Well, hopefully you have already booked and are on your way to one of our beach house rentals Charleston SC for the big event this coming Monday, August 21st. The Great American Eclipse has been in the news for the last year and a half (at least). Folks were calling in early 2016 to book one of our SC vacation rentals, either Isle of Palms vacation rentals or a Folly Beach house Charleston. Now, with the rare celestial event just days away, the news coverage has reached a fever pitch. USA Today has been writing countless articles about it. They have amassed them all in one convenient place. Click here to access them all. I thought this article from Forbes was particularly interesting - five things NOT to do during the eclipse. Read more here. I’ve also been hearing about the dangers of looking at the eclipse, how you have to have the special glasses (of course) but how not all of the ones that are out there are safe. Eye doctors have announced they’ll have special extended hours the day after the eclipse, anticipating people with serious eye issues or even blindness. Looking at the sun through a telescope or binoculars for even a split second can cause you to be blind forever. It’s a serious concern. Several experts recommend that instead of focusing on the sun, try to experience everything else going on. The mid-afternoon darkness, the drop in temperature (which may be 20 to 30 degrees), the unusual behavior of animals and birds, the rest of the sky, will all be quite interesting. There will be much to notice other than the sun and moon combo.
Total Eclipse path near our beach house rentals Charleston SC
As I covered in this BLOG, our beach rentals Charleston are right smack in the path of eclipse totality and the last place in the U.S. where you can experience it. The path of totality is about 70 miles wide, and the swath stretches more or less from Litchfield north of Pawleys to south of Folly Beach. So our Isle of Palms luxury rentals are right in the midst of the ultra-rare mid-afternoon darkness. Also as I’ve covered before, the IOP is having a special eclipse celebration at Front Beach behind the Windjammer, from 11:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Come "Get Eclipsed on IOP!" They’ll be giving away free eclipse glasses while they last, one to a customer. Get set for plenty of music by DJ NattyHeavy and Plane Jane. Don’t be surprised if someone plays “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and other sun/moon/eclipse-themed songs. Front Beach is a short distance from our rental homes South Carolina, especially if you’re lucky enough to have nabbed a luxury house on Isle of Palms. Here’s more about it: http://www.iop.net/great-american-eclipse
Here’s a timetable for the event near our beach house rentals Charleston SC…
- Partial Eclipse will begin at 1:10 pm
- Total Eclipse at 2:46 pm
- Partial Eclipse ends at 4:10 pm
Originally I had heard that one million people would be heading to South Carolina to watch the Great American Eclipse. Lately I’ve been hearing that 2 million people (!) will descend on the Charleston area alone to watch it. Not sure if this is a wild exaggeration or not, but by all reports, traffic is going to be heavy near our luxury beach house rentals SC. Local officials are encouraging people to stay in their homes - or, perhaps, your Charleston beach house. The view should be stellar from the porches and decks, plus you won’t have to deal with any crowds. So enjoy the eclipse, and please be safe. And when you are looking for beach house rentals Charleston SC, be sure to call EP for the best. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger
Image credit: Michael Zeller, Great American Eclipse