By The Rocket's Red Glare!

Tomorrow is the 4th of July and celebrating Independence Day means beaches, BBQ, and…booms! After a day at the beach it is time to light up the grill, which will be new to me this year, and yes I love kicking back and watching the fireworks. No matter where you are in the US there are some amazing displays.  Here are some of my favorites fireworks shows around the country.  Who knows one of them might just be a hop, skip and jump away.

New York City - Macy’s will be putting on its 37th annual 4th of July show over the Hudson, with the Empire State Building’s LED lights mirroring the finale for the first time ever. With 25 minutes worth of 40,000 fireworks, and a music score curated by Usher, it’s sure to make you “Scream”.  Hands down my favorite show with maybe a minor tip of the hat to the finale up in Boston when they do the 1812 Overture and follow up with a rousing red, white and blue ending.

Washington, DC - The nation’s capital puts on a great fireworks show on the Mall, accompanied by “A Capitol Fourth” concert played by the symphony.  Like Macy's, it is on TV and can be seen on PBS.  If you happen to be in the nation's capital, don’t miss the National Independence Day Parade earlier in the day on Constitution Ave.

San Francisco - The 4th of July celebration at the city by the bay will be bigger than ever this year, coinciding with the kick-off of America’s Cup. Enjoy live music and entertainment all afternoon in Fisherman’s Wharf. For the best seats in the house, book a bay cruise!  This is sure to be mentioned on the networks afterwards.

Addison, TX - Yes, this Dallas suburb may be small, but it puts on a huge fireworks show for the 4th. Complete with choreographed music and a historic war-plane flyover, this 30-minute show earns its name “Kaboom Town”.  It has recently surpassed Philadelphia and New Orleans in show stopping power.

Seattle - This family-friendly fireworks show is a go this year, thanks to new sponsors! After several years of being run by a private firm, it is now under the control of SeaFair.  The 20-minute show will be fired off a barge on Lake Union.  It is a great show and one that I have been able to see right on the water for several years.  I will have to say that Nashville and Lake Tahoe's displays are nothing to sneeze about.  You might have noticed that I did not refer to Disneyland or Walt Disney World only in they do fireworks every night of the year practically and so are in a class by themselves.  Have a safe and happy 4th everyone!