(ABC 6 News) – Whether you’re hitting the road to see the solar eclipse in person or you’re watching from your own backyard, thousands are expected to watch Monday’s solar eclipse.

As Southgate Elementary students cut paper solar eclipses, second grader Daniel Scherger is off to Arkansas to see the real thing.

“It’s just really exciting. It seems like a great opportunity.”

At Kasson-Mantorville Elementary, fourth grader Sophie Walker is also traveling. She’s headed to Indiana to see the historic event.

“I feel like it’s kind of special that I can see it in the full form, where if I stayed here, I’d only see like a chunk of it.”

As Scherger explains, it’s a special opportunity because this won’t happen for another 20 years – 2044 to be exact. That’s one reason Luke Reese at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center is taking a few days off to go to Carbondale, Illinois with his daughter.

“I’ve heard from people who have seen total eclipses that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience or a life-changing experience. I’m just looking forward to seeing what that might all be about.

“It’s important for me to take her because this is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime experience at least for the two of us. Before there’s another total eclipse over the U.S.. Who knows if I’ll ever see one again or she’ll ever see one again.”

Never say never. John Attewell of the Rochester Astronomy Club traveled to Nebraska for the last total eclipse in 2017.

“I really didn’t expect the magnitude of the emotions that I would have by seeing that event. To me, I’m a very scientific person, I’m very data-driven. To me, that was, I won’t say it was a religious experience but it was awfully close.”

His advice – “A couple of things that I learned by going to that eclipse was, that everybody congregates at different times to the area of totality. But everybody leaves at the same time.

“You want to have a picnic lunch so you can just relax. Because the interstate will be a parking lot.”

Don’t forget your solar eclipse glasses or solar viewer if you plan on watching. Mayo Clinic wants to remind people that looking directly at the sun can damage your eyes because of the strong amount of UV light.