I made a reservation at the same place. they have the best balance of
price and ratings, per "tripadvisor.com"
On 5/31/2016 5:59 PM, (Redacted sender insanas for DMARC) wrote:
I called hotels in Casper, some are filled up for the night of Aug 20, 2017, but others won't take reservations more than a year out.
I checked 2 hotels in scottsbluff, the location with the highest % of clear days. Both hotels have vacancies. I made a reservation for one room for 4 adults for$82 plus tax for Aug 20 2017. This is just a backup pending what the club decides. Scottsbluff is in totality, but about 30 miles or so from the centerline. There is a road highway 71 that is a straight shot to the centerline or there are other roads to escape to Casper or Grand Island if clouds roll in. Totality is over 1 min in Scottsbluff but going north gets you to the centerline which is about 2.5 mins of totality. It is the super 8 hotel 308 635 1600.
I am not recommending this, just giving out info if you feel concerned over vacancies.The reservation can always be cancelled a few days ahead of time.
Take care. Sam
Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 Alex Vrenios <axv@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Our last presentation narrowed the choices down to three cities: Madras, OR, Casper, WY and Scottsbluff, NE. Given that we analyzed 11 years’ worth of weather conditions, I doubt that one more year’s worth of data will change our analysis. Recall also that all three cities had a greater than 85% probability of clear skies, any club member can choose any of these with confidence.
Alex
P.S. I plan to bring our weather data along to Mike’s.
On May 31, 2016, at 2:31 PM, Peter Turner <peteturner@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:peteturner@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
I understand your thoughts. I will be at Mike’s for the
fireworks. If logistics look to be difficult, I understand. However $1,000 per person to go on a tour to Grand Island Nebraska
is something that doesn’t seem doable for most in the club. Having a decision earlier than the one year anniversary would
allow those of us that can make our own way there a chance to
secure the lowest hotel rates possible.
/Pete Turner/
//
MaidPro Phoenix-North – voted Best of Phoenix Magazine
19235 N Cave Creek Rd. Suite 106, Phoenix, AZ
*E:*peteturner@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:peteturner@xxxxxxxxxxx>
*P:*602-923-7900*W:*maidpro.com/phoenix-north
<http://www.maidpro.com/phoenix-north>
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*From:*insanas@xxxxxxx
<mailto:insanas@xxxxxxx>[mailto:insanas@xxxxxxx]
*Sent:*Tuesday, May 31, 2016 12:46 PM
*To:*axv@xxxxxxx <mailto:axv@xxxxxxx>;peteturner@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:peteturner@xxxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject:*RE: FW: [pasmembers] Fwd: Total Solar Eclipse expedition
The reason for the Sept 1st date is we want one more data point
for weather analysis on Aug 21st. I agree hotels are filling up
fast. I mentioned that yesterday in my email to all our PAS
members and that is why we sent out the eclipse tour of Ted, and
why I mentioned that Sky and Telescope and the Astronomical League
have eclipse tours. I am beginning to think it will be difficult
for PAS to put together our own tour that would satisfy everyone.
Some want to camp, some want a hotel, some want to sleep in their
vehicle since it is only a 2.5 min experience, some want to drive,
some want to charter a bus, some want to fly to Denver and rent a
car there and stay in a modest hotel for a few days, then drive to
Casper or Scott's Bluff. Some want to attend a professional
conference. I would like to invite all PAS members interested in
the trip to go to Mike's fireworks party on July 3rd and then
spend about an hour discussing everything.Pete and Alex would you
attend on July 3rd in Carefree?
Sam
Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tuesday, May 31, 2016 Peter Turner <peteturner@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:peteturner@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Sam and Alex,
Just saw this email or would have included it in my previous
email. You might want to consider moving up the discussion from
September to an earlier date, even though it’s in the summer. The
reason is that most hotels start booking one year ahead. Thus many
hotels might be booked prior to your meeting. I think that’s why
the tour company that Ted is going with has a deadline of August
16^th , 2016 for their lower price.
You may be concerned about getting a room since PVCC is out for
the summer. However, I think if done now, you could probably get
(rent?) a room at a local library. I know that I have been to
meetings at libraries and most of the rooms are larger than the
room we use at PVCC.
/Pete Turner/
*From:*pasmembers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>[mailto:pasmembers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:pasmembers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?>]*On Behalf Of*Redacted
sender "insanas" for DMARC
*Sent:*Monday, May 30, 2016 2:13 PM
*To:*pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>;tedblank@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:tedblank@xxxxxxxxx>;pdmaley@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:pdmaley@xxxxxxxxx>
*Subject:*[pasmembers] Fwd: Total Solar Eclipse expedition
This email is for all PAS members who are interested in
experiencing the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. I wish to
remind you that Alex and I did some research on the subject and
the results are in our September 2015 newsletter PAStimes at page
6. You can download this from our PAS website. At our September 1,
2016, PAS meeting Alex and I will present our final
data on the weather analyses, and we should discuss as a group the
possible travel, housing, camping or other issues which are vital
to a successful and pleasant experience.
PAS hasn't made any official decisions yet as to whether our club
will have an official tour or just let the members decide on their
own how they wish to enjoy the eclipse. Some members may want to
carpool, some may want to go on an official commercial tour, some
may want to go on their own to a place near friends or relatives.
