CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – During the Great American Eclipse in Huntsville there was a pretty spectacular show, but it was only about 97% totality. This sent many people on a quest to find a spot with a better view.

One of the best views in the totality zone was at Liberty Park in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Being in the totality zone is a drastically different experience. For just 2 minutes and 18 seconds, crowds got to experience near darkness during the middle of the day.

“This is history in the making.”

“This is so awesome, oh my lord, this is amazing.”

But while the crowd shared the same sky, everyone went away with something different.

“It went a lot quicker than I expected.”

A boisterous family, traveling from Texas treated the eclipse like Times Square on New Years Eve.

While Rachael and Anna, two teenage friends just tried to enjoy each other’s company. “It’s something we’ll never be able to do again, so it’s a memory that will last a lifetime.”

They say their videos and Snapchats didn’t do the sky justice. “Probably all the colors in the sky just purple and pink,” said Anna Sawyer

Susan and Wanda were amazed by the beauty of it all. “The emotion that I felt was not what I expected at all. I was like wow I`m going to see the eclipse, and then sitting here and watching it, I was like, ‘This is totally amazing.'”

The pair said anything that breathtaking, in that short of time couldn’t be a coincidence. “That only God can create this amazing event that I got the opportunity to witness,” said Susan Burney.

Some people spent months gearing up for the event.

After building up anticipation for more than a year, the emotions of the moment can be a unique experience.

“It’s once in a lifetime so we have to stay here and we have to like glue ourselves to this spot,” explained Jaime Santiago.

Even at the age of 9, it wasn’t lost on Jamie how momentous this day was. “I’m just like, ‘I’m going to reach into my brain, reach into a cabinet, put it into a file.'”

If Jamie was in it for the spectacle,11-year-old Joyce was captivated by the science. “The corona. It’s like a ghostly shadow just creeping out from behind.”

Joshua Santiago hoped to snap a picture, but found nothing could quite capture the beauty of the moment. “It was a bit too bright to get a good quality, but it was pretty interesting.”

And the only thing that made this sight all the sweeter, was experiencing it together.

“I know it’s memories that will stay with them forever,” said their mother Sandra.