The 2017 solar eclipse was a pretty big event, and since the moon’s shadow was passing just an hour south of us, we couldn’t in good conscience pass up a maybe-twice-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

This is part of our 100 Things in 2017 challenge. Here’s the full list. Click on the photos for a closer look!

The eclipse happened on a Monday, so Sunday afternoon we drove down to Becky’s brother’s house in Molalla, which was well within the totality. It was almost a full family reunion, with Sam and family also driving down from Vancouver, Ken and Sarah and family coming in from Washougal, and Andrew driving all alone from Sacramento!

We had dinner, and bunked down for the night. After a big family breakfast and some playtime, we started hyping everyone up. Sarah had scored some last-minute eclipse-viewing glasses, so the kids were all checking the moon’s progress throughout the morning. As the moment approached, gathered everyone in a prime viewing spot, where we had full view of the sun and the horizon.

It was spectacular. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. For a full minute, it was nighttime, except with this crazy sci-fi shape in the sky.

Seriously, if you ever get the chance to see one of these, don’t pass it up. It’s worth a few hours’ drive.