Fulltiming on the 4th of July

 

I started thinking about the many places we’ve spent the 4th during our 16 years of full time RVing.  Well, of course I  can’t  remember every year  BUT I’ve kept a Journal since we went on the road in November 1994.  So, I looked it up!  Here it is in chronological order:

Not a good start:  1995 at Lake Pokegama in Minnesota must not have been very memorable because I didn’t write anything specific about any kind of celebration!

116 degrees!  Yes, that was the temperature in Laughlin, Nevada in 1996 at the airport parking lot where we watched one of the BEST fireworks displays anywhere---hearts, palm trees and lots of multi-color! I was so hot there on the Colorado River that the AC in our new Komfort fifth wheel couldn’t keep up.

1997-an Independence Day with no fireworks displays in Santa Fe, New Mexico, our 2nd favorite place in the U.S.A.

No fireworks in 1998 either but this time it was a no-brainer. . . we were in Fairbanks, Alaska.  Nearly 24 hours of daylight in July!

1999 was special---sitting right in front of our country’s Capitol, is there a more fitting place to be on the 4th?  A parade, the National Concert that year featured Kenny G, JoDee Messina, The Temptations, Nell Carter and Maureen McGovern topped off with a fireworks show over Washington Monument!  It was 105 degrees and Jorden got to play in the opened fire hydrants on the grass on the Capitol lawn! (This is a click art photo but really shows how impressive that evening of fireworks was.) 2000 found us back in Santa Fe but this year there was a fireworks display!  Since we couldn’t see it from Rancheros Campground where we were camphosting we drove down Old Las Vegas Hwy to “thieves corner” to watch them in the beautiful New Mexico sky.

Note here: Can’t find my photos of prior to 2001 when I got my first digital camera!  Where or where have I put them…sure can’t find them!

Back home to Minot, North Dakota in 2001! This day could have been taken from my childhood: a concert and patriotic ceremony at Roosevelt Park & Zoo (restored old Zoo building in the photo) and later a HUGE fireworks show in the tiny, teeny town of Burlington near Minot.  Being up north where the sun doesn’t set until very late the show didn’t start until 11:00pm! in 2002 there was no fireworks show at Farragut State Park near Cour d’ Alene, Idaho but, after we barbecued with friends at the Brig Museum (yes, it was a real Brig!) where we were docents we watched the Macy’s fireworks show from New York City on TV.  (It’s just not the same on TV is it?

2003, our first year as Laguna Seca Raceway volunteers!  We were building our deck overlooking the racetrack and spent the day putting outdoor carpeting down.  Afterward, a picnic dinner of KFC with Jorden and his Dad.

2004 finds us in St. Louis on our Americana Extravaganza trip with Don & Lee and Zach.  Jorden and Zach swam in the RV park pool, of course we barbecued and ended the day watching fireworks from the park deck.

We’re back at Laguna Seca in 2005.  Of course we barbecued but also painted blue stripes on the hospitality suite stairs and moved golf carts in preparation for the next weekend’s MotoGP Races.

Gosh, some years, this one 2006 at Laguna Seca, are pretty ordinary although we ALWAYS barbecue. Gary & I go over to Judy’s and replace the threshold in her bathroom.  We do have fun playing with her dog Larry.  Later we watch the Boston Fireworks Show on TV.

2007 was fun. . .we were in Bellingham, Washington visiting family.  First we barbecued, Jorden and his cousins Kassi, Zach and Andy swam, played foosball and ping pong at our RV park.  Afterward a spectacular fireworks show over Bellingham Bay.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was Salt Lake City in 2008 but we couldn’t find any fireworks shows and we didn’t barbecue…an unusual Independence Day. We drove out to Antelope Island State Park.

Last year it was neither fireworks nor barbecues but lots of very fast motorcycles…MotoGP Races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca…and thousands of fans in our “front yard!”

And today was a quiet one---NO fireworks shows on the Monterey Peninsula---guess its a $$$ thing with the cities.  BUT, yes we did barbecue traditional 4th of July fare:  hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, beans (Bush’s, of course), chips and guacamole and brownies for dessert.

I wonder where Independence Day 2011 will find us?