Total Solar Eclipse in 2017--HERE!

It's a Bucket List thing for me. I have always wanted to see a total solar eclipse, and I just discovered there's one happening in North America transiting the United States the afternoon of August 21, 2017.

Woo hoo!!

I won't even need an airline ticket, since the zone of TOTAL eclipse passes over Salem, Oregon, which is about 3 hours from here. You can see the ecliptic path here.

I've heard that witnessing a total solar eclipse is a life-changing experience--two minutes you will never forget. It turns deadly quiet... the birds stop singing... people stop driving or even talking. And the temperature can drop as much as 35 degrees instantly. The closest I've come is a partial eclipse, which was back in high school. A total solar eclipse happens only once every 16 months or so, viewable somewhere from Earth. But it is a much more rare event for one to track right over the USA-- so close to home.

I can hardly wait! Please feel free to comment on your own eclipse experiences--I'd love to hear from anyone whose experienced one.