4th of July!

Brianna G.

July 5, 2011 - 3:30 PM

Another successful 4th of July weekend is in the books! My family has a tradition of spending the fourth of July holiday at our cabin on Detroit Lake. I haven't done anything else for the holiday in the past sixteen years or so, and it's probably my favorite family tradition. Every year, the lake hosts a great fire work show the Saturday nearest to the fourth of July, so generally the big celebration for my family is on that Saturday. The firework show is made even better by the fact that our cabin's location falls right underneath the show, so we get one of the best views on the lake.

We are also often joined by a group of family friends that come to celebrate with us, and this year was no different. We also had the addition of a few of my college friends along with my sisters' friends, so it made for a great weekend!

My friend Emma and I were first up to the cabin again this weekend, and were joined not too long after by the rest of the crew. My family was already there, setting up and prepping our little cabin for the big weekend. We all dined on some fabulous food and wine (thanks mom!) and chatted into the night, my parents finally familiar with all of my college friends after the big graduation party we had in Eugene.

Saturday brought more people and festivities. Several hours were spent out on the boat, splitting our time between tubing and lounging. Since I'm the only one of my siblings who my dad fully trusts to take the boat out, I also got to play chauffer for a few hours with my sisters and their friends, giving my dad free reign to man the barbeque all day and socialize with our family friends. 

Once the evening rolled around, we feasted on a delicious meal centered on turkey, fruit salads, corn on the cob, and an absolutely amazing and festive cheesecake thanks to Lizzy. It was just about dark by the time we recovered from our food comas, and my parents broke out the sparklers, which are one of my favorite ways to celebrate. Not long after, the real fun began and we all enjoyed the colorful firework display over the lake.

The next morning was wonderful, especially because it was only Sunday which meant we had two more full days until I had to go back to school and work. We spent the day laying out on the beach, taking out the kayaks, swimming, and then later enjoying a little more sunshine out on the boat. We relaxed into the evening, ending it with some s'mores, stargazing and campfire.

On Monday, the actual fourth, we headed back to Eugene. Most of the UO crew left in the early afternoon, and I stuck around for an early dinner with the family. After one last delicious home cooked meal, I headed back to Eugene to watch an impressive firework show at the U of O's own PK Park with the whole crew. Then, it was back to class on Tuesday, for the second half of my Spanish class.