I experienced travel northbound out of the Nashville area. One of my takeaways was that the best use of the go bag may involve going back inside and sheltering in place.
Another was that good old fashioned paper maps need to go back in each of my vehicles. Smart phone and built in GPS did not provide adequate perspective, when trying to cover long distances. And, popular travel apps do not register that their alternative routes have been overwhelmed until it is too late.
As for the eclipse, totality was awsome.
I was up until 2AM Monday morning updating my various GPSs, mostly for exploring Blue Mountain trails later in the day, and then left for Phillip’s Lake at 3AM. Got to Baker, OR at 7AM, and it looked funny to see people milling around town at that early hour, kids playing in the park, etc. McDonalds had leased porta-poties since their indoor restrooms would be inadequate, and also had an extra refrigerated container of food outside. Good planning.
There was a silence in which I could hear his mind thinking...and then he decided not to say anything. So either he thinks I'm insane, or he was wondering where he put his old road atlas.
While on some Tennessee state highways and finally I-65 and I-71 I was reminded of the Doctor Who episode "Gridlock":
While the Doctor talks to a vendor, Martha is kidnapped at gun point by a young couple named Milo and Cheen. Once in their vehicle, they explain that Cheen is pregnant and that they needed three adult passengers with them to use the fast lane. They promise they will drop Martha off when they reach their destination ten miles away, estimated to take six years.
Another was that good old fashioned paper maps need to go back in each of my vehicles. Smart phone and built in GPS did not provide adequate perspective, when trying to cover long distances. And, popular travel apps do not register that their alternative routes have been overwhelmed until it is too late.
Yep. I'm glad I picked up some at the rest stops. I was able to back track to get off the 2 mph state route to the 15 mph interstate. There is no way I would have seen that road on a GPS or cell phone screen.
As for the eclipse, totality was awsome.
No doubt about it. I was 25 miles east of Nashville and the guy parked next to me was begging a relative to come and see the total eclipse. She was staying just outside the eclipse zone and thought that a 99% eclipse was almost as good as totality. I really hope she drove the ten miles to see it. I was planning on waiting for one to come to me in seven years. Now, I'm considering a couple trips to Chile in 2019 and 2020. ¿Dónde está el eclipse solar?
Cell phone coverage is certainly good most of the time in the US, but my particular carrier did not work at all where I was going for the Eclipse. This happens to me regularly when I drive long distances, as I am not along the coasts. Paper maps are still useful.