When I lived in Boston, I was enthralled by their Fourth of July celebration at the Esplanade. Sadly, I won’t be there to enjoy this year’s 35th anniversary celebration, but I thought in order to get into the holiday spirit, I’d spend some time finding out what some other cities have planned for 2008’s Independence Day.
New York
What city says ‘America’ better than NYC? Celebrate the holiday as only New York can, with fireworks set off from THREE different locations and a U.S. Air Force flyover! Learn more of the details of the Macy’s extravaganza so you don’t miss a moment of the excitement.
Seattle
Seattle’s WaMu Family 4th at Lake Union looks like an absolutely great time. A day full of food, beer, and family culminates with what Time magazine has rated one of the Top 5 fireworks displays in the country. I just sent this info to my stepdaughter and her hubby who live in Seattle. I hope they go!
Orlando
Orlando isn’t all about The Mouse. Head out for Fireworks at the Fountain from 4-10pm for fun-filled family activities including games, food, live entertainment, of course fireworks.
Ft Lauderdale
If you live in the Ft Lauderdale area, not only do you get fireworks, you also get a DJ, games, and live music! Take a look at the fun schedule for the day:
- 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — DJ Penn House, children’s activities, S.E. 5th Street and A1A
- 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. — Live concerts, S.E. 5th Street and A1A
- 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — Fireworks, off of A1A and Las Olas
San Diego
San Diego residents and visitors have the privilege of enjoying Fireworks over the Bay. The festivities are from 5-11pm and are or the benefit of the San Diego Armed Services YMCA - “Serving the Families of our Military Heroes.” What could be more patriotic?
Anaheim
How cute is Anaheim’s day-long July Fourth celebration? They are having a pancake breakfast, a dog show, food, game booths, a parade, and their “Firecracker” 5K/10K Run / 2K Walk and Health Fair—all before the fireworks at 9pm!
It’s not too late to submit your band for AMPLIFY, a conference and music festival in Las Vegas. I am on several music mailing lists, and I just happened to get this in my IN box recently. I’d actually never heard of it, but checked it out and thought it looks so cool I’d post it in my blog.
The event will take place August 5-8 in downtown Las Vegas, and is a 4-day event that features conferences, musical performances, and more. The conference aspect of the event gives bands the opportunity to perform, network, and compete for a spot in the Best of Show finale. Registration for bands ends June 15, so if you or anyone you know is interested, act fast. The winner of Best of Show gets the chance to open for a headlining act, so it could be a great opportunity.
Regardless of whether you win or not, it sounds like a great way to spend a weekend in Vegas. Be sure to check out the website and good luck if you decide to compete!
My youngest step-daughter and her husband just came home from an Alaskan cruise, and the pictures they took are just gorgeous! I remember my grandmother going to visit Alaska, but that was probably 15 years ago and the details escape me. So hearing my kids talk about the fun they had and the sights they saw is quite fun!
The two of them live in Seattle, so at least they didn’t have to fly across the entire US before the cruise. They saw glaciers, went whale watching, and did all of the typical tourist stuff. However, one city they visited intrigued me–not only did it look interesting, but I’d never heard of it before.
Ketchikan is known as the Salmon Capital of the World and they rely on fishing and tourism for their economy. The kids took pictures of a bald eagle, apparently they were everywhere during their visit. They were pretty excited about that. And check out the Misty Fjords–stunning!
But I’m going to come clean and admit that what caught my attention in the pictures of Ketchikan is the fact that the buildings are on stilts. Very cool! Once I began looking into the town, I realized what an interesting history it has. I have really enjoyed learning about the Native culture, the fishing industry, the former red light district, and the movement into what Ketchikan is today–a lovely little town thriving with art, culture, and rich history.
I’m not much of a cruise person, but I would love to visit Ketchikan one day. I may have to rethink my stance on cruises.