How Are You Spending Your 4th of July?

by Gary Leff

A very US-centric post but then more than 90% of my readers visit this site from the U.S.

    Are you traveling this Fourth of July weekend? Does the weekend carry any special significance for you?

I’m home, and fortunate in the DC area to have impressive fireworks to watch and more importantly a rooftop on my building that has a straight shot out to the fireworks. We’ll have friends over for the evening, as we did last year.

I love three day weekends. I don’t always like to travel on three day weekends. Everyone else is traveling, and leisure fares go up. But it’s a nice respite — if only to catch up on work because the demands from everyone else subside.

I’m not sure how many of us actually connect to the underlying meaning and history of the holidays, though?

We know how Southwest Airlines is celebrating. Others have a secret recipe for making s’mores.

I like Armistice Day better than its replacement Veterans Day, the former was a celebration of the end of war. I’m partial to the fun and symbolism of Guy Fawkes Day.

Whether you’re just enjoying the weekend, or celebrating the first severing of ties between the U.S. and U.K., I hope it treats you well!

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

More articles by Gary Leff »

Pingbacks

Comments

  1. Well, so far I have been dragging water-soaked stuff from my basement after a giant rainstorm Monday night and 2″ of standing water and 21 hours w/o power. There are still thousands without electricity around here.

    Also messing with one of the sump pumps, about which I know a LOT more than I used to.

  2. I’m working … programming some changes for a client. It’s best to do this on a quiet day.

  3. Remember, remember, the 5th of November
    The gunpowder treason and plot
    I know of no reason the gunpowder treason
    Should ever be forgot!

    I love Guy Fawkes Day.

    And I agree, Gary, Armistice Day is a much better holiday. It is an important symbol of the end of what was the bloodiest, most horrifying war the world had seen. And a reminder that we all truly seek an end to all war.

  4. We live on the James River, just south of you, and every other year a neighbor puts on a fireworks spectacular that rivals community displays. It goes on for 50 minutes and is choreographed to music.
    Boats anchor in the river hours early to get a prime spot, and his guests sit on a gently sloping hill in his back yard. He serves hot dogs, beer and has a soft ice cream truck! Can’t wait! Appropriate that it’s the site of a Revolutionary War Arsenal!

  5. Happy Independence Day to all. My sympathies to toomanybooks. We’re chillin’ on Capitol Hill and will be watching the same fireworks Gary will be from a different roof top.
    Tomorrow I’ll start heading to Hong Kong. LAX HKG IN Cathy Pacific seat 1A. Deluxe Jr. Suite @ the Intercontinental. Returning via Asiana 380 to Seoul & 77W suites class to JFK. Should be fun. I’d stay longer but I have more miles than annual leave 🙂

  9. Relaxing on the beaches of Destin, waiting for the fireworks. What could be more American?

  10. Doubt I will see the fireworks again in Washington DC, having watched the show from the speakers balcony of the Capitol dome–any return visit will be anti-climatic.

    Since my wife doesn’t want to drive over to Lahaina we will be staying on the Andaz Maui property, watching whatever people bring down to the beach. But we should be fine since we leave for Nicks Fshmarket happy hour shortly.

    Happy Fourth to you and your readers!

  11. We Flew from Chicago to Wichita with my Southwest companion pass

    Visited greyhound museum in Abilene

    Tomorrow we see the worlds largest ball of twine -google it

    Sunday brings the barbed wire museum and the worlds deepest hand dug well

    Living large in Kansas-who need Paris?

  12. Flew my family of three plus a lap child to Chicago to visit my brother and his family for 27k Avios plus $7.50.

  13. Hanging out with my English husband and his sister, and her family. watching the world cup. We live very close to where they do the fireworks in our town, but our trees get in the way.

Comments are closed.