Chasing the sun

In 1999, British resident Chris Newsome made the trip to the southwest corner of his country to get a glimpse of a total eclipse. He was 37 at the time, and frustrated, but not surprised, that rain spoiled the view from the English Channel.

Ten years later, the highway patrolman traveled to China for another look at a total eclipse. But after enjoying sunny skies for two weeks, clouds formed on eclipse day.

He also made a trip to the north coast of Scotland in 2015 to see a partial eclipse, but remains intent on seeing a total eclipse.

"It's at the top of my bucket list," he said. "I will carry on until I see one."

His next best chance comes on Aug 21, when Eclipse 2017 stretches a 65-mile wide path of totality across the U.S., from Oregon to the South Carolina coast between 12:05 and 2:48 p.m. It will cross Anderson at 2:36 p.m. that day, creating about two minutes of darkness.

Newsome and his wife Izzy plan to be at the Tiger Cove Campground on Lake Hartwell that day, as the centerpiece of a 17-day U.S. trip that begins and ends in Washington D.C. Newsome, 53, plans to rent an RV in Virginia and roll through the Blue Ridge Mountains in West Virginia and the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee on his way to Anderson.

"We chose Anderson because of the location on the center line of the eclipse and also it provided a good stopping off point before we headed back towards Washington, D.C."

The prime attraction is the eclipse, which — weather permitting — will be seen in totality for about two minutes. Anderson is among the cities that will enjoy the longest exposure to a total blackout.

Rain or shine, Newsome anticipates excitement.

"Being unable to see the eclipse due to clouds makes it a bit magical because you can see the light slowly dimming, and then in a couple of seconds, it goes dark except around the horizon," Newsome said. "If you didn't know what was happening about the clouds, then it can be quite alarming."

Newsome said the clouds beneath the eclipse take on a "very dark rust color," during a solar eclipse. Temperatures typically drop 15 degrees in less than five minutes.

"The temperature drops very noticeably. It was very noticeable for the partial eclipse in Orkney (Scotland) a couple of years ago," he said.

Izzy Newsome, 47, shares her husband's pursuit of precious seconds in mid-day darkness.

"I knew when I met Chris that he had a passion for things in the night (and day) sky, and he's always wanted to see a total eclipse," she said. He's involved in a local astronomy club and built an observatory at his former house but had to leave it there when he sold the house because it couldn't be dismantled. His garage now has four telescopes waiting for a new station.

He says friends typically don't question his long-range travels to see a few minutes of rare science unfold. "They just accept me for the geek that I am," he said.

If clouds again interfere with Newsome's dream in August, he plans to come back to the U.S., in 2024, when a total eclipse will be visible in a diagonal from the southwestern to northeastern U.S.

The Newsomes aren't alone in their hope to see the total eclipse at its fullest extent. Rooms at Anderson inns, and spaces at campgrounds, are getting scarce.

"We're getting reservations from all over the country, and some from outside the country," said David Rhodes, guest services manager at the Holiday Inn Express on Anderson's Interstate Boulevard near I-85, where only a few rooms remain available. The Holiday Inn on Clemson Boulevard, just a few miles away, is already full, as is the Country Inn & Suites, also on Exit 19.

"To be this close to full this far out, on a Sunday night, is unusual," Rhodes said. "Anderson is one of the best spots in the area to see the eclipse, and we're definitely seeing an uplift in bookings." The eclipse is on a Monday.

Stephen Schutt, park superintendent at South Cove Park in Seneca, said more than half of the campsites there are reserved, "a solid indication that we'll be full that weekend." At the Tiger Cove Campground near Green Pond, owner Becky Lash said only a few tent sites remain available that night.

The event could eventually have an impact on inns in Greenville, although rooms in downtown Greenville were available Tuesday. On S.C. 153 in Powdersville, the Hampton Inn is full that night and only six of 60 rooms were available at the Best Western Plus on the same road.

Follow Abe Hardesty on Twitter @abe_hardesty