We went to Weiser, Idaho for the eclipse. Weiser (sounds like wheezer) is a small town on the Oregon/Idaho border, north of Boise. It was located in the zone of totality.

It was a gorgeous, perfect day. I planned to wear shorts, Boho top, and sneakers for the 90 plus forecast. I wanted to be cool, but keep my shoulders covered. I slathered up in sunscreen, too, and wore my big brimmed Tilley hat. However, it was cold and dark at 6am when we got there. (We had heard that traffic would be horrendous, so we allowed plenty of time.) I switched to my nylon hiking pants and added a windbreaker. As soon as the sun rose I shed the jacket and changed back to shorts.

We were at Weiser High School. We paid to reserve a parking spot, the fee benefitting the WHS Science Club. MIT and NASA both had research teams on the track's infield. Their equipment was very impressive, as you would imagine. I talked to one of the MIT scientists, and he talked about what they were hoping to achieve. The Science Club was also doing research.

My husband had his spotting scope set up with an eclipse filter on it. I used my cell phone and was able to take some pictures through it. He was mostly using his camera with a long lens and filter. I'm sure his pictures are a lot better.

The zone of totality: I didn't know what to expect. The change was very dramatic. I'd seen partial eclipses before, but this was nothing like that. During totality, it was really dark, and street lights came on.

The overall experience was eerie and truly amazing.