Just want to say a massive thank you to
@jj1000 and
@Dan for pushing us to go. First started considering it on Sunday after reading the DDMS post and I guess I had just seen one more post on this thread about 100% or bust and finally made the decision to chase totality at 8:30 AM this morning.
Got the whole family packed in the van and we headed towards Schroon Lake NY from Lakewood (usually a 4:40 drive) at 9:15. Traffic was barely an obstacle, including a stop for gas/bathrooms we made it in to Frontier Gateway with plenty of time to spare at 2:25 with totality scheduled for 3:26. The sky was mostly clear, and after getting washed up and ready at a HOPPING gas station full of people including many who were frum we found a quiet space with clear open views and some knowledgeable people who shared with us some of their experiments such as the little crescent displays and the “million snakes” on white sheets.
The whole experience was amazing, including the period before as it got darker and we were able to see the sun disappearing. The ~15 minutes leading up to the climax and then the 2 minutes of actual totality were absolutely surreal. The swiftly creeping darkness, rapid temperature drop, changing sounds, excited tension in the air and mass holding of breaths and cheering. Just different than anything else I can remember. At totality, it was such an amazing experience seeing the displays of color and bursts of powerful light and I can tell you right now the photos and videos I saw do ZERO JUSTICE to the experience of seeing it live. I think anyone who experienced totality today would agree with me. You felt something special, as if Hashem was speaking to you personally. I guess you could say it put the word “awe” in “awesome”.
We packed up and raced out within a couple of minutes of totality, making sure to check on the sun through our glasses every now and again on the way back as well. The way back there was some traffic but we were no longer racing the clock. 10 hours of driving later, there is one thing I am certain of: we will not regret having gone.