"Solar eclipse 2017: The best places to see the rare phenomenon this August"
Great article with quite a lot of information about the eclipse. Turns out that Val's grandma's house in Falls City, NE will be a pretty darn good place to see it; it is close to the center of the path and is also not likely to be cloudy at the time.
The best places to see a rare total solar eclipse in August, mapped by NASA
How NASA predicts the precise shadow of a solar eclipse.