Take the 4th to D.C.!
June 27th 2007 03:07
It's approaching, and approaching fast-- sooner than you know it, Americans will be gathering to light the grills and lather on the bug spray, hitting the lake, beach, or grassy patch to enjoy anywhere from a few to a whole hot mess of fireworks. Here comes Independence Day!
This day represents a lot of things for us as Americans-- our initial desire to not have to pay taxes to someone who received them by boat months later, generations of men and women who have fought and worked to keep America safe and healthy, and our own freedom to do whatever we want on this one day-- not like Christmas, when you can't really do whatever you want because you have to cook a big dinner and give people gifts, or New Year's when you don't have as much to do as on Christmas but it's still really cold and miserable, but on a glorious SUMMER day, when you can picnic and put on a bikini with an American flag design. You can get together with family or friends-- you can travel a long way to see people and to catch the best fireworks, or you can just set off a few against local ordinances in your backyard and hope the neighbors are out. You can go see one of those movies that advertise premiers on July 4th no matter what day of the week it is (or if they're actually coming out on the 2nd or the 3rd)-- this year I think it's Transformers and License to Wed? You can cash in on some July 4th sales (usually featuring patio furniture, grill accessories, and short-sleeved button down shirts that look like the American flag). You can enjoy a music festival or parade or river regatta, all depending on your local flavor. You can probably even stay at home and watch some kind of cable TV marathon, though I have to admit I've never done it before.
This year I'd like to suggest a small travel venture that I've really enjoyed in the past-- a trip to the mother of all Independence Day celebrations in Washington D.C. It's not as hard as you'd think to find a place to stay in the nation's capital, and with easy public transportation and tons to see, it's the perfect stop for a few days this summer holiday.
Washington D.C. has a huge variety of activities going on around July 4th-- on the day, the main events you'll find are the parade (which begins at 11:45 a.m. on Constitution Ave. and 7th Street) full of military units and marching bands, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, an annual event with crafts, exhibits, and performances and running all day long, and finally, the big event-- the fireworks on the mall!!!
I don't care what you spend the entire day doing, but early in the afternoon you MUST head to the Mall to get a seat on the lawn for the fireworks over Washington Monument. You'll have to go through a security checkpoint to get in, so allow yourself extra time to be standing in line, and bring a blanket and a picnic so you'll be comfortable and happy while you wait. And you'll be happy you came early enough to have to wait when it gets on toward dusk and you're surrounded on all sides by hot, sweaty, excited families waiting for the bursts and canonfire. These are the most spectacular fireworks I've ever seen-- the demonstrations just go on and on-- and there's something extra special about seeing them burst above the Washington Monument and hundreds of people who have come from all over to see them in the nation's capital.
Coming to D.C. for the 4th of July is a wonderful experience-- you get to be a part of the exciting atmosphere of D.C. in its most alive and lively time, you'll have a chance to visit some great museums (like the Smithsonians, the National Gallery of Art, and the Holocaust Museum), check out the monuments (I recommend viewing them both by day and by night, when they are beautifully lighted), and enjoy a splendid display of fireworks that just might bring a tear to your eye (no matter how big a guy you are and how many hot dogs you've eaten).
The D.C. area is very large and offers a wide variety of accommodation options depending on how close to the city center you want to be. Even if you are in a suburb, though, you can often still catch the Metro in with ease, so check with your hotel on the location of the nearest Metro stop and avail yourself of the convenience of public transportation in the D.C. area.
The Mall is packed as these fireworks explode in D.C.
This year I'd like to suggest a small travel venture that I've really enjoyed in the past-- a trip to the mother of all Independence Day celebrations in Washington D.C. It's not as hard as you'd think to find a place to stay in the nation's capital, and with easy public transportation and tons to see, it's the perfect stop for a few days this summer holiday.
Washington D.C. has a huge variety of activities going on around July 4th-- on the day, the main events you'll find are the parade (which begins at 11:45 a.m. on Constitution Ave. and 7th Street) full of military units and marching bands, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, an annual event with crafts, exhibits, and performances and running all day long, and finally, the big event-- the fireworks on the mall!!!
Night time is the right time to see the monuments!
I don't care what you spend the entire day doing, but early in the afternoon you MUST head to the Mall to get a seat on the lawn for the fireworks over Washington Monument. You'll have to go through a security checkpoint to get in, so allow yourself extra time to be standing in line, and bring a blanket and a picnic so you'll be comfortable and happy while you wait. And you'll be happy you came early enough to have to wait when it gets on toward dusk and you're surrounded on all sides by hot, sweaty, excited families waiting for the bursts and canonfire. These are the most spectacular fireworks I've ever seen-- the demonstrations just go on and on-- and there's something extra special about seeing them burst above the Washington Monument and hundreds of people who have come from all over to see them in the nation's capital.
Coming to D.C. for the 4th of July is a wonderful experience-- you get to be a part of the exciting atmosphere of D.C. in its most alive and lively time, you'll have a chance to visit some great museums (like the Smithsonians, the National Gallery of Art, and the Holocaust Museum), check out the monuments (I recommend viewing them both by day and by night, when they are beautifully lighted), and enjoy a splendid display of fireworks that just might bring a tear to your eye (no matter how big a guy you are and how many hot dogs you've eaten).
The D.C. area is very large and offers a wide variety of accommodation options depending on how close to the city center you want to be. Even if you are in a suburb, though, you can often still catch the Metro in with ease, so check with your hotel on the location of the nearest Metro stop and avail yourself of the convenience of public transportation in the D.C. area.
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