Sun Country Airlines is offering a special package for people who want to see the total eclipse of the sun.
When the solar eclipse cuts across the country on Aug. 21, skies will barely darken in Minnesota. But several hundred miles south, viewers will witness a rare sight (clear skies permitting): the moon completely blocking the sun. Those who want to see the ultimate show now have a relatively quick way to get there. Sun Country Airlines is taking a round-trip flight to Grand Island, Neb., where the eclipse will last a whopping 2 minutes and 35 seconds.
The package includes the flight and transportation to and from the "Gem over the Prairie Eclipse Event" at the 200-acre Stuhr Museum. The eclipse-viewing festival will include speakers, food trucks, music and a countdown to the eclipse, which will begin at 12:58 p.m.
Weather Underground forecasts mostly sunny skies, with a few stray clouds, in Grand Island for Aug. 21. (The Twin Cities, it reports, should expect thunderstorms that day).
The flight departs from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (Terminal 2) at 8 a.m., arriving at Grand Island Central Regional Airport at 9:25 a.m. It departs Grand Island at 5:15 p.m., returning to MSP at 6:30 p.m. Reservations for this one-time flight can be made only by calling the Sun Country reservation line at 800-359-6786, not online. Prices begin at $349.
Kerri Westenberg • 612-673-4282
@kerriwestenberg
