Expedia Names Toccoa One of Best Places to View Eclipse

An Expedia travel feature has named Toccoa one of the best places to travel for viewing the upcoming solar eclipse.

As many people know, on August 21, a total solar eclipse will occur and can be viewed from Oregon all the way to South Carolina.

All the destinations that Expedia featured in their story are said to have the best views of the eclipse but also for having unique events and celebrations that travelers would want to participate in.

Mainstreet Toccoa is planning a community viewing event at the Ritz Theatre.

According to Mainstreet Special Events Coordinator Sharon Crosby, there will be a party outside the Ritz with food and music as well as other activities associated with the solar eclipse, such as a sci-fi movie.

Crosby said though the Ritz may not be an obvious location for a viewing party, there’s a reason they chose to have it there.

“The reason we chose to do it there is because in the Ritz Theatre we’re going to be live streaming from NASA,” said Crosby. “So when it actually comes into the country in Oregon, they’ll start the live stream and we can watch it coming as it comes closer and closer and then go outside when it comes closest to us.”

If you plan to view the eclipse, you will need special eye glasses. Without them, you risk going blind from looking directly into the sun’s rays.

According to Stephens County Eye Clinic, looking directly into the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of the eclipse when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face. They add that sunglasses or homemade filters will not be sufficient in protecting your eyes.

Crosby said they will be providing as many viewing eye glasses as possible free of charge.

“We will be providing some safety glasses at the event and we’re hoping to partner with some of our downtown businesses who will help to provide them for everyone,” said Crosby. “It’s a very important part of the safety for the event and we advise everyone to have some sort of protective wear.”

To get information on other community events, you can go online to nationaleclipse.com/events.