Celebrating the red, white and blue this summer? Whether planning to watch the July 4 fireworks by the grill, or belt out La Marseillaise on July 14, activities abound on both sides of the pond for the Fourth of July and Bastille Day.
Take advantage of a low summer rate at the Pavillon de la Reine boutique hotel in Paris, France. The only hotel on the Place des Vosges, Pavillon de la Reine is in the heart of the Marais and near all of the great shopping and restaurants. It is also a quick walk from the spot where the formidable prison, La Bastille, once stood (while the storming of the Bastille demolished the stone structure, its outline is marked with special paving stones). Walk a few hundred feet over to the Parc Henri IV and see a few of the remaining stones.
Laud the Fourth Southwestern-style, and sip wine at the Santa Fe Wine Festival held at the historic Rancho de la Golondrinas. Stay a few nights at the cozy Inn on the Alameda to discover what makes this the 'city different,' and catch the only not-sold-out performance of Madame Butterfly at the internationally renowned Santa Fe Opera House on July 7. Keep those eyes peeled for celebrities roaming around town filming the movie, "Cowboys & Aliens" - already spotted: Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford.
Fireworks explode above the Eiffel Tower in celebration of La Fête Nationale, and the streets and parks around it fill with revelers. Watch the whole Bastille Day spectacle from a luxurious apartment with views of the Tour Eiffel and all of the celebrations through La Reserve Paris. If it looks like too much fun to resist, just run outside and join the party.
