wedding road trip

This is America

I love the Fourth of July. As a child, I always spent the holiday in Ventura, where my father lives and also where I enjoyed the best summers of my life. In the morning, we’d go down to town to enjoy the street fair, where my stepmother would make sure to help me win the infamous Ping Pong Ball in a Goldfish Bowl game. Every year I’d come back with a new fish, each becoming part of the Moose family (Moose I, Moose II, Moose III). In the afternoon, we’d head out to Faria Beach, where my dad’s friend John would host a BBQ, complete with volleyball, boogey boards, and fireworks. On the way home, my dad would sometimes play Sousa marches, which was both sweet and corny at the same time.

As an adult, I’ve spent the Fourth of July everywhere from Montana to Vancouver, Canada. I’ve run in Fourth of July dashes in Boston and gone out for margaritas in Scottsdale. But nothing can compare to being in Jefferson City, Missouri with my future husband and nine of the coolest cousins a girl could ask for.

I have to admit, our Fourth of July didn’t start out so well. With rain pelting on the windows and flash flood warnings all of the Internet, I was sure that I’d spend the Fourth of July playing “Go Fish” in my cousin’s basement. Instead we spent three hours discussing love and marriage around the kitchen table before heading off to downtown Jefferson City for the big show.

Downtown Jefferson City is full of historic buildings and midwestern charm. Right smack in the middle of town is the Governor’s Mansion, which would make a wicked haunted mansion come Halloween. The Fourth of July street fair runs right through the middle of town, offering everything from funnel cakes to five dollar camel rides. While my cousin Mike and his daughter Amber were brave enough to take on rides with expiration dates as early as 1982, Chris and I opted to watch from the sidelines as we chatted with my cousin John.

While we could have noshed for the rest of eternity on carnival delicacies like Fried Snickers and Frito Boats, we decided to hit up the local hot spot, Madison’s. The food did not disappoint, and was actually quite diet-friendly, with gluten-free options and low-carb substititutions.

After nightfall, we worked our way down to the waterfront to witness the famous Jefferson City fireworks extravaganza. We were treated to almost a half an hour of sparkly goodness, all set to the world’s most random soundtrack. Even though I am deathy afraid of loud noises, I found myself not minding the bangs and booms of this particular display. I was almost sad when the last set of fireworks faded into the night and we all made a mad dash for the car to avoid an impending thunderstorm.

After experiencing Jefferson City, We might just have to go back again next year- I might even be convinced to try a Fried Snickers.

Tags: day 37 missouri road trip, jefferson city fireworks, wedding road trip missouri