4th of July in DC?

[michigansandzil]

It appears our 2015 summer vacation will land us in DC for the fourth. Kids will be 12,10,6. I'm imagining a spectacular fireworks display with so many people it's difficult to move.
Sound about right? We're not fans of hustle and bustle but my guess is this is worth it.
Anyone ever done a boat ride? Or is staying at the national mall the best bet for viewing.

[michigansandzil]

jalichty wrote:
If you were up to traveling a little farther to see fireworks on the Fourth, come on out to Lander, Wyoming.

Well, that's exactly the opposite direction of where we are headed, but thanks, 😉
We plan to head out to Yellowstone/Wyoming 2016 so I'll keep that in mind.

Fireworks in the city sounds like a lot a work and chaos. We have discussed our plans and are considering moving our vacation time to August just so we don't run into the 4th.

[jalichty]

If you were up to traveling a little farther to see fireworks on the Fourth, come on out to Lander, Wyoming. We have a nice little parade for the Fourth, the oldest paid rodeo in the US and fireworks from around 8:00 to midnight on the Fourth. While it might not be as spectacular as Boston, New York or DC, most of the fireworks are not paid for with your tax dollars, they are private people celebrating the Fourth in a wonderful fashion. I know, that's a little far for you to drive, but just though I would put in a little plug for our wonderful, patriotic city out here in the West.

DREADED DOUBLE POST!!!

[jalichty]

If you were up to traveling a little farther to see fireworks on the Fourth, come on out to Lander, Wyoming. We have a nice little parade for the Fourth, the oldest paid rodeo in the US and fireworks from around 8:00 to midnight on the Fourth. While it might not be as spectacular as Boston, New York or DC, most of the fireworks are not paid for with your tax dollars, they are private people celebrating the Fourth in a wonderful fashion. I know, that's a little far for you to drive, but just though I would put in a little plug for our wonderful, patriotic city out here in the West.

[Jennyfs]

We actually went to DC for July 4th, 2012. Although it was hot and busy, we had a great time! After all the research, we were more than prepared to handle the crowds. The morning of the 4th, we had a good size breakfast, and then went ahead to the parade. We took some umbrellas for the sun, sunscreen and good walking shoes. We parked ourselves under a shade tree and watched about half the parade. We then made our track toward the reflection pond, had lunch at one of the outdoor eateries near the Vietnam Memorial and around 3 that afternoon we sat between the pillars of the Lincoln memorial. We had brought snacks, card game, crossword puzzles, etc. to keep us busy, along with a blanket to sit on. There was such a fantastic breeze and the sun was behind us the whole time. The view of the fireworks was spectacular and I wouldn't have done it different. It was actually nice to take a break for an afternoon, after all the walking from the other days. We made lots of nice conversations with the people around us, and even during the fireworks, the people behind us got engaged. We knew the metro would be slammed packed after the show, so we took advantage of the decent cool night and walked to the white house for a great evening photo shoot. Maybe I'm being optimistic, but we didn't have a bad time at all. We were prepared for the day and since it's a once in a lifetime for us to do that, we made the best out of it. I also forgot to mention that we had our kids with us at ages 6 and 10.

[Up_DownDeCoast]

Live in the area the last 20 years. Never done the boat ride. As far as the best places to view the fireworks:

1)The Mall between the Capital and the Washington Monument.
2)Along side the reflecting pool between the WWII Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.
3)The Eclipse behind the White House.
I believe all three places you will clearly see the fireworks up close and hear accompaniment by The National Symphony Orchestra.

Metro is the only way to travel. Don't even think about driving. This event draws around 700,000 people It will be very very very crowded. Oh did i mention it would be crowded? Get there early and hang around after the show for a good while. Metro will be packed beyond belief at least 90 mins after the show.

But its a great show, only second to NYC. Well worth seeing at least once.

[Sgeorge]

We took our kids years back to the mall for the 4th. They were about the same age as yours. They are in their 20’s now and they still talk about that day. It was a fabulous experience. Yes it will be crowded; yes it will be hot/humid, still very worth it. We stayed outside the city in Millersville and took the Metro in early in the morning and stayed on the Mall all day. There is obviously plenty to do to stay busy. We staked out a claim in front of the Lincoln Memorial very early before the crowds started to build. We played cards, took naps, ate etc… until the show started. After we briskly walked about 6 blocks away to reach a Metro station that we thought wouldn’t be as crowded. It worked out well, we made the second train that showed and had a nice ride back to Millersville. We did make a nice relaxing day for the 5th, sat around camp. It is an experience that you must do for your kids.

