If you locate yourself in the path of totality during a total solar eclipse, you treat yourself to the most fleeting and beautiful spectacle in all of Nature. The Moon completely covers the Sun, the sky turns twilight dark, and you can safely look right at the delicate halo of the Sun – the solar corona – for the few minutes of totality (see photo). It’s an awesome and unforgettable experience that inspires thousands of "eclipse chasers" to travel around the globe to catch these events.

Total solar eclipses happen about once every year and a half on the average, and they often occur in remote locations. The trick is to travel to eclipses that offer desirable vacation experiences. Last year we toured Austria and the Alps, chasing a hole in the clouds to see totality in southern Germany. The year before we took a Caribbean cruise where the captain maneuvered the ship beyond the cloud cover to give us a spectacular view of the eclipse. Other eclipses at Brazil’s Iguazu Falls and the Big Island of Hawaii have been wonderful trips. If we get clouded out (which has happened only once to us), we still have a great vacation experience to remember.

If you haven’t ever seen a total solar eclipse, you owe it to yourself to experience what many describe as a once-in-a-lifetime event. (But don't wait -- the next total solar eclipse in the United States won’t be until the year 2017.)  I hope you'll consider joining us on the tour and being part of a select group with a great opportunity to witness this beautiful natural event.

Best wishes for clear skies,