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Deluxe Travel Consultants strives to make you more than a client, we want you to feel like family. We offer an extensive range of vacation packages to any destination you can dream of. Whether you are dreaming of a Florida beach vacation or a gondola ride in Venice; a cruise aboard a majestic cruise ship or a swashbuckling adventure at Walt Disney World ~ we will plan your memory making vacation with attention to your details. If you'd like to spend time relaxing or whether you'd prefer an exciting getaway with a little more adventure, we can help tailor your vacation to your needs and budget.

Judy's Land and Sea Travel, LLC

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Fredericksburg's Hometown Certified Travel Specialists. Judy & Ed continue to work as a team to make your travel experience fun and flawless. Our local agency is affiliated with Avoya Travel and American Express bringing you the best pricing and customer service available anywhere. Our clients return to us time after time and we continue to provide an amazing travel experience.

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Fredericksburg, founded by German settlers in 1846, is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Current population of the town is around 12,000. Activities include museums, historic district tours, a wildflower farm, vineyards and wineries, peach orchards, brewpubs and breweries, living history farmstead, art galleries, live music and more. 

Fredericksburg’s central location in the Texas Hill Country makes it an ideal location to base a hub and spoke tour of the area while staying in a charming small-town atmosphere. 

The Fredericksburg Convention and Visitor Bureau is happy to provide personal assistance to travel professionals. For one-on-one assistance, contact Vice President of Sales, Services and Strategic Alliances, Karyn Mayo, at 830.997.6523.

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Texas solar eclipse: Totality achieved, eclipse chasers start to head out

The day of the total eclipse has finally arrived.

The Texas Hill Country and parts of San Antonio will be among the most popular viewing spots in the nation for today’s total solar eclipse. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to travel to the area to see the rare event. The Express-News has reporters and photographers throughout the area — in Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Johnson City and northwest San Antonio  — to provide coverage of all the goings-on, so stick to this live blog all day for the latest news. We're all hoping the weather won't obscure the view of the rare celestial event, but forecasts are still calling for cloudy skies over much of the Hill Country and the San Antonio area.

After totality, eclipse fans start to head out

Totality – the headline event for the total solar eclipse — has passed for South and Central Texas, and eclipse-chasers are starting to head out from their viewing vantage points.

In Fredericksburg, the celestial concert had ended, the encores had been played and audience members to the eclipse of 2024 were either basking in what they’d experienced or packing up their things, getting ready to go home or at least to the hotel or Airbnb where they’re staying. As if by magic, a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam has appeared on Main Street in Fredericksburg is as the crowd head out of town.

As that traffic filled Main Street, four friends from Houston relaxed on camp chairs on the Marktplatz lawn.

“We hate traffic,” said Brad Rinderknecht, who, with his wife Lee Ann and friends Gary and Vicky Spengler, arrived from Houston this morning and will be staying overnight. So they felt no compunction to leave the quickly emptying park.

In Kerrville, where there was less cloud cover than in some other parts of the Hill Country, those sticking around after the eclipse were getting a slice of Texas culture. A pulsing drum beat and twangy guitar chords of band Judah & The Lion boomed from the music stage at Louise Hays Park, while the line for eclipse shirts is once again long after a restock.

Emilie Casebolt, among the attendees in Kerrville, said she was moved by the eclipse and all that went along with it.

"I'm not going to lie, I teared up a little bit," she said as her earrings, snakes biting a moon and sun, swayed back and forth.

Casebolt, 32, travelled from St. Paul, Minneapolis to watch the eclipse. She said she was glad she did.

"There's something about the people, the camaraderie of it all," Casebolt said. "You feel a connection to the people around, connection with the Earth. I can understand completely why it spurred religions or added to lore and whatnot."

—Ricardo Delgado, Rich Marini

We have achieved totality 

Totality has come and is starting to go for most of the Hill Country. 

In Kerrville, people cheer as day breaks for a second time today. The clouds covered it for almost its entire duration. 

They saw it for seconds, but many swear they'll remember it forever.

In Fredericksburg, temporary night descended on the crowd. Street lights turned on and the onlookers cheered, even though the moon and sun were hidden behind thick clouds.

EDITORIAL: Eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime moment of magic for San Antonio

Then, as if a gift, the pair were briefly visible through a small thinning, the wispy ethereal light visible for a short time before disappearing again. And then, much too soon, the moon moved on and daylight returned.

