The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017 crossed the continent, from Oregon to South Carolina, and gave millions of people the chance to witness one of the most awe-inspiring events in the natural world.

But you had to be within the "path of totality", a narrow band across the earth's surface several thousand miles long but only about 70 miles wide. Outside that band you would only see a partial eclipse, not a total eclipse.

And there is no such thing as a "partial total eclipse", despite the impression blogs and the news media might give. I honestly think that's why so many people misunderstand the utter beauty of the spectacle; they may have seen a partial eclipse in the past that was total somewhere else, and even though they weren't in the path the news kept gushing about it being a total eclipse, so they assume they must have seen a total eclipse and just didn't find it all that impressive.


Posted by Dan 08/29/2017, revised 09/06/2017

Splat would like to attend also.
Posted by Kim 01/03/2011

Thailand is generally considered to be a safe country for travellers to visit, but if you plan a trip to Thailand it would be wise to avoid the island of Ko Tao. You wont find this in your Lonely Planet but many tourists who venture to Ko Tao never return. The island, considered to be one of the best places in Asia to get scuba certified, is packed with over 40 dive companies and the instructors and divers that go with it. All on an island small enough to walk across in an hour. Nearly everyone on the island is here to dive, and to party, and everyone does alot of both. If you're not familiar with the dive community, they are the most laid back, fun people you'll ever meet. By diving or enrolling in a course you immediatley make friends and get plugged into the local scene. The problem? The island drags you in. Countless many people have the same story; 'Yeah, I came here for a week long vacation and never left..' Within 6 hours of arriving it was plain that our original 1 week target was totally unrealistic.

Posted by nik 09/21/2008

When I first arrived in this new country, there were the things that I missed right away: family, friends, group dinners at the Corvallis house, Sienna/Simon/Lago (and even Mogli a little), free phone calls to people in the States... these were all things that were quite obvious and I could see coming before I left. Now that I've been here for several weeks, I have found a multitude of little things that I have only recently realized I miss (notice how much of it is food related!). Much of it is specific to Corvallis/Oregon, so I apologize to those of you who are not familiar with these many little treasures.

• PG Tips tea and Pomogranate Green Tea
• Grandma's cookies (that's my Grandma, not a brand called 'Grandma's')
• Marie Sharp's hot sauces that Dave brought back from Belize (thanks again Dave!)
• really any good hot sauce or salsa
• Tillamook mint chocolate chip ice cream
• Tillamook cheese
• Oregon tap water
• home-brewed beer
• any good darker beers (not many ambers, porters, or nut browns here)
• always having Springhill wine or Dave's wine on hand
• Sour Patch Kids
• Taylor Street Ovens' Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies
• Annie's Shells & Cheddar
• Amy's beans (again, roommate Amy, not a brand)
• Santa Cruz (brand) raspberry lemonade sodas
• The co-op in general and everything delicious held within its walls; buying local and sustainable groceries
• having 4 or 5 didjeridoos lying around the living room (ironic, no?)

However, I am already building a list of 'the little things' that I would miss about Australia... let me tell you, you're all missing out on Tim Tams!

Posted by Whitney 03/18/2008