JULY 4TH

I love JULY 4th and all of the traditions that go along with it! This is my second year in Boston for the holiday and last year we toughed out the rain and the crowds to watch the Boston fireworks as they were lit off on the Charles River with the city skyline as the backdrop. This year, I went with Trisha and her roommates to a more secluded place to enjoy the holiday. Marblehead Neck is a little penninsula that jets off from Marblehead which is about 1/2 hour north of Boston, near Salem (where the witch trials occured). I was a little bit skeptic at first because I love big crowds and big parties on this holiday, but I was proven wrong. It was such a great experience. We got there around three and drove out to the tip of the penninsula and found a nice patch of grass between the rocks and just underneath the lighthouse. We had a picnic, played games, some of us (not me, its too blasted cold here and I already had a sweater on because it was only sixty degrees outside) went swimming in the ocean and just enjoyed each others company. We were in a bay, so across the water from us was the city of marble head, to our left was the bay with lots of sail boats and private houses that ligned the shore and to our right were some smaller islands and the wide open ocean. When the sun started setting it was phenomenal, one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Then, about fifteen minutes before the fireworks started, they coast around us started lighting up with red flares that had been placed along the harbor. It was so cool! Trish and I found a nice, cozy spot with naturally made chairs in the rocks with our feet dangling above the ocean and waited for the fireworks to start. I was not disappointed at all, it was a great show! The barge was maybe one hundred yards in front of us in the harbor as it lit off the fireworks! Not only that, we were able to see Salem's fireworks, and Manchester-by-the-sea's (I love that name) fireworks and 3 or 4 other cities do their show while we watched the one right in front of us go off. It was incredible! As we drove off of the penninsula, we blasted Neil Diamond, "We're coming to America" and Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" it was the best way to end July 4th! Here are some pics...

Mike, Trisha, Katie, Tristan and EstherPanoramic view looking out into the ocean
We sat right under the lighthouse

Me and Trisha and the harbor

The sunset

The sunset a little later, it was amazing

Panoramic view of the sunset in the harbor

The flares lit up along the harbor

Fireworks

Fireworks

Ask Esther about this one, hahaha

Trisha and I perched on the rocks watching the fireworks

The lighthouse all lit up

PS- I cannot claim these pictures as being my own, cause I didn't take any. These are courtesy of Trisha. I must say they are great pictures and if you want to see some additional pics of our adventure, check out her blog