Fourth Of July

Ready to visit some of the nation's splashiest July 4 celebrations? As always, the best views of major events are often from the comfort of your couch. Besides, the bathrooms will be a lot cleaner (let's hope). Here's a rundown of some of today's national celebrations and when they will air: Let's start in Boston. One of the biggest shows of the evening will be the annual Boston Pops concert, broadcast on CBS and hosted by Grammy Award-winning singer Jennifer Hudson and Emmy Award-winner Michael Chiklis.

The average retail cost of a gallon of regular gasoline in California dropped to its lowest level since February and the national average fell to its lowest point since January, the Energy Department said, as pump prices continued to adjust to lower oil prices. Some parts of the country may see a slight bump in prices over the Fourth of July holiday, said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, a fuel price-tracking website. "One thing is for sure," DeHaan said about the national average.

Honoring the Fourth of July, NASA Tuesday released a striking new image of Herbig-Haro 110, a geyser of hot gas from a newborn star that looks remarkably like an Earth-bound skyrocket. HH 110 is a member of a family of Herbig-Haro objects that generally consist of two jets of hot gas  ejected in opposite directions from a forming star. Astronomers think that the jets are fueled by gas falling into a young star from a surrounding disc of dust and gas. The gravitational heating causes jets of gas to be ejected at high speeds.

Fireworks at California coastal areas and lakes kick it up a notch by shooting off their displays over a reflecting body of water. It's easy to pack a picnic, spread a blanket and watch the show. Here are some fireworks displays not to miss this year. South Lake Tahoe: Lights on the Lake is a big boom show that claims to be the biggest synchronized fireworks display west of the Mississippi. It starts at 9:45 p.m. and lasts more than 20 minutes over the lake's South Shore.

Ducking into an Omaha Steaks store on Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles, Laura Herrarte knew exactly what she needed for this week's Fourth of July celebration. "Hamburgers for the grandkids," Herrarte said. But then came the tough part. For nearly 30 minutes she sat at a display table as a store associate brought out different cuts of meat. She checked out the hamburger patties, inspected the fat content of the filet mignon and eyed the apple tartlets. Her 16 grandchildren, their parents and a few neighbors will be joining Herrarte for a potluck in Sylmar on the Fourth of July, which this year falls on a Wednesday.

You'll probably grill a hot dog, watch some fireworks and, perhaps, think about the wonders of being an American. One of them is our freedom to see this country. In thinking about the Fourth of July, we've assembled a list of some of the places we think will make you remember what it is to be an American -- a hot-dog-eating, apple-pie-chomping, optimistic sort who learns from the past in order to face the future head on. A bit pie-eyed Thank goodness Harvard grad Samuel Sewall thought to record something as mundane as his first bite of "applepy.

Whether it's an indication of better times or just patriotic fervor, several communities that scrubbed their July 4 fireworks displays in recent years are bringing their shows back when dusk falls Wednesday. Night skies will be popping over Marina del Rey and South El Monte, for instance, as both shows return after taking a hiatus last year. The majority of the displays in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and Riverside counties are free or nearly free. If you're looking for a more elaborate affair, shows in Hollywood, Pasadena, Long Beach and Newport Beach are bringing more frills and ticket prices to match.

The city of Monterey celebrates the Fourth of July with rock and R&B bands and of course fireworks at night. The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa at 400 Cannery Row offers this special during the holiday week: a 40% discount off a four-night stay. The deal: If you are out to make the midweek holiday a real vacation, the waterfront hotel offers chill time at its roof-top spa, free valet parking and Wi-Fi, and a great central location to explore the city and its beaches. The July 4th 40% Off requires a four-night minimum stay.

Californians are expected to travel in near-record numbers over the Fourth of July holiday, with most vacationers planning road trips to take advantage of plummeting gasoline prices, according to a forecast by the Automobile Club of Southern California. The annual forecast released Tuesday predicts 4.88 million Californians will travel at least 50 miles over next week's Fourth of July holiday period from July 3 through July 8. That's a 5.2% increase over last year. That projected number of travelers comes just short of the record of 4.89 million Californians who left town for the holiday in 2003.

New York City emerges as the top Fourth of July party spot in the country among travelers who made holiday hotel reservations on Priceline . Chicago , which had the top spot for the last two years, comes in second, followed by San Diego , San Francisco and Las Vegas . Travelers seem to be choosing to see fireworks in urban venues or chill out at beaches in their destination choices, according to Priceline. Los Angeles, specifically the Marina del Rey area, ranked No. 11, with Disneyland and Anaheim coming in at nos. 14 and 25. The online travel company compiles the holiday's top 50 destinations based on cities, or parts of cities, where travelers book their rooms.