The Best Way to Celebrate America?

Blowing stuff up, of course!

Gettysburg camping & re-enactment

We started things off by camping 10 mins away the famous Pennsylvania battlefield, including having dutch oven stew and cornbread, as well as sch'mores (a s'more-like treat of a toasted mallow and peanut butter between two fudge stripe cookies).
In the morning, we packed up and went to see actors and actresses re-enact different scenarios from the Battle of Gettysburg (cavalry, infantry, artillery, and mortar-firing). Pretty cool stuff, just a shame that many (most?) of the fatalities from conflict back then were due to infection of minor, highly-treatable wounds.

Hard tack (a very appropriate name)

Definitely Confederates

Tubing in Fredericksburg

The most popular spot for tubing in this area is Harper's Ferry, WV. On a holiday, it's probably a madhouse there, so we went south to Old Mill Park in Fredericksburg, VA. Very fun chatting while relaxing and floating along, mixed with the excitement of going down whitewater sections.*

Fireworks from the Jefferson

I've watched the show from various spots around DC, but this was my favorite so far. The grass wasn't crowded, and we had a perfect view of the fireworks along with their reflection on the Tidal Basin. Since we couldn't hear the music across on the National Mall, we made our own by singing patriotic songs, including the Star-Spangled Banner.**

Here's a bonus: my favorite fireworks scene from the movies. The Sandlot.

Happy birthday, United States of America!

*Tragic side-note: this is when my Olympus Stylus kicked the bucket.

**The fireworks started just as we were singing "And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air." Perfect timing.