Why drive 2.5 hours just to watch fireworks you ask? It's more than just that. Hubby and I both grew up in Vancouver, and as teens, going to the Fort for the 4th was a mainstay of our summer lives. The Drum Corps we were in performed there almost every year, and we practiced there during the winter months. When I think of Independence Day, I'm flooded with memories of scrambling into uniform for a performance; running to my house with a group of friends to jump into the pool between performances, and hanging out with friends and family during the evening to watch whatever music group was headlining that year followed by fireworks. For whatever reason the year that stands out in my mind the most was the year that “Seafood Mama” (later known as Quarterflash played.
I can almost taste elephant ears, sausage, burgers, and all other fair food that goes along with it. Watered down drinks, sno-cones, tie-died shirts, and all sorts of paraphernalia one finds at a fair were there to be found by any teen with a few bucks in his or her pocket.
I can hear the voices of my friends from my teen years, cajoling each other. I can remember the feelings of young love as I snuggled with my boyfriend-du-jour as the evening grew cooler. The end of the evenings always found us exhausted, but not ready to leave yet.
For several years, to raise money, our Drum Corps showed back up at the Fort the next morning around 5 or 6 to pick up trash. Oh what treasures we found. Besides garbage, there were treasures hiding everywhere. Money, cameras, clothing, fireworks, you name it. We had one member of the corps who showed up only to look for drugs, and he always managed to find them. (More adventures with this person can be found in the 30 April 2003 entry by my brother.)
Without a doubt, Independence Day is my favorite holiday. I get much more joy from those memories than any other holiday brings me during the year.