Fourth of July was always a huge event when I was growing up. We looked forward to the parades every year. Sometimes it was Plano, Texas and sometimes it was Mansfield, Texas, but it was always fun and huge.

The first year we moved to Phoenix, I couldn’t believe that I couldn’t find a local parade. How was I possibly going to teach my children to be flag waving, patriotic, candy catching, parade goers? I slowly understood why we don’t have parades here in July. 114 degrees, costumes, crowds, and concrete aren’t a good mix.

Ten years later, I wanted to be adventurous. We drove to Flagstaff for the largest parade in the state. I looked up tips on Flagstaff Moms Blog and off we went!

The weather alone was worth the drive. It was absolutely beautiful. People around us kept saying how hot it was and I was tempted to offer to drive them back to Phoenix with us!

We found our perfect corner and waited for the parade. We made friends with those around us and hollered loudly when the police motorcycles started the procession. We clapped and screamed when the officer did back flips down the street and reminded kids to stay away from moving vehicles.

My parade dreams were coming true right in front of my eyes, so I took a deep breath and tried to stop micromanaging every moment.

There were flags passed out to wave, candy thrown, huge water sprays, wonderful music, and smiles everywhere. We stood and removed our hats for the veterans and yelled “thank you” to our heroes. We explained to our children what these people had given to protect our freedom. Our hearts grew in thankfulness at the chance to stand in public with our children in safety and abundance.

The parade was wonderfully long – almost two hours! Some of us took little breaks to catch our breath before cheering again.

My sweet mama sent the most darling outfits for Sebastian and Mary Alice. I’m so glad I remembered to pack them.

It took me a few years to find our groove in a new state for the Fourth of July, but I think we are on to something with these day trips! I’m already scheming on where we will go next year!