I go down to the National Mall every year. It's not too crowded on the Mall, and this year the weather was perfect. But, as for crowded, part of the fun is the mad rush to squeeze into the subway when it's over. We tried a different stop this time, and even with the post-crash Red Line slowdown we managed to get on the first train that came along.

The fireworks I attended was the usual one, with the fireworks being set off over the intercoastal waterway. It looked a bit like this one...at first.

However, there wasn't really any air moving, so the smoke sort of hung in the air and the debris rained down on the crowd (ie: incl me and family). By the finale, the smoke was so thick, you couldn't really see much of the actual 'sparklies'. Never had that happen before. I didn't hear of anyone getting burned, seemed the debris was just ashy crap by the time it got to us.

It's fireworks! Duh.

Either you intrinsically get the appeal of beautiful lights in the night sky and fun pseudo-scary big noises (along with a kind of facile patriotism and sort of shared group enjoyment/camaraderie with the masses around you, and possibly just a nice excuse to chat and hang with friends (no not that you need one)) or you just see feel the crowds, heat, drunken jerks, time spent, and (in some cases, though this is the first year I'd ever noticed) smoke + debris.

Kayaking to fireworks is a real synergy, either activity I'd do on its own, probably, but the mutual justification was terrific. (Plus, the water wasn't nearly as crowded as the land...)

See, the kayaking thing I can get behind. You avoid the crowds, and the temperatures are cooler over the water. I would love fireworks if the venues they were displayed in didn't suck one-thousand-percent. I'm willing to concede that things are worse due to my location: "heat" has a totally different meaning to me than it does to the state of Massachussetts, and the drunken jerks here are not pleasantly amusing, they are the type who will accidentally gesture the wrong way in the tight-packed crowd and stick their lit cigarette against your arm.

Only good fireworks experience I ever had was once as a kid when my friend's parents let us climb up on the roof and watch them from her house. That was awesome. But my parents or a neighbor must have complained, because they never allowed it again.

They have the Redneck Games about a quarter mile from my house. This year it will be held on July 11. I always sit out in my pool and watch while sipping whiskey. Now that is enjoyable.

I didn't make up the Redneck Games thingie, either. You can google it. I do, however have a little too much class to attend. I can hear the bands and see the fireworks from here fine anyway. You talk about a bunch of drunk ass idiots. Sheesh.

link

I want to know how the girls spend all that time in the kayak without a bathroom break? I mean the guys can just tie it to the anchor and throw it over the side for awhile. :rolleyes:

Guy 1:
"Waters cold, ain't it?"
#2:
"Yeah. And deep, too!"

* I believe one of them fellers was from Arkansas.

Heh. Actually when I went a few years ago, my companion DID have to go so we made a furious paddle for shore, she found a portalot, and then we came back just in time.

This year we had a strict-ish "lets not bring drinks" policy (except for the little illicit mini bottles of wine we stowed)

you can't get a friend to hold one side of the kayak steady while you pee over the other? sheesh

In the middle of a thousand boats? Your butt would be all over the internet. :haha: