Originally Posted by
tom911
Rosslyn is a great location for viewing the fireworks, as you look down towards the National Mall and have a great view. When I arrived, professional photographers were already staking out terrain. Most of my fireworks on my website were taken with my cell phone (One Plus 6T) and I only added a few taken with the camera when I needed the zoom feature for a better photo.
A word about the fireworks: there were two distinct fireworks show. The first was launched over the National Mall by the National Park Service paid, contracted vendor. My photos are from that display. The second display was launched by donors over West Potomac. The tree line in Rosslyn blocked most of that display and I did not take any photos except for one as I climbed a hill and walked out of the park I was in. From what I read the following morning, many on the National Mall could not view most of the fireworks displays due to all the smoke. As my photos progress, you'll notice the smoke, too.
West of Potomac did turned out to be the better viewing point for the fireworks this year. I was at DC side during the firework, muggy evening without any breeze, smoke from fireworks simply stayed rather than blown away. Especially on second half of firework show the view from DC was blocked by thick smoke from firework and could not see fireworks itself, just bright lights in thick smoke in the air. After the fireworks entire DC was covered with smoke from fireworks, walking back to hotel was like walking in thick fog with smell of smoke.
Usually July 4th fireworks is lunched from National Mall, but this year there was no fireworks lunched form National Mall, all fireworks were launched more closely from Potomac River area. Don't know exact reason for change this year, but I heard something to do with amount of fireworks launched this year, far more fireworks were launched and had to change the location. This is the reason National Airport was closed for landing/takeoff during 9-10 p.m. period during fireworks. When fireworks were launched from National Mall on previous years National Airport did not have to be closed during fireworks.
National Airport was also closed for landing/takeoff during Trump speech at Lincoln Memorial around 7 p.m. because there were several fly by of military planes over Lincoln Memorial during the speech.