I love fireworks. So as excited as I was to be spending the holiday weekend with two of my closest friends, I was also thrilled at the thought that I'd be seeing an excellent fireworks show on the National Mall.
My friends and I found a spot off the Mall, so as not to deal with as big a crowd. We parked ourselves on blankets set up on the lawn across from the DAR Constitution Hall (in which I saw a concert a few years prior—it's really beautiful inside).
A note to all who might repeat this one day: Bring bug spray.
The fireworks don't start until "dark," so we had a couple of hours to kill, during which we ate sugar cookies, took pictures, listened to RENT and The Beatles (a slightly strange combination), and made a quick run to CVS to purchase the bug spray we so desperately needed.
Then it was finally time for the fireworks!
Consider me seriously underwhelmed. I expected that because the fireworks show took place in the nation's capital, it would really be spectacular. Silly me.
They weren't anything extravagant; I've seen similar shows (and occasionally even better ones) in my hometown's community park.
The climax of the show can best be described as a mess; several fireworks were shot simultaneously into the air and exploded in tandem, only to create a hazy mess with a few intermittent sparks. Awesome.
As an added bonus, due to our relatively close proximity to the fireworks, we were in prime location to receive a shower of debris throughout the entire show. About two minutes in, an abrasive piece of ash landed right in my eye, temporarily blinding me. The debris continued to rain on us in the moments after the show ended, too; it was what I imagine it would feel like to stand in a mild hailstorm.
That said, I was still like a kid in a candy store during the fireworks. They always make me insanely happy.
Check out some of the better moments:
I think I'm making it sound like a terrible experience, and honestly, it wasn't. I had a great time, and I've always wanted to celebrate the Fourth in DC, so I'm glad to have had the chance to do so.
But as far as the overall quality of the show is concerned, it doesn't rank as highly as I expected it would (which was my mistake—having had high expectations at all).
But I'd still repeat the experience, so long as I was in great company again. Because at the end of the day, all I'm really concerned with is seeing some fireworks. Did I mention I love them?
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