fireworks on our fifteenth anniversary, and tbwtvf, hd

Every now & again, the Huz and I run over to Burlington, Vermont to see the fireworks. We go there not because their fireworks are better than anyone else's (although they're pretty darn good). Not because there are fewer crowds, because there definitely are not! Not because there are fewer mosquitoes, or more concession stands, or better bands, although from what we were able to hear, the music was darn fun, and the concession stands were plentiful. I managed to resist the fried dough booth; love that stuff, but have you ever looked at the calorie count? Shocking!

No, we do it because we can book a 7th-floor room at the Wyndham which is right on the lake, and watch the fireworks from behind our huge plate-glass windows without being deafened, chewed on, or trapped in traffic. We position ourselves in chairs at the window with a pint of ice cream each (this year we both chose Hagen Daaz strawberry, nothing in it but cream, eggs, sugar and strawberries and man, is it good) and consume as darn much of it as we want with no guilt about either eating it all or putting some of it down the toilet at the end.

The fireworks barge is positioned directly across from the hotel, right at the breakwater for the bay. Just outside the breakwater, hundreds of sailboats and motorboats sit anchored, waiting for the show to begin. During the show, I wondered if they were smelling the chemicals or coughing from the smoke or perhaps watching embers come slowly floating toward them, with fire extinguisher in hand! But I'm sure it was a magnificent way to see the show. If someone invited me, I'd do it ... as long as I knew I could just walk home to my room at the Wyndham. I hear it takes an hour and a half to get out of town after the fireworks!

For my money, watching from indoors on the 7th floor is The Best Way To View Fireworks, Hands Down! We had a grand time.