Fourth Of July Tips From The National Park Service

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) - Locals who've seen the Fourth of July fireworks from various viewpoints will testify to the hard work that goes into this weekend's festivities.

"It's a beautiful event, and everybody should witness it once," said Dr. Hadim Ubaissi, who works at George Washington University Hospital and lives in Rosslyn. "I was very impressed with the organization in previous years. The traffic and the numbers. I'm sure they were on high security alert, but still they were very friendly too."

The native Serbian has seen the show from many angles, and his favorite spot is the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, a vantage point he shared with his parents for the first time on Thursday. They are visiting for a few weeks.

"To be honest with you, this is my favorite spot," he said while sitting on a park bench next to the statue. "Right here overlooking the city. It's a beautiful spot."

All fun points aside, the National Park Service is warning people about dozens of road closures and nearly twenty points of access to events on the Mall.

This year, there is also a special new event at the White House Visitor's Center. A "Signature Event" allows visitors to stop by from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to experience the "Signer of the Declaration of Independence for a day."

For anyone who plans to spend time on the Mall this Saturday, there will be an information booth on the north side of the Washington Monument.

If you're looking for more ideas of ways to spend your Fourth, check out dc.metromix.com's Guide to the Fourth of July!