Anniversary fireworks. Celebrating with a bang: Happy 4th and 15th

by Jamie Rhein on

Today is my 15th anniversary, but we had the fireworks last night. Wow! A bit racy.

Actually, Columbus’s big fireworks display “Red, White and Boom” is on July 3, although there are other fireworks happenings tonight in other locations.

Last night we went down to Goodale Park where we would be able to see the display, but not be overwhelmed by the huge crowds, although Goodale was plenty hopping.

My husband does joke that the reason we got married on the 4th of July was because he wants fireworks on our anniversary. I try to oblige by figuring out where we should go. Here are six highlights for where we’ve seen fireworks that have made sweet memories.

  • Standing on 1st Avenue in Manhattan looking down towards Washington Square Park. The fireworks were framed beautifully by the buildings. I loved the communal feel and hearing the voices of people watching from the roofs of apartment buildings.
  • Sitting on the roof of a friend of ours apartment building in West Hollywood, California looking out over the city with our bird’s eye view.
  • Driving up to the cemetery Philipsburg, Montana to watch people set off their own fireworks. The cemetery is at one of the highest points above town. My son, who was three said, “This is like a fireworks festival.”
  • Twice we’ve gone to Crew Stadium in Columbus to watch on the enormous screen while the show is broadcast. You can also see the fireworks in the distance. Crew Stadium is where the professional soccer team plays. We’ve always had a gang of friends along.
  • While visiting my in-laws we’ve gone to the middle school field in Berea, Ohio to see fireworks there. This year, the fireworks are part of The Grindstone Festival that is happening this weekend.
  • The backyard of friends of my best friend from college who lives in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The one I called from my traffic hell and who I talked into the Superman Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England last summer. Her friends set off fireworks and we all had sparklers.

Where have you seen your best fireworks? Keep it clean. I mean the fireworks display kind.

Paying Homage to Kerouac in his Hometown

by Neil Woodburn on

I’m just now beginning to catch up on all the press surrounding the recent 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.

Last week we posted about retracing the literary steps of main characters Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty. This week we focus in on a specific location; Lowell, Massachusetts, the birth place of Kerouac.

In my opinion, it’s always fascinating to see where an author grew up and the surroundings which would later have such an impact on his writing style. These impressionable years of youth are usually the ones that turn an author introspective and fires up those creative juices.

Like most small towns, Lowell actively promotes their favorite son to attract tourists–despite his rather morally loose character and poor role model material. Visitors to the city of 105,000 can enjoy Jack Kerouac walking tours, Kerouac Park, and Edson Cemetery where the author is buried.

Perhaps the most notable reason to visit Lowell right now, is that the legendary scroll upon which he hammered out the first draft of On the Road is currently being displayed until October 14.

The Simpsons Movie: Springfield Challenge

by Justin Glow on

Since the exact location was never explicitly revealed in any episode of The Simpsons, fourteen Springfields across America are currently battling it out to decide which town should be the true home of Homer and family.

Each of the fourteen Springfields in the running — Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont — have created a video that showcases why they should be chosen, and each is now available on USAToday.com to watch.

The winning town will be awarded to the right to host the premiere of the movie before the U.S. release date of July 27th.

Log onto USAToday to watch the videos, and cast your vote for which town you think should win. If you have no particular interest in any of cities, cast your vote for Missouri, because…well, I live in Springfield, Missouri, and somebody has got to win, right?

A Town That Makes its Own Money

by Jamie Rhein on

If you don’t have even one U.S. dollar on you, or a credit card or a debit card, there is a place with another purchase option. In Great Barrington, Massachusetts, you can open your wallet and pull out your BerkShares. Perhaps, you’ll use the bill with Norman Rockwell’s face on it. It’s worth 50 BerkShares.

This is not funny money. It works. Okay, it’s true that at one point you will have had to purchase BerkShares with U.S. dollars, but once you have them you are a favored customer in many Great Barrington establishments. Also, If you pay with BerkShares you’ll be spending 10% less. A BerkShare is worth 90 cents but the rate of exchange is one to one. For example, if you buy a cup of coffee for $1 and you pay with 1 BerkShare, you’ll actually have spent only 90 cents.

The idea behind this local currency is to create purchasing power with pride. Instead of trotting over to a franchise, shop locally. So far there are 844,000 BerkShares circulating and the system is not even a year old.

Travel Smarter With Zipcar’s New “Mass” Transit Options

by Willy Volk on

Zipcar — the carsharing service that rents vehicles by the hour or by the day — is expanding into Massachusetts. The expansion is taking place in Malden, Quincy, Newton, and Braintree at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s T locations along the Green, Orange and Red lines. This is the first time a transit agency has agreed to keep some of Zipcar’s vehicles at transit stations. Exact location are listed in the press release, and more vehicles will be coming in the next few months.

Of course, since the vehicles are parked at the train stations, this makes Zipcar an attractive option for travelers who don’t want to bother with “traditional” car rental hubs. The only downside? You have to be a Zipster to use the service.

[Via Autoblog Green]