IDAHO CITY, Idaho — Boise County Emergency Management anticipated close to 40,000 vehicles would traverse Highway 55 and Highway 21 over the weekend. That didn’t happen. At least not on Highway 21 heading toward Idaho City.

By Sunday afternoon, the emergency management service posted on Facebook that “55 through HSB (Horseshoe Bend) is reported as being “very heavy” with almost “bumper to bumper” traffic. Hwy 21 is normal (weird!).”

Ginger Thomas banked on that traffic to sell jams, pancake mix and huckleberry syrup from the sole vendor pop-up market she erected near the almost vacant parking lot beside Idaho City’s visitors center.

“I was expecting more foot traffic for sure. I hope there will be more tomorrow,” she said Sunday afternoon.

Monday morning, her hopes came to fruition as the parking lot that was nearly empty of Sunday began to fill with visitors who took the 35 mile drive from Boise. By 10:45 a.m. cars packed the lot.

“I can’t believe how many people are here,” Thomas said between showing products to tourists with an eye on bread mixes.

She banked on more visitors for the eclipse but she hopes the darkened sky brings more than cash flow into her wallet.

“I think the eclipse is a good chance for unity and I think that the American people need that,” she said.

Forty-five minutes before totality, visitors, neighbors and strangers sat united under one eclipsing sun.