Statue Of Liberty Reopens For First Time Since Hurricane Sandy

by Kraig Becker on

One of the most iconic symbols of American freedom is set to reopen just in time to celebrate the nation’s birthday. The Statue of Liberty, which was damaged during Hurricane Sandy on October 29 of last year, will welcome visitors for the first time since that day with the arrival of a morning ferry at 8:45 a.m.

When Sandy made landfall in New York City last fall, the storm surge hit Liberty Island. While the statue itself weathered the storm quite nicely, its surrounding support structures were not so lucky. Docks leading to the island were severely damaged, as were the electrical and phone systems. Several of the walkways had to be repaired and the entire site was littered with debris. Fortunately, none of the historical areas were affected by the storm, which made it easier to conduct repairs.

In the aftermath of the storm both Liberty Island and Ellis Island closed to visitors. After both sites were assessed for damage the repair crews set a goal of having the Statue of Liberty reopened by the Fourth of July. They were able to achieve that goal, although Ellis Island remains closed.

The National Park Service says pre-sales for the reopening have been brisk, so visitors should expect large crowds and delays.

Welcome back Lady Liberty. We’re glad you could make the celebration.

Luxury Travel: Uber Launches UberCHOPPER, Hamptons Rides Just In Time For July Fourth

by McLean Robbins on

What says “patriotism” more than a long Fourth of July weekend in the Hamptons? For luxury seeking beachgoers, not much. Unless, of course, that beach trip comes with a private driver and a helicopter transfer.

Uber is launching a special UberCHOPPERS service exclusively on July 3, offering SUV service (for you and up to four friends) for transport to the helipad, to East Hampton, and on to your final destination. The cost? A cool $3,000 for the entire deal, all pre-paid via credit card, tips included. Considering a standard trip is around $3,500 on other charters, not including rides to and from the helipad, this is a good deal.

Should you prefer a slightly less pricey mode of transport, flat fare transport in Uber cars that seat between four and six cost between $300 and $500, depending on the level of service selected.

Additionally, Uber is running its network of cars all the way from Southampton to Montauk this July Fourth and during weekends this summer.

Where Fireworks Freaks Go On Independence Day

by Chris Owen on

As America prepares to celebrate its Independence Day this week, thoughts might turn to picnics, barbecues, an extra day off work and a patriotic display of fireworks. Look up after dark on the Fourth of July at just about any city or town in the United States and colorful displays will fill the sky. Some Americans plan their own displays where permitted while others seek out traditional fireworks celebrations that have been held annually for decades. Not sure where to go for the best of the best in fireworks? We checked in with a variety of sources and experts in their respective fields of travel for ideas. One of these places should work just fine for the fireworks freak inside you.

The Travel Channel ranks everything from the best beaches to the best bike cities in the U.S. On their list of Best U.S. Fireworks Displays, they like “America’s biggest birthday party” under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Kaboom Town in Addison, TX, the largest fireworks display in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Navy Pier in Chicago, with regular fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday night as some of their top places to go.

Hotel search engine Room 77 knows about more than 200,000 hotels worldwide and has a list of the Top 10 Hotels with the Highest “Boom Factor,” offering the best vantage points from pools and rooftop bars to balconies, beaches and even bathtubs. They like the Hyatt Regency Austin, one of the few hotels in the city that overlook the water; the Mandarin Oriental New York, where some rooms in the 54-story hotel have marble soaking tub views of the river and fireworks; and the W Washington DC where the rooftop bar offers a premiere vantage point for viewing the fireworks over the mall, one of the most spectacular Fourth of July celebrations in the entire country.At Disney Parks and on Disney Cruise Line ships, nightly fireworks displays are a big part of the experience every day of the year but especially on July Fourth. What fireworks freaks know that many fans of the Disney displays do not is that the colorful, timed explosions are not actually “blown” off the ground at all.

The Walt Disney Company is the largest user of fireworks in the world and coordinates aerial displays with microsecond accuracy to coincide with music or live action performances. They have been doing that using compressed air rather than gunpowder since 1999, making display shells explode in the air using an electronic timer. The result is a reduction of fumes, greater accuracy in height and timing and a surprise effect unmatched by gunpowder-driven pyrotechnics.

To see one of the reasons why Disney Cruise Line ranks consistently high in customer satisfaction, take a look at their Buccaneer Blast display, held at sea:

Video Of The Day: San Diego Fireworks Fail

by Meg Nesterov on


Millions of Americans went back to work today after the Independence Day holiday yesterday, and many began tweeting about the July Fourth fireworks display in San Diego. Apparently, due to a malfunction, instead of a 20-minute show, ALL the fireworks went off at one time, lighting up the sky for only a few seconds. YouTube user Andrew92106 uploaded today’s Video of the Day, showing off the short but sweet spectacular.

Hoping for a longer holiday? At least tomorrow is Friday. Keep the holiday mode going and share your favorite holiday travel videos in the comments below.

Photo Of The Day: Fourth Of July In Indiana

by Elizabeth Seward on


Patriotism means something different to everyone, but today we each celebrate the home we have found in the United States. We celebrate today with things that complete any good party: food, drinks, music, the outdoors and a good show. In most places, the show tonight will be a fireworks display. For that reason, I chose this photo by Keith Pennington as today’s Photo Of The Day. A night sky in Lake Wawasee, Indiana, is misted over from the explosions of fireworks on a Fourth of July past. Enjoy your holiday and be safe.

If you have a photo you’d like to have considered for Photo Of The Day, just upload it to the Gadling Flickr pool.