It seems like every year we have a different 4th of July fireworks “tradition”. Here’s the list from the last six years.

2004: One of Ed’s darts team teammates opened a bar with a backyard that had a great view of the Houston fireworks, which are great but really crowded. Watching from here solved that problem.

2005: We went to a party at Erica’s boyfriend’s dad’s law office west of the Galleria, which had a view of downtown and the west suburbs. Erica’s boyfriend was attending the Air Force Academy at the time, so he wasn’t actually there.

2006: Santa Barbara! We watched the fireworks from a sailboat belonging to someone Kevin knew in the harbor.

2007: We had just moved into an apartment in Dallas, and had no idea where to view fireworks (the city doesn’t have any!). We went to the top level of our parking garage and watched some distant suburbian displays from an abandoned power boat that looked like it was from “Some Like it Hot”.

2008: After a potluck at our across-the-street-neighbors’, the entire party walked over to Lakewood Country Club (about three blocks), which has a great display.

2009: The White Rock Boat Club had a party out on their pier, with a band and a keg and grilled meats. We could see both the Fair Park and Lakewood Country Club fireworks, plus some random suburbs’ and illegal lakeside displays.

Who knows where we’ll be next year? I think we need to make a point of trying something new.