The Fourth and Fifth

I do enjoy a good 3 day weekend and with the Fourth falling on a Sunday, find myself with another day to relax before heading back to work.


For the 2nd year in a row, we were lucky enough to get tickets to watch the fireworks from the Chelsea Piers Sports Center sun deck.  I suppose I could use the sun deck anytime, but it always just seems so hot and sunny out there.  But it's perfect for viewing fireworks in the Hudson in the evening.  I was afraid we wouldn't be two of the 150 members to win, but we both did (phew because I would have had to leave someone behind!).


The afternoon started out with a little ice cream to cool down.  Cookshop has a little stand outside the restaurant with homemade ice cream.  I don't even like strawberry, but had to go for the Red, White and Blueberry flavor.  Yum.

And then a little later we set up camp at CP.  Honestly, if I don't get these tickets I'm not likely to brave the crowds.  It was warm and sunny all day, which in my mind is not good waiting weather.  The sun is finally going down and there are a ton of boats out in the Hudson.

The beauty of this viewing spot is the chance to see all 6 barges in the river light the sky with the fireworks.  I learned a little shooting fireworks.  You need to leave the shutter open for a longer period of time and also need to keep the camera very steady. Or just use the fireworks setting on the camera.

And one more for good measure: