It was an ordinary day. Time to plan for my next eclipse, but was told that I'll need a passport! After spending a few bucks on special glasses to wear and planning for the perfect spot to watch the recent eclipse...my wife and I were totally disappointed since the weather didn't cooperate and we saw only the slightest bit of the eclipse through the overcast skies. So, we decided to check out where the next celestial event will appear and found out we will have three more chances to see the eclipse over the next four years. Wow! But, it means a bit of travel to do so. The first, on August 12, 2026 will start above Greenland, then strafe the west coast of Iceland and move along the Atlantic Ocean and over Spain. Yeah...like that's gonna happen! We have never been to Greenland and to tell you the truth...I'm not sure where Greenland is! So...we decided to cross that first choice off our list and wait for the next one after Greenland. Almost a year later, on August 2, 2027, another eclipse will skirt the Mediterranean coast of North Africa than cross Egypt and part of the Arabian Peninsula. Ah...give me a break!! I can't imagine how long it would take to get there and how much it would cost to be able to see another eclipse....and with no promise that we will be able to see the eclipse any better than the one a week or so ago. So...how about the third one. The third, on July 22, 2028, will cut across Australia and the southern tip of New Zealand. So...we talked it over and decided to watch all three....on TV. At least we would have the best view available and it will cost a bunch of money less than if we had traveled to try and see them. What's nice about a total solar eclipse is that it happens fairly regularly - in locations scattered around the globe. "That's the great thing about them: You wind up in places that you don't normally go," The worst part of trying to see an eclipse in-person is the weather, which will be the major spoiler in the 2026 eclipse. If I had my choice of which of the three I would want to see with a promise of perfect weather...well, I guess it would be the 2027 eclipse since it is the site of numerous ancient temples as well as the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, and sits right in the middle of the path of totality and will be bathed in darkness for a full 6 minutes and 23 seconds. Weather-wise, it is what Sahami called "a slam dunk." "You know you're going to see it. You know that you're not going to get any clouds." The 2028 eclipse will darken the skies over Sydney, Australia, for 3 minutes and 49 seconds. It will be the first time the city has experienced a total solar eclipse since 1857. If you want to see any (or all) of these eclipses, you should get started on planning and booking now, particularly if you want to sign up for a trip organized by a tour company. One of the Sirius Travel's excursions to Luxor is already full. Scrutinize refund policies and look into insuring your trip. Several companies will fully refund your deposit if you cancel a year in advance. So...what do you think? Do you want to take the chance that the weather will be good or that you might not even be alive by then. As for my wife and myself...well, we have decided to.......head to Sint Maarten and sit on the beach the day of all three eclipses. We will be sitting in our beach chairs on Orient Beach with our eyes closed, visualizing (actually dreaming) what the eclipse looks like that day. There will be little to no traffic and we can hop in the warm ocean waters and close our eyes and try and imagine what the eclipse looked like that day. And a few minutes later we can snack on a sandwich and a cold one! Hey....you know....we could do that as soon as we have our bags packed and our arrival date is set with our friend Magali. And...as soon as we arrive in St. Martin I will type a story wondering what the eclipse might have looked like that day. Life's to short to sit in front of a TV or wait for an eclipse or watch your life go by. It was another extraordinary ay in the life of an ordinary guy.
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