I was hoping to publish The Creamsicle Express: Off to See America/Heading West long before the 4^th of July, 2026, the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That was because the long journey in 1976 was the 200^th anniversary and there is a Bicentennial theme to the travel trilogy. On July 4^th, 1976, Barbara and I spent the day in our home city of New York. We observed the Parade of Tall Ships, formally known as Operation Sail up the Hudson River for the greater part of the day. One could readily feel the patriotic pulse of the city and, in turn, the nation. It was a grand spectacle. After a dinner at Sevilla, an excellent Spanish restaurant in Greenwich Village we trekked by subway and foot to the Promenade or Esplanade, a concrete pedestrian walkway cantilevered over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway along the East River to witness the first ever Macy’s 4^th of July fireworks display. The day was a true national birthday celebration.