Great story - an astronomical Woodstock.
I am also from CT (maybe hook up sometime?) and improvised at the last minute as well. I found out an old friend had rented a big house in Burlington that could sleep 14 and he still had room for 4 of us. So instead of driving up before dawn on the day of the eclipse and dealing with traffic and crowds, we went up the day before, shared communal meals, bottles of wine, a night of guitars and singing, cemented some old friendships and started some new ones. I brought my 8" Dob with solar filter, which was a big hit with adults and kids, and during totality was able to point out Venus and Jupiter. Our neighbor, it turned out, was a photographer for Vermont Public and shared her photos with us in return for a peek through the telescope. During the 4 minutes of totality there was cheering and crying and that feeling you get when you know you will always remember where you were and who you were with on this day.
Historically, the shared experience of astronomical events like this have made lasting impacts on cultures and communities. Maybe, just maybe, this part of the world became a little smaller, people a little closer, haters a little hushed by that touch of awe we were all seeking together.