Its all gone dark

Pulling into Santee the night before the eclipse and the place was rammed, people everywhere, litter bins full, tents set up, hotels with hand written signs saying "sorry full" . It seems that despite all the years warnings , half the population of the US had still been taken by surprise by the eclipse or decided last minute to go and see it.
Later I found out that Santee state park was one of the places recommended for a good view and surroundings to observe the eclipse - I chose right, and booked right ie in January.

The queues to get into the state park and the blazing sun was tiring enough without waiting the next few hours for the eclipse. I looked like a real American with my collapsible chair and my coolbox, There was a scientist with a special camera to look at the sun flares, the local British car club who were surprisingly unfriendly considering I was an actual British person !! People with massive telescopes, set ups with gazebos, barbeques all waiting it out to see the eclipse.

After a few hours sitting in the forest I moved back to a clearing just as the sun was beginning to get shadowed and half an hour later the eerie feeling started, like dusk but not like dusk, strange shadows cast by leaves on the ground, a rising excitement.

Camera shots through eclipse glasses arent the easiest but you get the drift...

And finally- it happened
A ghostly dark, quiet and cool, you could still feel the sun glowing round you and a brief moment to look at the sun without the glasses on

and seemingly in a heartbeat it was gone.....

Driving back in the 7 hour tailback that followed, I saw cars and vehicles from as far North as Canada all driven down to see the eclipse- no wonder it was crowded in Santee!