i've been looking forward to the 4th of july since i moved to huntington beach. i had heard that it was something to behold, and i have high expectations for my dia de independence. after all, when you have watched fireworks over the statue of liberty and celebrated on the steps of the lincoln memorial, a high bar has been set.
two days post holiday, i can say that it absolutely ranks. though completely different than any prior 4th, it was an absolute blast!
my roommate aynsley and i got on our bikes at just after 9am and headed towards main street. one of the ysa ward members lives on main street, which just happens to be on the parade route. every year, singles from both the singles and mid-singles ward gather en masse to share muffins, oj, good company, and float watching (heckling).
aynsley and i arrived before the crowds and staked out a position. as the parade began, it was clear our choice was a good one. who knew a parade would be so interactive!
parade highlights included:
the band who broke formation to form a semi-circle around us while bangin' on the drums 
tap dancing fools who split their pants (don't peak under that american flag) 
gymnasts!?
self-portraits with tk and rachel! (little did i know, they grew up in huntington!!)
getting 'war painted' by boy scouts
after the parade, aynsley and i were looking for adventure, so we hopped on our bikes, grabbed a sandwich, picked up jamie, then headed to newport.
pacific coast highway was still closed from the parade, so we took the opportunity to ride our bikes down it for as long as possible. then we popped over to the boardwalk and continued our ride.
ultimately, it took us about an hour to ride down and through newport, and it was an absolute scene. most of the roads were shut down and there was a party at nearly every house. there were bicycle traffic jams and people watching galore.
after the two hour bike ride, i took a nap and a shower, then headed to mick and jenny's for fireworks with the fam.
so as you can see, my 4th was pretty stinkin' awesome!
pacific coast highway was still closed from the parade, so we took the opportunity to ride our bikes down it for as long as possible. then we popped over to the boardwalk and continued our ride.
ultimately, it took us about an hour to ride down and through newport, and it was an absolute scene. most of the roads were shut down and there was a party at nearly every house. there were bicycle traffic jams and people watching galore.
after the two hour bike ride, i took a nap and a shower, then headed to mick and jenny's for fireworks with the fam.
so as you can see, my 4th was pretty stinkin' awesome!
1 comment:
Hey-
Your Portland pics link takes me to Independence Day. I want to see them!
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