Outside of the cities, there was a similar state of affairs at totality.

Mike Price has seen five total solar eclipses: in once in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, another in Aruba, then on a cruise in the middle of the Black Sea, and in 2017, in Paducah, Kentucky. For the first time, though, this eclipse is doubling as a family reunion, with a dozen people gathered from California, Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Pittsburgh.

They stayed near New Braunfels, and drove out toward Junction on Monday morning, heading for the spot Price picked out on a map in hopes of clear skies.

As the sky grew darker and totality neared, they popped open a bottle of Prosecco and offered up a cheers, toasting their time together — even if the weather wasn’t cooperating. 

—Liz Teitz, Ricardo Delgado, Rich Marini

Totality is here; time to go outside

OK, if you’re in the San Antonio area or the Hill Country, now is the time to go outside and check out the eclipse. Most of the area will experience totality – when the moon completely blocks out the sun – starting in the next five minutes or less. Put on your eclipse glasses, get out outside and check it out.

Even if cloud cover blocks your full view of the eclipse, you'll still experience some parts of it, including darkness and temperature drops.

Anticipation grows as totality looms

As eclipse totality looms — we're 10 minutes or less away from it in much of the area — the anticipation is building in Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Johnson City and elsewhere across the Hill Country.

In Fredericksburg, you can tell when the sun and moon peek out from the unfortunately increasingly dark clouds in the sky because the crowd at Marktplatz breaks out into applause and cheers as if the headliner has just hit the stage, followed by boos when the clouds return. Hopefully the band will be back in time for totality.

In Kerrville, the crowd at Louise Hays Park is getting more excited as we head toward totality. The anticipation is palpable.

Outside the towns, eclipse-chasers waited just as eagerly in smaller groups.

Marcin and Sylwia Surkont flew from Poland to Texas for the eclipse — like many others, in search of what they thought would be “the best weather,” Marcin said with a wry laugh.

For their third total eclipse, they left San Antonio this morning and decided to drive “as far as we can to chase the sun,” landing at a parking area near the U.S. 290 overpass across I-10. 

— Liz Teitz, Rich Marini, Ricardo Delgado, Sam Owens

The big moment is almost here

On eclipse day, the big moment is looming. 

We’re less than a half-hour from totality for most of the Hill Country and the San Antonio area. 

Depending on where you are in the path, totality will begin soon after 1:30 p.m. and last anywhere from 30 seconds to almost 4½ minutes. 

A quick refresher, on the slim chance you need one: A solar eclipse is when the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, blocking our view of the solar disc.  In a partial eclipse, the moon only partially blocks the sun. In a total solar eclipse, which is what's happening today, the moon’s shadow completely obscures the sun within a narrow section called the path of totality, which in this instance will be about 115 miles wide. 

Also, one more warning: The first rule of eclipse viewing is you don’t view the eclipse directly — at least not without a good pair of eclipse glasses.

Not much scrambling as totality looms

With the eclipse having started and totality nearing, people seem to have heeded the instructions to pick a viewing location and arrive early, as there were barely any cars on U.S. 290 west of Fredericksburg. A handful have pulled over on the shoulder to watch, despite warnings from TxDOT and local officials not to do that, but they’re few and far between. 

About two dozen cars have turned an area near the intersection of I-10 and U.S. 290 into a makeshift watching area. Clouds are patchy, allowing for glimpses of the sun as the moon works its way across its surface.

For most of the Hill Country, totality is expected to start around 1:30 p.m.

— Liz Teitz

Eclipse signs starting to show in Kerrville

The sun is out in Kerrville — but not for much longer. The moon has started creeping past the sun's edge, the very start of the eclipse. Excited visitors broke out their eclipse glasses for the first time, pointing out a small part of the sun isn't there anymore.

As the sun ducks in and out of the clouds, many the crowd have put on their eclipse glasses and yelled, "It's started!"

Stephen Jenkins, 27, drove from the Hays County city of Kyle with his girlfriend to watch the total eclipse. They also brought their 9-year-old African spurred tortoise, Olive.

The tortoise has been very popular in Louise Hays Park today, attracting both kids and adults to pet her and watch her move through the grass. Jenkins said he didn't give much thought to how Olive might react during totality, but is now considering holding her up to see the eclipse, like something out of the “Lion King.”

