrigued" by cities such as Greenville, Versailles, Sidney, and Wapakoneta. These places seem to offer more activities and amenities like dining options, gas stations, etc., However, I'm also considering smaller towns like Anna, Botkins, Fort Loramie, Minster, and New Bremen, all of which are within a few miles of the center of totality.

Can anyone provide local recommendations for optimal viewing locations and given the anticipated influx of both local residents and out-of-town visitors, any tips to avoid traffic congestion back to Dayton that evening?

Thank you in advance!

[recycled]

Neil Armstrong's hometown is Wapakoneta OH. A total solar eclipse produced by the moon overshadowing the sun is something that relates to that town pretty well, given their most famous son's first footsteps on the moon.

https://www.firstonthemoon.org/#:~:t...n%20the%20moon.

[Waterboy526]

Originally Posted by recycled

Neil Armstrong's hometown is Wapakoneta OH. A total solar eclipse produced by the moon overshadowing the sun is something that relates to that town pretty well, given their most famous son's first footsteps on the moon.

https://www.firstonthemoon.org/#:~:t...n%20the%20moon.

Thanks for mentioning that. when researching for our trip last week I was looking into staying at the holiday inn express in Wapakoneta which is literally across a grassy field right next to the Armstrong Air & Space Museum. Unfortunately, that hotel has been booked for a while during 4/7-4/8. I still think it would be a great place to view the eclipse and possibly spend some time at beforehand with my son who is really into astronomy. That location is at the top of my list currently. I appreciate the suggestion.

[joe from dayton]

The issue is that you are going to be on I-75 to get to most of those places. The entire area is expected to be overrun with vehicles and people, so I don't know if you will find a "less crowded" area. Expect to be stuck in gridlock for hours. Personally, if you have a room in Dayton, I'd stay there. I've been in a number of panning meetings at the local and county level; no one has the infrastructure to deal with this. Least of all the small towns that dot the exits off I-75. Dayton is the most capable, but it too will be overwhelmed.

[Waterboy526]

Originally Posted by joe from dayton

The issue is that you are going to be on I-75 to get to most of those places. The entire area is expected to be overrun with vehicles and people, so I don't know if you will find a "less crowded" area. Expect to be stuck in gridlock for hours. Personally, if you have a room in Dayton, I'd stay there. I've been in a number of panning meetings at the local and county level; no one has the infrastructure to deal with this. Least of all the small towns that dot the exits off I-75. Dayton is the most capable, but it too will be overwhelmed.

Thank you. I was thinking about that, but would love to get a little closer to the center of totality to witness the full eclipse for the longest amount of time. I might do some research the morning of and make plans to get as close at possible to the middle of the totality line taking into consideration traffic and accessibility. Good thing is we're staying in Dayton that night as well, so if we have to sit in some traffic, at least we're not driving back to NC that night.

[ShawnRein]

Hudson and Essex in Mansfield is having a viewing party on their patio!

[recycled]

Just 10 days before the big event and the weather forecast looks pretty good. The mid-day temps should be in the mid-60 Fahrenheit range and skies will be clear to partly cloudy. Of course we'll keep an eye on the forecast as it's not a sure thing at this point. On April 1st I'm going to our local public library to pick up a free pair of eclipse safe viewing glasses (go early while supplies last).

[Waterboy526]

Thanks for the recommendations everyone, I'm really excited about the trip this weekend. The weather is looking really good for now *crossing fingers*. Although Dayton is a good 8-hour drive for us, we're expecting a smooth drive and think it'll be a great experience. We've opted to stay at a hotel in North Dayton and plan to explore the surrounding area. With 3 minutes of totality, we feel staying in the north Dayton/Vandalia area is preferable to driving an extra 40-50 miles north for just an additional 30+ seconds, in my opinion.

I noticed that Scene 75 is conveniently close to our hotel. Given that my 15-year-old son loves arcades, I'm curious about your thoughts on the place. Is it worth spending a few hours there? For those familiar with it, does it compare more to Dave & Busters, or is it even better? D&B is pretty BLAH to me.

Thanks for any insights you can provide!

[woxyroxme]

Scene 75 is similar to Dave and Busters or Blips ‘n Chits.

[joe from dayton]

I am sure that he would find it enteraining. They have an indoor go-cart track as well as miniature golf, in addition to all of the arcade games. It is not cheap.