July 4th Fireworks FauxD Spectacular!

I thought I would do a special July 4th weekend post to help you kick off the holiday with a blast! Two Genuine FauxD© July 17, 1968 images of the fireworks at Disneyland should give your eyes a work over this morning.



And I would be remiss if I didn't post a photo of the building where it all happened in 1776:



Of course I am referring to Independence Hall in Philadelphia:



Not the one at Knott's Berry Farm in California:



More Daveland fun at my main website.

4th of July Firework Bonanza!

Did you know that we have John Adams, 2nd President of the United States, to thank for fireworks on today's National Holiday?



He wrote this to his wife the day before the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia:

"It ought to be solemnized with…illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."

So it shall be written. So it shall be done.

Inspired by a story from Mental Floss that I saw in Reader's Digest, today's post shows some of my favorite fireworks photos as well as ten different types of fireworks outlined in the Mental Floss post. At first I attempted to pair my photos with their ID, but soon got bored with my failure to match every one. Today would be a Reader's Digest attention-span day. Here we go with the 10 different types of fireworks and an initial photo from July 17, 1968 in Genuine FauxD©.

1. The Peony. This "spherical break of colored stars" is apparently the most common.



2. The Chrysanthemum. A variation of the Peony, with the difference being that the stars leave a visible trail of sparks.



3. The Willow. Produces trails of silver or gold stars that leave a weeping willow-ish outline.



4. The Horsetail. It's a compact little burst that falls down, well, like a horsetail. You might also hear this one referred to as a Waterfall Shell.



5. The Fish. The shell bursts and then you see little squiggles of light squirming away from the main burst. The effect looks like fish swimming away.



6. The Spider. Fast-burning and powerful, this one shoots stars straight out such that they look like spider legs.



7. The Palm. When this one bursts, it looks like a palm tree.





8. The Crosette. Take lots of tic-tac-toe boards and cross them over each other haphazardly. Usually accompanied by a loud crackling noise.



9. The Kamuro. Named after a Japanese hairstyle, this one has a dense burst that leaves a glittery trail.



10. The Rings. Can be arranged to look like atoms, which is very mental_floss-y. But typically you see rings within rings.

See more Daveland Disneyland Fireworks photos at my main website.

July 4th Fireworks Spectacular!

In honor of the 237th Birthday of our country, I am going to feature a few shots of the Fireworks Spectacular at Disneyland, with the first one from August 1958, followed by a July 1969 shot:



A few of the earlier ones that I shot myself from July 2006:





In this July 2008 photo, you can see Tinker Bell flying around the Castle turrets:



Former Tomorrowland Flight Circle cast member Cox Pilot shared his memories of the original woman who "played" Tinker Bell:

Tinker Bell began her flights over the Disneyland castle from the top of the Matterhorn in 1961. It's almost always been a real person up there (although they tried a dummy for a short while). The first Tink was a former circus performer in her 70’s named Tiny Kline, who originally wanted to hang from her teeth as she did in the circus (Disney would have none of that). The only way to stop her at the end was for her to crash into a mattress behind the berm! Kline retired in 1964 due to health problems and was replaced by Judy Kaye who was Tinker Bell for another decade. There was even a Mary Poppins for a while.

And lest we forget the REAL meaning behind July 4th, here are a few photos that celebrate two of the men that were crucial to the importance of that day. George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, circa 1952:



Thomas Jefferson's masterpiece, Monticello, from 1964:



And the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed, Independence Hall in Philadelphia:





Let freedom ring:



See more vintage & current Disneyland fireworks photos on my fireworks web page.

Philadelphia Freedom

Although I grew up on the outskirts of Philadelphia, I never really spent a whole lot of time IN the city...until I got old enough to drive myself. I remember as a little kid, as soon as we got near Philly, the powerlocks on the car went “thunk.” That was my impression of Philadelphia.

On a recent trip to Philly, I’d have to say that my opinion of the city really turned around. I stayed overnight in the heart of the historic area at the Best Western Independence Park Hotel. Perfect location (even if they didn’t have a parking garage at the hotel), well-priced, and well appointed. I did a very quick walking tour that evening (and the next morning) of the historic area, taking photos like a mad man. It is amazing to think how much of our country’s birth began right in this city.

Unlike my early not-so-favorable childhood memories of Philly, the city was clean, felt safe, and also looked much better than I remember. My last minute choice of restaurants for dinner turned out to be a winner: Bistro Romano. Yum.













See more Philadelphia photos at my website.