In Kerrville, totality is expected to begin at 1:32 p.m. and last 4 minutes, 28 seconds.

— Ricardo Delgado

First phase of eclipse has started

The eclipse has technically started, with the moon starting to take small bites out of the sun.

There was a small rush of last-minute arrivers at the Marktplatz in Fredericksburg to claim space for their blankets. There’s still plenty of room and more than an hour until totality, so if you’re still on the fence, come on by. At the moment, there are breaks in the clouds, so there’s a chance for a view of the eclipse. 

For a city-by-city look at the duration of the eclipse and when your town will see totality, go to Expressnews.com.

Also, the vibe here at Fredericksburg’s Marktplatz has been very calm. The only two scofflaws the local police have had to deal with have been the driver using his phone while behind the wheel and someone jaywalking in the middle of Main Street.

—Rich Marini

Sci-Fi meets solar eclipse

Ahead of Monday’s eclipse, Marco Castillo and Lucero Martinez took turns posing for photos in an astronaut helmet at a NASA trailer in Louise Hays Park in Kerrville.

They're ready for the eclipse, Martinez in a space-themed dress with a solar system tattoo near her collarbone. Castillo took a more science fiction approach, wearing a yellow “Star Trek” shirt.

Martinez, who works for NASA in Brownsville, drove from South Texas to view the eclipse because they might never get another chance. “I’ve seen people that are here from California, Florida,” she said. 

—Ricardo Delgado 

Eclipse equals family bonding time

The Science Mill in Johnson City attracted several families who live within the path of totality, but thought the museum would make for a fun eclipse outing.

Jenn Merket pulled her kids, Charlie, 10, and Stella, 8, out of school for the day and drove from south Austin to spend the day in the Hill Country.

“I wanted to experience the eclipse with both of my kids,” she said, watching as they worked on crafts outside the museum. 

Eclipse a big day for astronomers

For astronomy clubs, it doesn’t get much bigger than a total eclipse. A number of members of Texas State University’s astronomy club made the trip from San Marcos to Kerrville hoping for a better view of the solar event. Club members Alen Martinez and Jamie Carl were on hand, trying to get a good look at the sun through their bucket-sized telescopes.

The students quickly became popular to the masses, offering passersby of all ages a look through their telescopes. The weather is a concern, but they remained hopeful the skies would clear up a bit, they said.

Eclipse crowds a bit smaller than expected

The crowd of eclipse-chasers might not be as large in Kerrville as was expected due to concerns about the weather, but city leaders say the Hill Country town will still get plenty of benefit.

The city had to rework its plan a bit as fewer people showed up on Sunday than expected, but everything is still on track, Kerrville Mayor Judy Eychner said Monday morning.

Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said the biggest long-term benefit to Kerrville will be how well it impresses visitors.

“I think I heard there’s a couple people who bought houses in Kerrville this past week or so,” Rice said. “They’re like ‘We love Kerrville and we want to stay.’”

Even with smaller numbers than anticipated, there are still a lot of people in town for the eclipse. The crowd in Louise Hays Park at the Kerrville Eclipse Festival has swelled to several thousand as of late morning. Those in attendance cheer each time the sun peeks through the clouds and gives them hope they’ll be able to get a clear view of the eclipse.

Scrambling for best view of eclipse 

John Dsouza did just about everything he could to ensure a clear view of the eclipse.

Before deciding to fly from Boston, he downloaded 20 years’ worth of weather data  and analyzed historical cloud cover on and around April 8, deciding the Texas Hill Country had the highest probability of clear skies.

For the past two weeks, Dsouza has had an alarm set on his phone for 1 p.m., checking the weather in Fredericksburg and he’s also been watching Austin news. So it’s safe to say he wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of cloudy skies — especially with much better visibility projected for Maine and Vermont, much closer to home.

“We gave up clear skies to come to cloudy skies,” he said as he and his family prepared to head west from Johnson City.

But since arriving in Texas, he’s heard a familiar refrain: "Wait 10 minutes and the weather will change." He said that gives him hope the clouds will shift in time to give his 2-year-old son, Lucas, a clearer view.

All the way from Germany to see eclipse

The eclipse brought a German visitor to a town with a  German heritage.

