If you think it's tough to book a hotel room at the Oregon Coast in the height of the summer season, just wait until August of 2017.
The 21st of that month, to be precise, when a total solar eclipse hits the central coast.
That's when the moon moves in front of the sun and the Earth moves into its shadow.
Oregon will have the best view of the eclipse because it will be completely in the moon's shadow. Neither California nor Washington will experience total darkness. It will also only be visible from U.S. land, beginning north of Hawaii and ending before reaching Africa.
Although it will only last for about two minutes, preparations to take advantage of this opportunity are being made three years in advance.
The Director of Global Communications at , Judiaann Woo, said Oregon is expecting the eclipse will be a draw for international tourists, especially from Asian countries.
“While we don’t have any formal plans on how we’re going to market this opportunity, we’ve already heard great buzz around the state about people booking rooms in advance, especially from the international travelers who are coming in,” said Woo.
“We want to make sure people are thinking about Oregon and that they know that this is a unique opportunity that may only come once in their lifetime, so they don’t want to miss that,” said Woo.
After the eclipse in 2017, another solar eclipse will occur on August 8, 2024. That one will only be partially visible from Oregon.
Copyright 2014 Oregon Public Broadcasting
