Nemacolin’s Chateau Lafayette, Photo Credit: Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
With summer in full swing, a bevy of barbecues, parades and fireworks are preparing to line nearly every street across the country as millions of Americans celebrate Independence Day.
This year, skip the typical cul-de-sac cookout and shake things up with a luxuriously long weekend retreat, seeing as how the Fourth of July falls on a Tuesday.
Whether you’re looking for family-friendly festivities or a grownup getaway, these high-end resorts offer packages appropriately stuffed with all kinds of fireworks.
New Orleans
You can see pyrotechnics just about anywhere in the U.S. this holiday, but for a one-of-a-kind performance, head to the Big Easy.
In New Orleans, things will be kicked up a notch with not one, but two fireworks displays. Along the Mississippi River, dueling barges will each shoot off a spectacular array of sparkling lights accompanied by music that’s sure to wow the whole family.
For a front-row seat, camp out along the water, book a river cruise or go the most elegant route by simply staying at the couldn’t-be-better-positioned Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Harrah’s New Orleans right at the riverfront.
Nashville
Celebrate the Fourth all month long at Five-Star The Hermitage Hotel with a patriotic package. Book a stay at the historic Nashville address and request the Red, White and Blue special offer to receive a complimentary bottle of red wine, white-chocolate-covered strawberries and a blue keepsake candle to take home with you.
If you make it to Music City on Independence Day, be sure to check out the free concerts (featuring Nashville Star winner Chris Young) happening downtown starting at noon, followed by a stunning fireworks display accompanied by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra that night.
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, Photo Credit: Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
Miami
Enjoy some fun in the sun on July Fourth at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort’s Red, White & Cue party.
The hotel’s inaugural beach barbecue will feature live music, family-friendly activities and, of course, a mouthwatering menu. Expect Miami-style cookout fare, like chili-grilled octopus with lime-cilantro crema, grilled bavette with salsa verde, and kale and radicchio salad served alongside a sweets station.
With indoor and outdoor seating available, you and the family can lounge at the oceanfront cookout any way you like — plus, kids under five eat for free.
But if you happen to be in South Florida without the little ones this year, book your escape at the incredibly stylish East, Miami for an adults-only celebration.
The Miami resort’s 40th-floor rooftop bar, Sugar, will host a Rosé, White and Blue party, adding a touch of elegance to the usual Independence Day excitement. Sip rosé all day while enjoying a birds-eye view of the city and beats by DJ Lazaro Casanova. Stay and observe the fireworks from your rooftop perch once the sun goes down.
Farmington, Pennsylvania
For a July 4 weekend packed with festivities for the whole family, head for Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands.
The holiday highlights consist of a weekend kick-off party on June 30 complete with grilled goodies, roasted marshmallows and live music; a dinner buffet and kid’s carnival on July 2; a poolside family movie showing on July 3 and, of course, fireworks on the actual holiday.
Of the numerous accommodations on the sprawling 2,000-acre resort, we recommend celebrating America’s birthday in style by booking your stay at either the elegant Chateau Lafayette or the more boutique Falling Rock.
Thompson Chicago, Photo Credit: Thompson Hotels
Chicago
Toast to America’s 241st birthday with a couple of complimentary cocktails at the Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Thompson Chicago as part of the property’s Independence Day-inspired package.
In addition to your libations, enjoy a special holiday room rate of $241 per night, available the whole week surrounding the big day.
The Chicago hotel’s spacious accommodations offer the perfect perch from which to view the dazzling fireworks at Navy Pier. Or, better yet, pack up a blanket and walk a few blocks to Oak Street Beach to snag a lakeside seat to the show.
Bluffton, South Carolina
Go on a weeklong Fourth of July getaway in the scenic South Carolina Lowcountry at Montage Palmetto Bluff. Through July 9, partake in ongoing festivities around the property that range from s’mores, live music and pool parties to a freedom fun run and a family fishing tournament.
On July 4, things really start heating up with a family parade on the Village Green and a fish fry with live music in a five-story tree house that overlooks the river.
Palm Harbor, Florida
Patriotic fun for the whole clan awaits at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort. The Tampa-area property’s jam-packed activity guide offers everything from a chalk mural contest and whiffle ball home run derby to a dive-in movie and an ice-cream-eating contest.
The good times continue with a Fourth of July barbecue serving all-American favorites like loaded baked potato salad, apple cider pulled pork, buttermilk fried chicken and freshly made peach cobbler and other desserts from the Innisbrook bakery.
Participate in a kid’s carnival during dinner and, naturally, stick around for the fireworks after sundown.