Martin Weiss traveled all the way from Munich, Germany, to Fredericksburg to view the eclipse. He said he'd heard the weather in  Fredericksburg was likely to be good and the length of totality would be longer than in most locations.

The “passionate amateur astronomer” set up a telescope designed to automatically follow the sun’s path. Even as thick clouds rolled in, he said he remained hopeful that he’d get a good view of the celestial spectacle.

“As an astronomer," he said, "the only thing you can do is be optimistic."

— Rich Marini 

NASA in Hill Country for eclipse

Staffers with NASA, the U.S. space agency, set up shop in Kerrville for today’s total solar eclipse. The agency says it plans to study every aspect of the eclipse, from the sun’s effect on the Earth to the way animals react to the sudden mid-day darkness. NASA also had staffers in Kerrville for last year’s partial eclipse.

At a news conference with Kerrville city officials at Louise Hays Park on Monday morning, NASA Associate Administrator Nicky Fox called the eclipse the “highlight of my life” as a solar scientist.

Kerrville is a special place, she said, as it will experience two solar eclipses in six months. Fox said that when she observed the 2017 total solar eclipse on the west coast, clouds dissipated a bit because of the near 10-degree drop during totality. She said she hopes the same happens today.

“As long as these clouds stay nice and diffused, you will see the eclipse, I promise,” Fox said. ”Cloud or shine, we will have a great time here in Kerrville.”

At Louise Hays Park, NASA has a booth set up featuring a telescope pointed at the sun. Hundreds of people were waiting in line Monday morning to check it out.

Traffic building on I-10 ahead of eclipse

Officials in Boerne and Kerrville are reporting that traffic is beginning to build up on various portions of Interstate 10 as drivers flock to Hill Country towns for the eclipse.

At 9:40 a.m., Boerne police said they were seeing slow downs on Interstate 10 near Ralph Fair Road and inside Loop 1604. Earlier, Kerrville reported that visitors were steadily filing into Louise Hays Park, and that their downtown parking garage was full. Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice said the city’s traffic plan is designed to get people on Interstate 10 as fast as possible, closing off traffic to the roads that connect to the highway. 

Kerrville Police Sgt. Johnathan Lamb said traffic on I-10 was picking up, but moving smoothly. He encouraged drivers to be patient.

The traffic issues were making their way into San Antonio, as well. At 10:07, traffic cameras showed heavy backups on I-10 near UTSA Boulevard.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office said it will increase patrols along I-10 as the eclipse approaches.  Stopping along the shoulders of highways throughout Bexar County is not permitted, authorities said.

— Jacob Beltran and Ricardo Delgado

In Fredericksburg, a calm eclipse vibe

Unlike Fredericksburg’s annual beer-soaked Oktoberfest, the scene this morning at Marktplatz on Main Street is decidedly less rowdy, even family friendly. Like at a beach party without the sand, people sit quietly around blankets spread on the lawn with plenty of 40-ounce Stanley Quenchers and H-E-B bags filled with drinks and snacks at the ready.

There are telescopes and cameras already set up, bike cops slowly patrol and staffers pass out garbage bags for afterward. Even the sky seems into it, the high, thin clouds holding the promise of good, if not great, eclipse viewing.

— Rich Marini

Fueling up on caffeine for eclipse day

The parking lot was full outside Johnson City Coffee Co. and the Cast Iron Punk food truck as people fueled up with caffeine, breakfast tacos and the morning’s special: Total Eclipse of My French Toast: black-cocoa-custard-filled French toast, topped with warm blackberry jam.

Inside the coffee shop, Karen Ruzicka had also picked up an eclipse t-shirt that read “Darkness meets delight” figuring she’d grab one before they sold out.

She came from Florida with her brother and sister-in-law, choosing Texas because they thought the weather would be better than elsewhere on the path, including Ohio, where she grew up. The group left Austin around 7 a.m. and saw little traffic, arriving in Johnson City by 8 a.m., Ruzicka said.

This will be her first total eclipse, after seeing only partial totality in 2017, she said.

“It sounded like fun, so why not?” she said. “The next one’s not for 20 years.”

Joe Apa and Jennie Rexer also made an early morning trek from Austin, but fearing traffic, they left much earlier. The wake-up call was at 4:30 a.m., Apa said, and they were on the road by 5 a.m. The Houston couple plans to watch the eclipse from Sandy Road Vineyards, one of their favorite spots.

