Enjoying America: Fireworks on the Mall

As we've finally begun to settle into our lives, as we are no longer adopting, and as I ought not write about all of the crazy things my neighbors do (they're actually quite lovely and appropriately normal people), I need to add a new category to the blog.

Living in a place for only about 18 months gives us a real incentive to explore the area. We're having a great time so far, and thought to share some of the fun we have while we live on the East Coast.

And I'll start the series with a bang. Spending our first Independence Day on the East Coast, how could we do anything except celebrate on the National Mall? We Metro-ed down in the afternoon, explored the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival, ate some overpriced hot dogs and lemonade, and then marched toward the Lincoln Memorial to stake out our spot. We sat on a blanket for about 3 hours, taking breaks to explore the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials and the Lincoln Memorial, and to eat ice-cream or play frisbee. Lincoln's front steps got crowded, but the park itself is certainly large enough to handle such a crowd. A large expanse of green space in a flat city with height-restricted architecture is a simple place to watch fireworks. We looked at the Washington Monument and watched the show.



Unfortunately, I didn't bring my tripod. So I'm not posting these photos for their amazing skill - but just for what they still capture. How close we were to the fireworks, and how rapt each of the girls were for those 20 minutes.

The Taste of Chicago is a wonderful Independence Day fair; St. Louis puts on an amazing fireworks display from a barge on the Missouri River; and small groups of American celebrate heartily in Shanghai. It didn't win for most crowded, best fair, or best fireworks. But there is just something about celebrating the 4th of July on the Mall. I would definitely do it again.