I’m not sure how to successfully write about what a total eclipse is like, but maybe I can just leave it at the fact that it was TOTALLY worth the drive, and we immediately wanted to see another one. I think I can easily say it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced. And I say experienced, instead of seen, because what caught us off guard the most was this totally visceral, full-body rush that seemed to happen to everybody who saw it… like your body knows that it’s the middle of the day and it’s 15 degrees too cool and you shouldn’t be able to see stars and there’s a 360* sunset covering the entire horizon and oh my goodness there is a giant gilded black hole in the sky and it is just WRONG and AMAZING and fills you with awe and wonder and adrenaline and a connectedness to everything and everybody who’s ever seen one all at the same time. So uh… yeah. I recommend it.

We hung out in Rexburg with the family for a while after. We felt like we got adopted, and were invited in for hot dogs and brownies after the eclipse was over. One of the kids even introduced “Uncle Mike” to a neighbor. It made it that much more of an awesome experience to feel like we watched it with family, even though it wasn’t our own family. We took off late in the afternoon, and got stuck in what was probably the worst traffic Idaho Falls has ever seen.

(Interesting sidenote, since a lot of people don't seem to know: As the eclipse begins, you use your eclipse glasses to be able to stare at the sun without eye damage. When the totality hits, you can no longer see anything through the glasses -- it's pitch black -- because the entire sun is hidden. At that point, it's safe to take off the glasses and look directly at the big black hole in the sky without risk of damage until the totality is over.)

We ended up driving through Nevada in the pitch black middle of the night, where the emptiness on all sides made you feel like you were traveling through space. (Note from Mike: or Mario Kart's Rainbow Road.)

My naggy voice that was telling me I needed to be doing something went away quickly. Now, we’re struck by how far from bored we are, even after hours of driving through flat, treeless country. We don’t miss TV, or Reddit, or Facebook. We just get to be. I do have to admit, though, that after many many hours of driving in a straight line with nothing to look at, I was starting to look forward to civilization. Our drive through Butte, population 74, didn’t quite scratch that itch for me (though it did provide an unending supply of Butt jokes in the forthcoming hours). We also drove by a national preserve called Craters of the Moon, which was miles of black, rocky lava. Very cool to see, and we made a mental note to come back sometime and explore it. And our semi-spontaneous stop at Twin Falls on our way out of Idaho was strikingly beautiful.

We camped out overnight at an RV park in one of those small towns in Nevada that seems to only consist of a few casinos and nothing else. (Where do all the employees live? The RV parks, maybe.) One more day of driving after this.