Enjoy the Fireworks in Key Largo, Florida

In the Florida Keys, locals enjoy the annual fireworks a little differently. We get to watch the fireworks in the night sky like most people, but we also get an additional show at the same time with the reflection of the fireworks dancing on the water below.

The water's mystery is accentuated with the multitude of colors reflected in the waves. It's an amazing way to enjoy the Fourth of July, especially if you're lucky enough to be on a boat while the brilliant display of colors are being shown.

My family is one of the lucky ones on a boat. We pack up snacks, extra chairs, friends and our pups before leaving the dock and taking a short boat ride over to Blackwater Sound, which is approximately mile marker 104 on the bayside of the Keys, three miles from our home. This has become so popular, we have experienced a sort of traffic jam on the water, if that's possible, on the way over when we've had to go through some of the narrower cuts of water. But it's all worth it.

The fireworks start at 9:00 p.m. this year and they are set up on a barge floating in the middle of the bay. The local authorities keep private boats from getting too close to the barge for safety reasons. But, wherever you manage to drop anchor, it's all worthwhile. Somehow the quiet rocking of the boat magnifies the powerful explosions above. It takes your breath away.

Locals and tourists can also make reservations at any of the four surrounding waterfront restaurants - Sundowners, Senior Frijoles, Caribbean Club and Marriott Key Largo Bay Resort - and soak in the sights while enjoying a delicious dinner and drinks at the same time. This way is almost as intense as being right underneath the fireworks on a boat, but a little easier since the restaurants are accessible by cars, however, the traffic jams can be pretty crazy this way too.

It's all worthwhile though. Every year the fireworks seem to get more sophisticated and better timed and even more exotic than ever. How they manage to pull it off will always amaze me. Whatever they do, I'm one of the locals who are so appreciative and I've decreed Fourth of July to be one of my favorite holidays because of their work.

Come and enjoy the magnificent, almost three dimensional, viewing of the fireworks in the Florida Keys. It'll definitely float your boat!