Some of my best 4th of July memories revolve around two of my favorite hangouts – Bristol, RI on the East Coast and Yachats, OR on the West Coast. I am at home in either place. Some say I’m bicoastal. I find myself in the beautiful, diverse state of Arizona this year. Once again, looking for community. As I travel from the Southern areas where the desert offers beautiful winters to the cool summers of the Northern mountains, red rock and canyons I wonder if I am not giving new meaning to bipolar?
One of my best buddies, Sean shared his Bristol office with me during my time on the East Coast. What an amazing place…Sean rented the entire 3rd floor of the huge bay front building the America’s Cup calls home in North America. There were 2 yachts parked on the front lawn. This huge space with wrap around views had 2 big offices, a really large conference room, kitchen and a small balcony. Teak paneling covered the walls of the massive, well-appointed private office. The entrance was an open space at the head of the stairs equal in size to the space Sean used for his suite of offices. Below Sean’s office space craftsmen were building yachts. Above was a dusty, barn-like storage area straight out of a Hardy Boys mystery. Above that a widow’s watch overlooking the Atlantic and Narragansett Bay.
I had to pinch myself. When Sean told me to journey from West to East Coast to work with him and spend time around my New England friends, I had no idea the significance of his gracious offer. Suddenly I was den mother in a club house conducive to hard work and celebration. Sean was leader of the pack.
Our good friend Paul lived directly across the bay. I could imagine Paul emerging from the fog as he rowed across in his kayak. He never did, but he was out there much of the time. Looking up from my desk I could catch day break and sunset across the water, similar, yet very different than my view looking out across the Pacific from my dining room table in Yachats.
Break time with Sean was an opportunity to slip into my 9 year old persona and steal away to the widow’s watch. Standing there with Sean we dreamed, shared deep thoughts and planned or reviewed our.
The street running in front of Sean’s ‘club house’ is the original parade route…the very FIRST 4th of July parade marched down this street in Bristol. Needless to say, Sean knows his way around 4th of July in historic Bristol. He is a King of Celebration. Party planning goes on throughout June – houses are decorated like a red, white and blue Christmas, workers are busy prepping the parade route, retailers are buzzing with excitement, making plans. Sean’s timing is uncanny. He catches the best sites for viewing the festivities, hits the top music scenes and finds the most abundant backyard feasts…4th of July in Bristol is historic every year, the mother of all parades and magnificent fireworks.
Over 15 years ago, the 4th celebration in Yachats was more…casual. I was invited to a party to watch the fireworks with a dozen or more community leaders my first year in Yachats. The weather was perfect. We were in one of the larger homes near the top of the hill overlooking Yachats and the Pacific. A glorious sunset kept us mellow and mesmerized as we finished off patriotic themed fruit cups of blueberries, red strawberries and almost white bananas while sipping hibiscus tea – no brats and beer in sight. The fireworks was the only happening all day. I was waiting for enough darkness for the experience to begin.
Discussions about local politics were interrupted – loud sound, everyone moved quickly to the deck. A very nice blast threw out a big blue ball of light that spread, then draped into falling trails. Everyone gave a nod of approval and went back inside to continue the conversations and nibble on the red, white and blue fruit.
My puzzled look must have prompted a longtime resident to fill me in. ’It takes Sam awhile to set them off. Fireworks has been his hobby since he was in the military. He does this for us every year. We appreciate his effort.’ There was another sound, a rush to deck, a smile and a return to conversation. This continued for several hours, with 20-30min breaks breaks for conversation. People were thinking the town might want to create more of a celebration…to support local businesses. After all, it is peak season and the town always draws tourists during the summer months. The 4th of July could be big!
No one could remember that there had ever been a parade. No one wanted to be responsible for organizing one, either. Everyone agreed it could be a simple parade for those who showed up. There was no need for prizes or rules, la de da. The Yachats La De Da Parade was scheduled for 11am on the next 4th, the word was passed…come as you are or as you want to be and join our parade...la de da!
Sometime in March the obsessives grouped together at our local gathering place, the New Morning Cafe, in anticipation of the upcoming parade. I was definitely among the most compulsive. We found a tall, handsome ex-Marine Sargent to be our leader and created a precision Umbrella Drill Team. He was wonderful. It was like boot camp. We practiced and practiced. We snapped, twirled and thrusted our umbrellas with great confidence and bold choreographic moves. We would be a big hit!
People showed up in all forms of dress, the City Council rode in on a manure spreader. Most of the town people were in the parade. The small crowd on the side cheered with laughter and appreciation. It was over way too soon. Spontaneously, we marched around the small downtown blocks a second time. It was a beginning.
My good friend, Robert, celebrates the second anniversary of his Luna Sea Fish House at the center of the now established Yachats parade route. Robert tells me times have changed since I left on my journey around the US. The 4th of July Yachats Parade & Fireworks is a happening event on the Oregon Coast. My plans to visit Yachats always center around the the 4th and the Yachats Music Festival and the Oregon Country Fair.
Early morning one July 3 my loyal friend, Susan, stood and waited with me on the Amtrak platform near her home in Walpole, MA. It was time for me to make my way back to the West Coast. I sat in an observation car with new friends who had been perfect strangers when this trip began. We oo’d and ah’d watching fireworks go off in distant towns as we passed through the late night time zones. I was eager to see the Pacific and good friends, Robert and Doug. The long journey gave me time to recall most of my 4ths. I realized that the year and a half I had spent with my good buddies – Paul, Sean and Susan had changed my life.
Bristol, Yachats and points in between via Amtrak are at the top of my personal list of the greatest… This 2010 4th of July brings new adventures and experiences. More stories will come as I continue to explore Arizona from top to bottom, or is that from the mountains tops to the desert floor or. simply, North to South.
