We're only about a 4.5 hour drive from DC. A friend of mine drove down and told us that the wait just to get into the Rotunda was as long as the drive down. Still, people waited in the hot, humid summer heat and nobody left the line or got impolite. The few who had to go to the loo had a stranger hold their place. That is how quiet and polite the crowd was there.
C-Span had a camera in the Rotunda which continued 24/7. It was remarkable that people from all walks of life turned out as well as the numbers. Even an old Lakota chief made the trip out in full regalia to honor Reagan as did several in the tribe. Some wore tribal regalia as well, others the uniform of the country which they served.
Carter will turn out a crowd because people want to be part of the history, but it won't be anything like this was.
-PJ