4th of July Belmont Shore Style
For this 4th of July, I found myself at home. For as long as I can remember, I normally take a vacation around the 4th. You get that free day off of work. I quickly brushed aside my disappointed, and I became excited about 4th of July in the Belmont Shore. I really enjoy my neighborhood and neighbors. I was sure the festivities would be memorable.
I kept the day simple, and didn’t make any plans. For part of the morning, I played pickup soccer out in Cerritos at Liberty Park. The game was pretty good, but we didn’t play very long. The day was already scorching. Its amazing how the temperature drastically changes as you move inland.
I was back in the Shore by lunchtime, and the entire neighborhood was a buzz. 2nd Street was packed with pedestrians. Many of which were carrying coolers and wearing bathing suits. The beach along Bay Shore was starting to fill. People were stacking out good spots for swimming and watching fireworks. I was excited to get home and start having fun.
Passing By Party Girl and Singing Carl
My first stop was Ken’s. On the walk to his place, it seemed like every other house was having a BBQ or party. Everyone was being super friendly, laughing and celebrating our freedom with beer and hotdogs. Ken’s downstairs neighbors were out of town so, they allowed us to use their patio. We setup camp with cold Sam Summers and music. The music started off with and iPod playlist, but we quickly moved to live music. Ken is a great guitar player, and he knows a ton of GLove and Jack Johnson. We san “Inaudible Melodies” and “Banana Pancakes” among others. We even dipped into some Oasis, and I pretended to be Liam Gallagher. Everyone who walked by joined the sing-a-long. A guy named Carl teamed up with Ken on an improve blues jam session. They titled the tune, “On The Fourth of July.” Carl sang his on the spot lyrics while Ken played the harp and guitar. It was Awesome. I really love sitting around singing songs, and this was the perfect afternoon for it.
In the early evening, I stopped by Rachel and Leo’s. They were hosting a BBQ, and Teresa brought some Turkey burgers. The burgers was good (as always), and I had some sweet corn. The sweet corn reminded me of Eastern Shore Sweet Corn. It was some of the best I’ve had out west. We complimented the meal with a few Pacificos. Leo tried to teach me how to pop the cap with your wedding ring. I couldn’t quite get it. For dessert, we walked to their neighbors ice cream cake. I was able to meet the bartender from Quinn’s, but now I can’t remember her name. Oh well, you can’t go wrong with new friends plus ice cream cake!
Of course, fireworks were the night cap. I was able to catch the Long Beach Harbor fireworks from on-top of an apartment building. Before, after and during the show, people all over the Shore were setting off their own fireworks. It was like being in a display while watching one in the distance. Crazy.
The evening ended early. I’d been around the whole neighborhood since noonish. It was time to relax. I’m not sure how anything could have topped the daytime festivities! It was an awesome scene in the Belmont Shore for the 4th of July. I had soooo much fun with all of the neighbors and new friends. I’m already looking forward to next year…
