Thursday, August 2, 2012

Celebrating the 4th of July in NJ

This is an event we didn't want to miss -- watching the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks show on the Hudson River.  We think we had the perfect location, sitting on a pier in Hoboken, NJ.  We could see the NYC skyline across the water, which provided entertainment itself as the sun set.

Rog and I went with our Mission President Jon Jeppson, his wife Bonnie, Elder Christensen (psychologist for the Eastern States mission), his wife, and fourteen awesome young missionaries.
New Jersey Morristown Mission President and Sister Jeppson




 The New York Fire Department gave us a splendid pre-show waterworks show.
Here the waterworks show adds color.




As we anxiously waited for dusk a fleet of helicopters did a low fly-over.


The New York view from the Jersey side is so interesting.  I don't know what these buildings are, but I like the looks.  Anyone know?  You may enjoy looking at them enlarged.  The tall one is rounded on the right side and pointed on the left.  Aren't those windows interesting?


The tallest building below is the new World Trade Center, which is still under construction.  We'll be glad when it's finished with hopes that the "rabbit ears antenna" (the cranes on top) are removed.  Next to it is another tall WTC building that barely shows in this picture.  We walked past this building site on the way to catch the train to Yankee Stadium last month.  Below the buildings is another pier like the one we are standing on, both in Hoboken, NJ.
New World Trade Center in the distance.

We have a central view of all five Macy's barges from which the fireworks were launched.

Here we are -- the NJMM contingency.  Some of the bystanders also took photos of us!


We had a wonderful evening and we felt a swell of patriotism as we joined with millions of Americans in celebrating our Independence Day.  We couldn't be happier than being where we are doing what we are doing. 













3 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you got to go! Looking at these pictures reminds me of having almost that exact same experience, except from the NYC side of the river. How on earth did you have such a great spot? We didn't know we had wandered into an area reserved just for NYPD and NYFD employees and families, but fortunately they let us stay anyway. The views were awesome!

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  2. Thanks for the comment! I don't know how we ended up here, except that some missionaries went early...we went around 7:00ish. Aren't fireworks awesome? I don't seem to outgrow the thrill.

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  3. We loved your last posting on science and religion. It was excellent. Your pictures of the fireworks were extraordinary.
    Connie and Dale

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