Memorable 4th of July Family Fun in NJ

4th of July Family Fun in NJ, a Poem

It’s time for 4th of July family fun,

That means lots of time with loved ones in the sun…

We’re about to go on our family 4th of July vacation.

We’re going with our family relations…

Down the parkway, down to the Jersey shore.

We couldn’t ask for much more…

Sun (we hope) and lots of warm sand,

Outdoor movies and strike up the band!

Bar-B-Ques, boardwalks, and fireworks for all…

Young and old, big and small.

Play and relax, swim and see the sights…

From Ferris wheel and lighthouse heights.

Short as it may be, we’ll have had our family fun together

And, be assured, there definitely will be another

4th of July family fun in N J…

We’d have it no other way!

~ by Nana ~

@NanasCorner.com

Our 4th of July Family Fun in NJ

Bar-B-Q and Beach Fireworks

Since we live only minutes from the beach, we’d often go there to view 4th of July fireworks displays after our family Bar-B-Q. We’ve also made a point every few years to take a special 4th of July mini vacation or a “staycation” where we stayed close to home. This year we’ll be about 60 miles away from home, still in NJ but having a real vacation with our children and grandchildren.

Update-2015: since I originally posted this, our family has returned to Long Beach Island for two separates weeks each summer. It has helped us grow closer by creating fun family memories that will always be with us.

4th of July Fireworks – KABOOM! and Over…

When our oldest daughter was still able to ride in the baby seat on the back of my husband’s bike, we road our bike to the next town where, to this day, people come from near and far to watch the 4th of July fireworks display over the River.

Because we road our bikes, we didn’t need to go very early to find a parking space. We arrived about 15 minutes before they were to start – at that time you could still get a space on the hill – and settled in our small plot of grass and bought a couple of sodas.

The fireworks started and we could hear the cheers from all around. After a couple of red, white and blue designs in the sky….KABOOM!…all of the fireworks exploded out on the barge. The fireworks were over in a matter of about 5 minutes.  Luckily, no one on the barge was injured.

We hadn’t even had time to rest from our bike ride, but now it was time to get back on and ride home…the road had a continual incline…lots of ughs and aches for me!

Unfortunately, too many people come into town to celebrate 4th of July. Now, we find other local spots that are less crowded and just as spectacular…but we’re not telling where those are.  LOL

Phillies, Fireworks, and Philadelphia

When our three children were young, we went to a Phillies baseball game on July 2. After the game, the Phillies allowed the children to go down on the playing field where they watched the special 4th of July fireworks display.

Our son was 8 years old at the time and thought it was the greatest thing to stand where major league baseball players had also stood. After the fireworks, we stayed at the hotel across the street. The next morning, July 3, we walked around the historic area of Philadelphia – most of which was free. After our walking tour and lunch, we drove home.

It was a 4th of July family fun vacation experience, even though it was short, that they’ve never forgotten.

Yankees Game via Ferry Boat Ride

We spent another 4th of July “staycation” which is a combination of the previous example and the next one. We took a Ferry boat from New Jersey to Yankee Stadium. No traffic, no stress, and lots of 4th of July family fun. When the game was over, we took the Ferry home again. We didn’t hear “Are we there yet?” even once!

NYC 4th of July Fireworks x 3 on a Chartered Boat

When our oldest daughter was expecting Emily, and Kaitlin was about to turn four in 2005, we took a chartered boat into New York Harbor to view the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Independence Day celebration. We could view all 3 of the NYC fireworks displays at the same time. It was sad, though, because the Coast Guard had armed boats monitoring the harbor, riding in and out of the boats in the Harbor.

4th of July Family Fun in NJ

From the amount of traffic today, I think a lot of families have already started their 4th of July family fun in NJ. Maybe I’ll see you at the Jersey Shore this Independence Day!