【Horror Archives】

The Horror Archivestotal solar eclipse is coming up fast and it's set to put on quite a show for millions of lucky Americans -- and more watching online -- on Aug 21.

For the first time in 99 years, the total solar eclipse will be visible across the entire United States -- but only a section of the country will experience complete totality, where the sun is completely blocked.

As the astronomical event gets closer, late-comers who want in on the two minutes of solar action can still get lucky -- if they act quick.

SEE ALSO: NASA has party tips to make this the best solar eclipse

It's not impossible at this point to get to the path of totality that starts in Oregon and crosses the U.S. through South Carolina, but it's tough this late in the game to find somewhere to stay or even book flights to get you closer.

Out of luck

Flights have sold out to key destinations along the path. To get to Nashville from San Francisco, for example, forget flying on Southwest. Every flight out is booked.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

An Amtrak train that traveled into the peak duration zone in Illinois sold out within a day. Even if you can get to Carbondale, Illinois, where totality will reach a full 2 minutes and 40 seconds, a city tourism board spokeswoman said all hotels in the city are booked.

Campsites are also long gone in places like Oregon and other parks, like those in Nebraska, will be beyond crowded. Camping website Hipcamp has really limited availability for any sites directly on the path on eclipse day, and most of them are on farm land and other big open spaces.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

But there's some good news

Don't fret. You can actually find places to camp in Washington, California, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and other states. These are all great options, but not for totality. Instead you'll see a partial eclipse, meaning the sun won't be completely blocked. NASA has all the individual maps of states where the eclipse will pass through.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

While legit camping locations are nearly impossible to find less than a week out, some campsites have opened up on farm lands and backyards in places like Oregon and Wyoming, as seen on Craigslist and Airbnb.

If you're willing to pay, however...

You canstill get to -- and stay on -- the path of totality if you're willing to shell out extra bucks.

A flight from New York to St. Louis, for example, will set you back about $700, while other destinations to more remote areas like Boise, Idaho, are $1,000 and up for a round trip, as a search on travel site Kayak shows.

Other flying options include heading to cities like Denver, Chicago, Seattle, and Atlanta and driving toward the eclipse path. But all over the country, flights are in demand -- bookings are up more than 400 percent to eclipse destinations, according to The Verge.

A look at Booking.com meanwhile shows how booked up places are. Nashville is 99 percent reserved on the site, with remaining options only at expensive places like the Mansion at Fontanel for $2,000 a night. Bend, Oregon, is only 75 percent reserved, but your options are limited to places like the Days Inn for $800 a night. That same hotel a week later is $113.

A Charleston, South Carolina, beach house or a Salem, Oregon, bungalow on TripAdvisor are some of the few options left on that booking site.

You could also head to sea if all land options fail. Royal Caribbean's special total eclipse cruise still has a few spots left for about $1,000, but you'll have to get to Florida to set sail.

After all this last-minute planning, there's always the possibility that cloudy skies will ruin the experience. Good luck, eclipse procrastinators.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Here’s how many people in the U.S. will possibly see the eclipse

---

• Entertainment
• Deals
• Shopping
• Digital Culture
• Science
• Games
• Tech
• Life

• New MIT report reveals energy costs of AI tools like ChatGPT
• Soylent, the food of the tech gods, needs a rebrand, fast
• Government launches Minecraft server so young people can stay inside and game during coronavirus
• Don’t order stuff you don’t need from Amazon right now
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for April 26: Tips to solve Connections #215
• Online learning: 5 skills for kids trying to do digital homework
• How to date someone who snores
• Website selling fake coronavirus vaccine shut down by Justice Department
• How to Reboot and Reset Android Devices
• Major telcos will hand over phone location data to the EU to help track coronavirus

• India's federal bank just can't make up its mind on demonetization
• Liam Hemsworth makes an adorably awkward appearance in the Cyrus Christmas photo
• 'Counter
• Boyfriend buys girlfriend the gift of her dreams: a blanket with his face on it
• Beer infusions are taking the humble pint to new levels
• NASA just performed a 'miracle save' for its farthest spacecraft
• 'Through the roof' Christmas trees are the season's most festive prank
• Does your iPhone 7 Plus have this camera issue?
• Chrismukkah this year is more perfect than normal. Allow 'The O.C.' to explain.
• Uber's self

• Patched Desktop PC: Meltdown & Spectre Benchmarked
• Tesla buys 1,255 ventilators from China and delivers them to Los Angeles
• Soylent, the food of the tech gods, needs a rebrand, fast
• Apple is hoping to start reopening stores in the first half of April
• One of Android's Easter Eggs is a Flappy Bird
• How to use social distancing to get closer to your friends and family
• Bill Gates blogs about why he is 'impressed' with the Indian PM
• Bookshop has hilariously creative idea to bring books to life
• Shop the Google Pixel Pro 9 for $200 off at Amazon
• Internet is getting slower in the U.S. and Europe

• What's Thermal Throttling and How to Prevent It
• 'The Office' stars unpack Jim and Pam's first major fight
• Major telcos will hand over phone location data to the EU to help track coronavirus
• The future is being able to monitor the heart rate of your favorite NFL player
• Anker raises Amazon prices amid US tariffs
• Internet is getting slower in the U.S. and Europe
• Huawei P40 Pro has a 'quad curve' display, 50
• The best TV friend groups to hang with while you’re social distancing
• Stablecoin bill advances in U.S. Senate as Trump critics call to end his crypto dealings
• 'Wonder Woman 1984' release delayed due to coronavirus