The August 21 total solar eclipse is less than three weeks away. Towns around Idaho are expecting big crowds of people coming from all over the world to watch the moon cross in front of the sun. Unofficial estimates run as high as 250,000 visitors flooding into the Gem State.
The two-minute blackout is an event that appeals to people for many reasons. Some are coming to be part of a once in a lifetime event. Others are interested in astronomy. What is it about the eclipse that could motivate a quarter million people to come here?
Jerry Mathes is a writer and former wildland firefighter who used to live in Idaho. He plans to take his two daughters out of school and drive 14 hours from California to a secluded spot in western Idaho to experience the eclipse. He’s been blogging about what’s motivating him to take such Herculean efforts for a two-minute event. He's calling the journey The Trip to Totality.
We asked him about about some of the reasons why he, and countless others, are coming to Idaho this month. He says it has a lot to do with his kids.
Mathes is a North American Book Award winner. His latest book is “Shipwrecks and other stories.”
Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio
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