Where to see the total eclipse on Route 66

2011 total eclipse of the sun

If you’re in eastern Missouri on Route 66 on Aug. 21, 2017, there’s a good chance you’ll experience a rare total eclipse of the sun that day.

Most of the state will see at least a partial eclipse. But a narrow band of Route 66 in eastern Missouri will experience a total eclipse. Missouri towns that will see it include Pacific, Villa Ridge, Cuba, Sullivan, Bourbon, Stanton, Eureka and a few southwest suburbs of St. Louis.

But the very best place on Route 66 in Missouri to experience the total eclipse will be St. Clair. The total eclipse there will last the near-maximum time of 2 minutes, 40 seconds, beginning at 1:15 p.m. The partial eclipse begins at 11:48 a.m.

City officials in St. Clair know their town is at “ground zero” of the eclipse and want to be ready for a bunch of sun-watching tourists. According to the Washington Missourian last week:

St. Clair Area Chamber of Commerce Director Charlene Saling said a steering committee was formed earlier this week to plan for the event. About 15 people attended the first meeting Tuesday. […]

“When we looked at this overall, we realized this is going to be huge,” Saling said. “So we decided instead of everybody operating in their own silos we would be instrumental in bringing everybody together and operate as a committee.” […]

The committee is planning a three-day event that will climax with the eclipse. The theme for the weekend will be “Get Your Eclipse on Route 66.”

It will be a three-day event, not just for the eclipse day. Tentative plans are a parade, movies, a bluegrass music festival, fireworks show, car show, and vendors selling items based on Route 66 or the eclipse — the latter include Moon Pies and Sunny Delight. Most of the festivities will take place downtown or Orchard Park.

St. Clair event launched a website dedicated to the event here.

About the only thing that might put a damper on the event is weather. St. Clair hopes the clouds will stay away. But even if it’s overcast, St. Clair will experience near-darkness for a few minutes and a sudden temperature drop.

(Solar eclipse in 2011 by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via Flickr)

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