The need for caffeine to enjoy the eclipse seemed to be a common theme. In Fredericksburg, the line at Java Ranch, the coffee shop nearest to Marktplatz, was 30 people deep, long enough to dissuade some folks from sticking around. But a lesson learned: Don’t give up. Not far down Main Street, the Kaffee Haus had a line of only two people and filled an order for a 16-oz. drip in under two minutes. 

— Rich Marini and Liz Teitz

EV worries for eclipse chasers

Talk about range anxiety. When Lea Rivera flew into San Antonio International Airport from Portland, Oregon, it was like she was living a scene from “Seinfeld.” They had her reservation, but they didn’t hold her reservation.

“They told me all they had left was a pickup truck or an electric car,”  she said. “I didn’t want it, but I decided to take the car.” When she plugged in the Hyundai Ioniq at the house she and some friends are staying in, the car told her it would take 77 hours to get a full charge.

So the first thing on her agenda Monday morning was to find a fast charging station. She Googled and found one just one block off Main Street. But when she plugged it in, the car didn’t tell her how long it would take to charge. Turns out she has to download an app to make it all work. More anxiety.

— Rich Marini

Hopeful signs in Johnson City?

As they opened their doors and made preparations for the day, local business owners and operators in Johnson City were staying optimistic, pointing to patches of blue sky breaking through. Of course, given the fickle nature of Texas weather, there's no way to know if the skies would still be clear when the eclipse begins this afternoon. 

Regardless, local businesses are ready. Pecan Street Brewing opened at 8 a.m., selling breakfast tacos and coffee from a table set up outside, while employees at Farmhouse Vineyards were setting up games for guests expected to start arriving about 9 a.m.

Johnson City is in Blanco County, between Austin and Fredericksburg.

Eclipse fans already filling Kerrville park

As of 9 a.m., what looked like thousands of visitors are already in Louise Hays Park in Kerrville, sleeping on blankets and buying souvenirs from the merchants that set up earlier in the morning. 

No one's crowding around the big Kerrville Eclipse Festival stage yet, but music still echoes through the park. Visitors periodically look at the blanket of clouds hiding the sun with hope, some wondering how other spots within the path of totality are faring.

Weather forecast still not great

With just a few hours until the total solar eclipse, the cloud forecast is still not looking favorable. As of early Monday morning, a deck of low-level clouds are already starting to develop, due to rapidly increasing moisture levels. A few light showers or areas of drizzle are possible through the morning and early afternoon, but overall rain chances are low.

By the time of the eclipse, the National Blend of Models continues to show between 75% and 90% cloud cover throughout the Hill Country, San Antonio and west to the Texas-Mexico border. Not all hope is lost, though. Models indicate that there is a chance of clearing for a few spots, or at least clouds thinning out slightly.

Even with this forecast, it will still be worth it to look up and try to watch this once-in-a-lifetime event. Even with cloudy skies, parts of the eclipse will still be experienced as skies will become dark and temperatures will noticeably drop in the path of totality.

—Anthony Franze, newsroom meteorologist

Hill Country wakes up to cloudy skies

On eclipse day, much of the Texas Hill Country – including Fredericksburg, Kerrville and Johnson City – woke up to a cloud-covered sky, with only a few patches of blue visible. In other words, exactly the conditions eclipse-seekers have been fearing.

About 7 a.m., traffic was moving quickly on U.S. 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City, with no stopping or congestion in either direction, but a steady flow of cars was heading west, further into the path of totality. Johnson City has already barricaded some roads in an effort to keep eclipse tourists out of residential areas, but free parking spots are still plentiful.

In Kerrville, traffic was normal approaching the city from Fredericksburg on Texas 16, and there wasn't a jam where the highway meets Interstate 10. Crowds started to appear closer to downtown, with pedestrians strolling around wearing black eclipse shirts, carrying backpacks and folding chairs. A number of main roads intersecting or parallel to Texas 16 have been blocked off. Workers at Gibson's Discount Center parking lot noted more traffic and out-of-state license plates than usual.

At Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park in  Fredericksburg, the gates opened at 5:30 a.m. Volunteers are giving out free eclipse glasses, trash bags and park maps to everyone coming in. There are food and souvenir vendors. 