*Today, I am forwarding an email to all of you from one of our PAS
members, Ted Blank. He spoke to our club a few months ago on
Occultations. As can be seen from the message below, he will be
going to Grand Island, Nebraska, with an official total eclipse
tour. Ted is an active member of PAS and I invite everyone to read
what he has to say. Paul Maley, who will be heading up the
expedition, also sent an email with details about the trip, see
the message below Ted's.
Feel free to contact Ted (tedblank@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:tedblank@xxxxxxxxx>) and/or Paul (pdmaley@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:pdmaley@xxxxxxxxx>), if you have any questions. This
expedition is not a PAS event but anyone is free to
go on the trip if they so desire.
*
I must remind PAS members that as we get closer to the August 21,
2017, total eclipse date, hotels and trips are starting to fill
up. If you are thinking of flying and driving on your own and
camping or sleeping in your own RV or back of your vehicle, then
waiting until our Sept 1, 2016 PAS meeting should be ok. If you
want to go on an official commercial tour with fine accommodations
and meals and scientific speakers, you may want to look into Ted
and Paul's expedition.
There are also other groups with expeditions, such as the
Astronomical League, Sky and Telescope, and others.
You should check out several of these commercial tours, and see if
they are in a city you would like to visit. However, having tried
twice before to see a total solar eclipse and being clouded out
both times, I can tell you the weather history of the place is of
utmost importance, along with escape routes to go East or West
within 24 hours of totality in case bad weather is moving in. Best
wishes to everyone. Sam Insana President of the Phoenix
Astronomical Society.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ted Blank <tedblank@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:tedblank@xxxxxxxxx>>
To: insanas Insana <insanas@xxxxxxx <mailto:insanas@xxxxxxx>>
Sent: Tue, May 24, 2016 5:44 am
Subject: Eclipse expedition
Hi Sam,
As I mentioned in my earlier note, my IOTA occultation friend Paul
Maley has invited me to be a group leader for the upcoming total
solar eclipse in 2017. There's no financial remuneration involved
for me, other than my hotel expenses being covered. (I have to
get myself to Nebraska like everyone else.)
Paul, who recently moved to Carefree, AZ, is one of the most
active occultation observers in the world, having just returned
from Bolivia to attempt an occultation down there. He heads up
Ring of Fire Expeditions, the longest-running astronomical tour
organization in the United States. They have specialized in
astro-tourism since 1970 with expeditions organized to view solar
eclipses, Halley’s Comet, the Leonid meteor shower, transit of
Venus, spacecraft reentries, grazing occultations, and
occultations of stars by minor planets.
Since I'd love to have friends from the club come along I wanted
to inquire about posting a note to the mailing list to let members
know about the expedition. For people who have not yet made plans
to observe the eclipse, I feel this would be a great opportunity
to have someone with long experience arrange hotel, pre-eclipse
local tours, and day-of-eclipse backup bus travel in case of
clouds at quite reasonable cost. I'm certainly happy to have
someone else handling the logistics. I'll be among those offering
talks on eclipses and astronomy during the days leading up to the
eclipse.
The link below has details of the itinerary. Of course I'll
understand if the board does not feel this to be an appropriate
use of the mailing list. One must conservative in these matters.
Thanks,
Ted
Details are as follows:
Ring of Fire Expeditions (ROFE) is now ready to launch their 47th
solar eclipse expedition, this time to the state of Nebraska to
see the August 21, 2017 "Great American" total solar eclipse!
This is the first total eclipse in the USA in 38 years and that it
is an incredibly rare opportunity. For those of you who don’t
chase eclipses around the world, this may be your only chance to
observe one of the most amazing spectacles nature has to offer. The observing location will be at a site in Nebraska offering just
6 seconds less than the maximum eclipse possible along the track.
ROFE wants to give local amateurs the first opportunity to join. This will be the least expensive eclipse trip since 1991, with
prices starting at $999 (excluding your travel to and from
Nebraska). Details and registration can be found at the following
link:
http://www.eclipsetours.com/upcoming-tours/2017-total-eclipse-sun-usa/
Registrations will be taken in the order received, first come,
first served. ONE REGISTRATION FORM FOR EACH PERSON. They are
happy to have as many of you as possible.
*Future Travel*in Houston, Texas is handling the details and is
accepting payments through the electronic bank transfer system
which has proven to be much safer and quicker. No physical checks
are required and no need for you or Future Travel to worry about
mail delays. The electronic bank transfer debits money directly
from your checking account. Credit card payments are still being
charged at a rate 5% higher and so you do save money going through
the electronic bank payment.
Please remember that you have to submit both the registration form
AND deposit for each person in order to be confirmed.
There will be a limited number of single rooms available. From
now until August 21, 2016 the “early bird prices” will be in
effect. After that they will be raised based on the limited space
that Future Travel has been able to secure. Because we have other
competing travel agencies monitoring our web page, the name of the
hotel will be kept confidential for now and released later on to
all who have signed up.
This year on the dates of next year's eclipse, expedition leader
Paul Maley will also be conducting a site survey in Nebraska to
identify potential eclipse viewing locations for next year.
We hope that everyone will have an outstanding eclipse experience!
If you have any questions, kindly contact Paul at the email
address below.
With best regards,
Paul
Paul D. Maley
Expedition Coordinator for NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical
Society, Houston, Texas USA (now living in Carefree, Arizona)
Paul D. Maley email: eclipse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:eclipse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
