As I traveled along I-40 ({edit: I-70}) across Missouri, the entire length of which is pretty much in the path of totality, instead of Amber Alerts or clever messages about buckling up or not using cell phones, it was all April 21 Eclipse, Expect Heavy Traffic.
I read an article the other day telling people to not try and travel to the path of totality on the day of, thinking that no one else will be doing that. You need to get there a day or two ahead.
For people living in or very near the path of totality, the advice was treat it like it was a hurricane. Buy extra food and water, fuel up, expect it to take at least 4 times longer to get anywhere, so don't go unless you have to, don't expect to be able to call Dominos at noon an get a pizza.
Also, unless you are very experienced at taking photos of eclipses, don't. You probably don't have the right lenses and filters (a camera phone won't be worth crap) and you'll fry the camera sensors, and you'll spend the entire 2 minutes fiddling with the camera and you'll miss the entire thing.
Back in the early 70s (1972 I think) there was a total eclipse that went through central Florida up off the coast and then to Nova Scotia. We went up from Ft Lauderdale to near Daytona to see it. It's the most impressive thing you'll ever see. As it gets closer and closer to the totality, it gets darker, like a heavily overcast day or twilight, but it's still light out. And then, suddenly, like a light switch, it gets pitch black dark, and you can see stars in the sky that you normally can't see, birds noticeably shut up, people around you freak out, it's very unsettling and other worldly.
But the sun's corona is spectacular.