—Liz Teitz, Ricardo Delgado, Rich Marini, Sam Owens

Total eclipse: The basics

Let's start with day with a refresher on what all the eclipse fuss is about.

Today, a big swath of Texas  —  including the Hill Country and the San Antonio area  — will be directly in the path of a total eclipse of the sun. In simplest terms, a solar eclipse is when the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, blocking — or partially blocking  — our view of the solar disc.  In a partial eclipse, the moon only blocks part of the sun, like happened with the October eclipse. In a total solar eclipse, as will happen today, the moon’s shadow completely obscures the sun within a narrow section called the path of totality, which in this instance will be about 115 miles wide. 

This eclipse will be the first time San Antonio area has been inside the path of totality for an eclipse in more than 600 years. Beginning just after 1:30 p.m. CT and continuing until about 1:50 p.m., Texas residents within the 115-mile-wide band will begin to see the moon move in front of the sun. People farther away from the center of the path will experience the full effects for a shorter amount of time.

Enjoy the eclipse, but remember to protect your eyes. During the partial eclipse, use eclipse glasses and don’t look directly at the sun. Doing that can cause damage to your eyes. Also, don’t try to view the eclipsed sun through a camera. 

Traffic delays and other issues mark total solar eclipse day

Authorities on Monday reported traffic crashes and significant road delays across the country as thousands of people flocked to prime locations to gaze up at the rare solar eclipse – and then made their way home again.

Local roads and highways in states including Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Vermont and New Hampshire were impacted by the flood of drivers, many of whom were from out of state. The most intense bottlenecks appeared to be in the path of totality , a vast swath of the country – approximately 115 miles wide, crossing through 13 states – where people were able to view the total eclipse.

Traffic slowed on major highways in Indiana as the eclipse progressed Monday afternoon. State transportation officials posted video showing backups forming on Interstate 65 headed toward Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Star reported. The Courier & Press in Evansville reported delays after the eclipse ended.

Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine posted on X that traffic on state highways was flowing but rest stops along interstates in the path of totality are at or near capacity. 

Perrine said transportation officials planned to shut them down "once they are full and will not allow any more traffic in for the duration of the eclipse." One rest stop along I-74 near Veedersburg, northwest of Indianapolis, closed because it had reached maximum capacity from "eclipse viewing traffic." 

In Oklahoma, a crash around 7:30 a.m. local time narrowed eastbound lanes on I-40, a major transcontinental highway that runs from California to North Carolina. The crash occurred not far from several state parks that were hosting eclipse events, and was within driving distance of the full eclipse path, which included parts of southeastern Oklahoma and Arkansas.

"Crews estimate cleanup will take the majority of the day. Expect delays in the area and use extra caution. #trucking #eclipse," said a post on X by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation .

Multiple crashes were reported in Waco, Texas, a city in the path of totality, which hosted several festivities and eclipse viewing events. The crashes all occurred on I-35, which runs from southern Texas to Minnesota. The wrecks shut down multiple lanes.

"Expect major traffic delays in this area," the Texas Department of Transportation said in a statement around 9 a.m. local time.

Officials warn drivers of delays, dangers ahead of solar eclipse

In the weeks leading up to the celestial event, officials issued warnings about heavy traffic congestion and the danger of driving during the eclipse , including distracted pedestrians and the sudden change in light conditions. Eclipses have previously been tied with surges in traffic crashes, including fatal collisions.

In New York, extra troopers were staged throughout the entire state, especially in northern counties and cities, such as Buffalo, from which spectators can see a full eclipse, according to the New York State Police .

In Ohio, the state's Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission heavily staffed its toll booths, service plazas and maintenance buildings in anticipation of the eclipse, which it has designated as "a high-volume traffic event" like, for example, Thanksgiving.  The Ohio Emergency Management Agency estimates, for the solar eclipse, between 150,000 and 575,000 travelers will visit the state, which encompasses areas in the path of totality.

During the 2017 eclipse, congestion in some areas lasted for up to 13 hours after totality,  according to Transportation Research News , a National Research Council publication. An analysis of traffic patterns from that year suggests the worst of the traffic – on interstates and rural back roads alike – will kick off after the eclipse ends and everyone tries to leave all at once.

Contributing: Kayla Jimenez and Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY ; The Indianapolis Star