What happens when the population in your state doubles in one day? That’s about what happened when the eclipse passed through our beautiful state of Wyoming!Â
On August 21 we had the opportunity to experience something that hasn’t happened in my lifetime or most others. In fact, the last time America had an eclipse that passed through the entire mainland was in 1918. It is estimated that we had an extra 650,000 people in the state during the eclipse. Judging from the traffic on I-25, I believe it! Just to name a few; we saw cars from Washington, Alaska, California, Florida, Texas, Utah, New Mexico and many from Colorado. The travel times were ridiculously long, convenience stores ran out of gas, people were using the side of the road for a restroom, and others set up camp along the road long enough to grill dinner.
So, was it worth it and would I do it again!? Absolutely! It was the craziest, wild feeling with the middle of the day darkness (similar to a late sunset) and the temperature drop that came with the two minutes of totality — it’s hard to even explain. We had the pleasure of watching from our fellow RE/MAX agent, Larry Gardner‘s and his wife’s place, in Guernsey, WY. We watched along with close to 150 other people. Some of us for the first time and some for their third eclipse. It was so interesting to listen to those who study these types of occurrences and to look through their telescopes. I feel so appreciative for the additional perspective from them on the eclipse. The glasses we all wore allowed us to look directly at the sun as the moon began to cover it. If you ever get the chance to watch a total eclipse, then I suggest you do it! It is something you have to experience yourself to fully understand the feelings and sights.
I hope the small business owners across Wyoming felt an economic boost from all the visitors who came for the eclipse! And, I hope that the visitors enjoyed their time in Cheyenne WY and the surrounding areas! We’ll see you back here for the next eclipse!