Independence Day in DC

After my first official week in Washington, I got to experience one of the big events held here every year. The 4th of July Independence Day celebration in downtown DC. In the morning there was a parade. I don’t suppose it was substantially different than 4th of July parades held everywhere except that I was standing across from the Smithsonian. Lots of bands from all over the U.S. Then I went back in the evening for the big fireworks celebration on the National Mall. There was a concert by the Capitol (which I skipped as there seem to be too many people down at that end, and I wasn’t sure I’d be as free to take pictures later). I planted myself roughly in the middle of the mall, across from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I got there around 6:30 and there were already zillions of people. There were bands playing, so the time passed reasonably quickly. The fireworks show went off a bit after 9:00 and lasted 20 minutes (seemed brief). Then a zillion people poured out of the mall massing on the Metro stations. I took my time leaving, and went to a station a few stops north of the mall, so I was able to get right on and got home with no problems. A neat DC thing to do on the 4th.