By Sheryl Roadcap
TROY — With such an extremely rare opportunity to see a solar total eclipse in the Miami Valley area on April 8, visitors are sure to pour into numerous local cities that are in the pathway of the eclipse.
According to NASA, a total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the sun. People located in the center of the moon’s shadow when it hits Earth will experience a total eclipse. The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk.
This total solar eclipse will be visible in Ohio, one of 15 U.S. states, and a partial solar eclipse will be visible in all 49 continental states.
Bruce Brownlee, a Tipp City native, now a resident of Johns Island, South Carolina, plans to return to Miami County with his wife Diane for numerous days before the event.
“We are looking forward to the trip back to the Miami Valley. We come back to Miami County often,” Brownlee said. “I have two nieces who live back in Tipp City.”
“We snagged a hotel room about a year ago at the Holiday Inn there,” Brownlee said when asked if he was able to reserve a room, or if he was staying with family.
He is looking forward to attending several scheduled events in Miami County and catching up with old friends.
“My only regret is that I can’t be in six places at once,” he said with a chuckle of wanting to be in both downtown Troy and Tipp City, as well as on the Troy levee, or at Tipp City’s Kyle Park or even at his childhood home on Hyatt Street, plus at any other fun events.
Brownlee has sponsored a 2024 Dropbox folder for friends to upload pictures and videos. Anyone with this link can upload videos and photos. Everyone is invited to share their photos or videos so that people can see what is going on all over the area.
“Nobody can take in all the great views, so we hope to share videos.” Brownlee said.
“We are in no rush to get back home (to South Carolina). I am 50% retired, so we are in no hurry (in case traffic is backed up or slow moving),” he concluded “And we can stop off in Atlanta and in Greenville, North Carolina to see grandbabies if we want to.”
In the Lima area, members of Tammy Trentkamp’s family will be heading there for the eclipse. She will have family traveling from Seattle, Washington; Orlando, Florida; from Cincinnati, Ohio, and possibly from South Carolina as well, she said by email.
Trentkamp noted they plan to spend Saturday, April, 6, in Lima and attend the Solar Smash Bash downtown. On Monday, April 8, they plan to be at an Air BNB located in Huntsville at the lake for the event.
Anyone interested to add photos to Brownlee’s 2024 Dropbox folder should go https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/bxqpuuj636z0dhum0gxv3/h?rlkey=ezoei2qwpkqlpsb9tuyl67i7l&dl=0
