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Solar eclipse 2017: The first place to see the darkness

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Yaquina Head lighthouse gets the eclipse seconds before Newport, Ore.
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YAQUINA HEAD LIGHT, Ore. — There are many cool places to experience the Great American Solar Eclipse. The lighthouse here, just a few miles up the road from Newport, holds the distinction of being number one.
That’s just by a few seconds — but who’s counting, right?
“This lighthouse is one of the furthest west points on the Oregon coast, and we will be the first place in the continental United States to see the eclipse, ” says Jay Moeller, the chief park ranger for Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.
He’s got parking spots for 185 cars, but can fit as many as 5,000 people in total. Extras will have to find parking nearby and walk in.
Originally, Moeller thought he’ d have 5,000 visitors, but now isn’ t so sure. “The town has been eerily quiet this weekend, ” he says. “We expect lower-than-anticipated crowds.”
What happened? The media reported about big crowds and traffic congestion for the eclipse, “and I think a lot of people said, ‚I’ m staying home.'“
If you do make it out, „we’ ve got 180-degree views of the ocean, ” says Moeller. “Come here and claim the fact that you’ re the first to see the solar eclipse, and the shadow of the moon as it races across the ocean and hits land.“
After the lighthouse, the eclipse’s path of totality continues to the bayfront in Newport, the first major gathering of people who will get to see the eclipse, before it heads to the Salem area.
The largest Oregon crowds are expected in Madras, near Bend, home to a NASA-sanctioned SolarFest viewing, which has attracted thousands of pilgrims.
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