[NoVa_RT]

A day on the Mall followed by the fireworks could be a memorable trip for all, but it can be a hassle. Weather is a big factor - often hot & humid with rain possible. When younger, I watched the fireworks from the steps of the Capitol, the Washington Monument grounds, Lincoln Memorial & along GW Parkway near Pentagon. Well worth it, but I haven't gone in a couple of decades. Post 9/11 security makes it more challenging and the METRO system is very crowded after the fireworks. Can take a couple of hours to clear the Mall, and most have to walk some distance to less crowded stations. Go for it, but you might want to schedule a restful day for the 5th.

[John_Burke]

Fire works are great. Get a hotel room in Crystal City, with a balcony, facing downtown and on the 5th floor or above. Do your sightseeing a day or two before or after the 4th. If you do go downtown you need to get to the Mall early, 2 or so in the afternoon, be prepared to spend a pile of money to eat and drink, and then spend the next 10 hours with 1 and a half of your favorite friends.
The city is a great place to visit. Need to spend a couple of weeks to make it worthwhile.

[Merrykalia]

We have "done" DC, Baltimore, NYC and Boston on the 4th. By far, we enjoyed Boston the most, but this past year, we spent it in Baltimore. We booked a seat on the Seadog and saw the fireworks from out in the middle of the harbor. There were lots of different boats out there and I remember the pirate boat alongside ours. It made it nice to not have to fight for a seat. The traffic getting in and out of town was heavy and it took us about an hour to get out of the downtown traffic. If we had taken our time getting back to the vehicle, it would have been an easier exit.

[spoon059]

Class A DP 1 wrote:
DC... kinda Pffft

Disneyworld actually has more impressive fireworks nightly.

Ha... funny story about that! Wife had never been camping before we got married. Parents owned an older class C they were about to get rid of. A good friend of mine had just moved to Tampa. I suggested a trip to Disney to see if she liked RVing, visit my buddy... and I am always up for an excuse to go to Disney =)!

I'm 25, my bride was 24. We went over Christmas/New Years. New Years eve we went to Epcot for the 9:30pm fireworks... came back to the camper and were fast asleep by midnight.

As midnight rolled around we were rudely awoken by all the firecrackers being set off in the campground and people yelling and celebrating. As TWENTY FIVE and TWENTY TWO we were already a cranky old couple and upset at all the noise!

We still look back and laugh at that today, 10 years later!

[Class_A_DP_1]

DC... kinda Pffft

Disneyworld actually has more impressive fireworks nightly.

[spoon059]

michigansandzilla wrote:

spoon059 wrote:
Unless you want to go to DC anyways, I wouldn't undertake a trip like this.

Yes we plan on going it's just coincidence that it happens to be on the fourth.
We are visiting new york, jersey shore, assateague island, and DC is on our way home. May as well stop. We've never been there and probably won't be back in the area for a decade. Too much to see to repeat a destination. 😉
We were hoping to be in Gettysburg but they need a 3 night reservation and it will be a day only stop for us.

Yea, DC is a great place to visit. Work took me through the city on Monday and I realized its been too long since I've been down to see the sites. If it were me and I was staying at Cherry Hill I would STRONGLY consider going to the University of Maryland to watch fireworks. Not as crowded, a LOT safer and a LOT closer. Its about 5 miles or less of a drive. Heck, if you bring bikes its a short ride on the Hiker/Biker trail to get there!

While you are in DC, take advantage of the Smithsonian museums. They are free, air conditioned and top quality. The DC Zoo is relatively affordable and very nice too. Lots of monuments and memorials too.

Enjoy the trip next year, but remember to bring a LOT of water!

[D___M]

I live here and I don't go. It's zany. Used to be a lot zanier before 9/11. People would drag couches and recliners onto the mall. lol

Best to watch it on the TV.

[Two_Hands]

Our trip to the nation's capital was just wonderful. Sitting in the mall for the fireworks was the highlight of the trip. The crowd was huge, but it was well worth it. We took the metro to the mall, but took a cab out of the mall. Traffic was so bad it probably would have been better to use the metro. Have a great trip.