Unique July 4th Destinations

While large, well-known July 4th celebrations draw huge crowds in cities like New York and Boston, there are many unique destinations across the U.S. with fun Independence Day events.

Here are five unique travel spots for the July 4th Independence Day holiday:

San Francisco, California
San Francisco is always a fun place to visit and it's a unique place to celebrate the July 4th holiday. If you like fireworks, get a great view from the bay and take the Blue and Gold Fleet's July 4th cruise.The cruises leave at 8 and 8:15 p.m. and they offer a family pack ticket for $185, including two adults and two children.

For a hotel, we always stay atop Nob Hill at the luxurious Fairmont. Do yourself a favor, try either a corner suite in the tower or one of the classic suites in the old building. Some really are like mini-mansions. And if you want to really splurge, stay in the hotel's opulent, restored penthouse. The 6000 square foot suite is one of the most beautiful in the world, and your $15,000 a night bill does include both butler and personal trainer. The penthouse has several balconies, so you can also watch the fireworks.

The Fairmont
950 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
fairmont.com/sanfrancisco

Key West, Florida
The southern-most point in the continental U.S. is Key West and it's really like an island resort. It's also only a brief flight from Miami, which is easily accessible from anywhere.

If you want to watch fireworks, they will be launched from the end of the White Street Pier and there are some great cruise options to watch them from the water. We would go with the $150 per person cruise on a 41' catamaran, limited to 20 passengers, including a champagne dinner with all kinds of great food. The cruise is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Stay at the Marriott Beachside Hotel, it's pure luxury and close enough to the non-stop party action of Duval Street.

Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel
3841 North Roosevelt Boulevard
Key West, Florida 33040 USA
marriott.com

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Home to many key battles of the original war of revolution in 1776, Philadelphia takes its Independence Day celebrations seriously. It's also a fun, vibrant city, filled with all kinds of things to see, do, eat and drink.

While there, visit the neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, only a few miles from downtown. I grew up near the area and always recommend it to friends. Don't miss the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a huge, old-school big art museum, filled with all kinds of art masterpieces. The museum has some great armor and weapons, so the kids will like it too.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130
philamuseum.org

A great new spot to eat in Philly is the Cuban restaurant Alma de Cuba. Delicious food and drinks in a fun environment.

Alma de Cuba
1623 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 988-1799
almadecubarestaurant.com

Stay at the Sheraton Society Hill, located in a historic area of the old city. Rates start at $149.

Sheraton Society Hill
One Dock Street (2nd and Walnut)
Philadelphia, PA 19106
starwoodhotels.com

Long Beach, California
Why not watch the July 4th fireworks celebration from the deck of a luxury ocean liner with no chance of getting seasick. You can even book a cabin on the Queen Mary to spend the whole July 4th weekend on board. The city of Long Beach has great beaches and a fun nightlife and restaurant scene along Pine Avenue.

Queen Mary
1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, CA 90802
(877) 342-0738
queenmary.com

After your overnight stay, head over to a great lunch and some beautiful art. Claire's is the restaurant at the Long Beach Museum of Art and sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The museum has a great collection, including many works by famous California artists.

Long Beach Museum of Art
300 East Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90803
lbma.org

For more detailed travel information, check out my Daily Travel Guide to Long Beach California.

Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is an exciting destination that is constantly changing and evolving. It's only an hour from Philadelphia and about 2 hours from New York City and now competes with Las Vegas for a flashy, fun vacation destination.

For July 4th, Atlantic City has two huge displays of fireworks, one for each side of the island. At 9:20 p.m. there's the first huge display, on the bay and marina side. Then at 9:45 p.m. there's another blast on the Boardwalk side.

There are special boat cruises in the marina to watch the fireworks, or watch them from your suite at the Borgata. The casino hotels along the Atlantic City Boardwalk will all have great views of the fireworks from their ocean-facing rooms. The Borgata Hotel really brings Vegas-style glam to Atlantic City and features fine dining, hip clubs and luxurious accommodations.

Borgata Hotel
One Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
theborgata.com

Ted Sherman is an international traveler and the editor of the travel blog travel4seniors.com.

Sources:
Atlantic City Fireworks guide from atlanticcitynj.com