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It's Vacation Time for Tim - But He is Prepared

By Tim Cowden

Vacations are great. Getting away from it all, doing fun stuff far from home with people you like. And maybe there are dark skies where you are going, or a special astronomical event happening at the same time. You've got a grab and go scope that doesn't take much room. Take it along and enjoy, but be prepared.

Be prepared to be tired. If you are doing something active outdoors like hiking, skiing or fishing, especially at higher altitudes than you are used to, you may find you lack energy at the end of the day. This can vary from a disinclination to move to the inability to even see straight. You may have to budget your energy, keep hydrated, take a nap, lay off the booze, or just wait until you acclimate if you want to do some star gazing.

Be prepared for frustration. Man plans, the weather laughs. That dark viewing spot you found last year is now an over illuminated parking lot. Your buddies would rather go pub crawling and insist you come along. This is life. Adapt to what you can and accept what you can't. Remember that the astronomy on this trip is a side activity or the whole structure of the vacation would be different.

Be prepared for other people. They may have no interest in astronomy or they may want you to show them the good stuff while you want to check out an obscure planetary nebula in Lacerta. Step up as an ambassador to the hobby. Use other people's interest to motivate yours. Last year, I took my ball telescope on a fishing trip to Colorado just before the eclipse. I met a family that was interested in the eclipse and the Perseid meteor shower and arranged to meet them at a high, lonely roadside spot called Windy Point.

A bear, resting in a tree, in front of Tim's cabin.

We saw meteors and I showed them some good stuff (Saturn!) in the scope and handed out eclipse glasses. They left and I was alone. Then a twig snapped. Did I mention this was bear country? I looked at a few more things and then high tailed it out of there.

Be prepared for unusual conditions. High altitudes mean cooler nights, so bring some cold weather clothes, even in summer or to the tropics. Remote locations may have unfamiliar wildlife, like bears. One night in Colorado, I bundled up for the cold in my old woolly sweater and was mistaken for a bear. I have yet to have a bear ask to look through my telescope, but it is only a matter of time.