MANHATTAN Kan. — Monday morning wasn't the first time Monica Woods' kids have been dragged out of bed to stare at the sky.
Embarking on "Total Solar Eclipse with K-State" tour, Woods, her husband, and their three children were five of about 550 people aboard a group of charter buses bound for Highland Community College in Highland, Kan. to view the 2017 Great American Eclipse.
"We woke them up in the middle of the night to start at the lunar eclipse a few years ago," Woods said, laughing. "They're used to this kind of thing."
Woods said she and some co-workers at Kansas State University were discussing options for viewing the eclipse a few weeks ago when she was introduced to this particular tour. K-State and the Flint Hills Discovery Center partnered together for the event.
Jonathan Mertz, an event organizer at the discovery center, said 371 people of the 550 had registered with the FHDS prior to the event.
"The buses have wifi, so the kids are happy — and we don't have to drive," Woods said. "And even if we don't see the eclipse today, it's going to be a good memory-making experience."
Most travelers were checking their phones from the bus, with weather apps predicting partly sunny skies for the day. However, as the buses traveled outside Manhattan, a short rain shower hit, causing audible concern among passengers.
Buses were expected to arrive on the college campus at about 10:15 a.m. where Chris Sorensen, Cortelyou-Rust distinguished professor of physics at K-State, will give a presentation prior to the eclipse, and guests can relax and wait for the moon to cover the sun.
In Highland, totality is expected to last two minutes and 38 seconds. First contact is at 11:40 a.m. Sorensen said, with totality occurring at about 1:08 p.m.
This story is ongoing and will be updated.
Source: Group of 550 travel from Manhattan to Highland Community College for 2017 Great American Eclipse
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