COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland and the City of College Park are once again breaking out the red, white and blue for a fabulous Independence Day celebration. A free concert and fireworks spectacular are on tap for Sunday, July 4 beginning at 7 p.m. at the University of Maryland in Lot 1 adjacent to Campus Drive off Adelphi Road. Once again, residents are invited to enjoy Rock and Roll favorites with The Fabulous Hubcaps. Fireworks start at dusk - about 9 p.m. You can expect a 30 to 40 minute program. In case of rain, the fireworks show will be held on Sunday, July 5. Concessions open at 5 p.m. offering hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes, ice cream, snow cones, soda and bottled water. Grass seating is limited, so bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Personal coolers are also allowed. Great family fun! To help navigate traffic congestion, University Police offer the following recommendations: * Use either the Campus Drive entrance from U.S. Route 1, or the Stadium Drive entrance from Route 193. Follow police directions to parking. (Campus Map) * Arrive early. Heavy traffic is expected to begin around 7:30 p.m. Late cars will be directed to park in outlying lots, which will offer free parking, but shuttle services will not be available. * Disabled visitors are encouraged to arrive early as disabled parking is limited in Lot AA. * The best routes to exit campus will be the main Campus Drive gate onto Route 1, or Stadium Drive to Route 193. *Alcohol and personal fireworks are prohibited on campus. University Police advise residents bring some food and water, to supplement available concessions. If the weather is questionable, call 301-405-3555 for information. Raindate is Monday, July 5.

We had an afternoon free to play, and after some geocaching, we were looking for a place to have an early dinner. The challenge was in finding a place to eat that was fun for Paige, as we wanted to let her run around a bit before heading back to the hotel room. Usually a McDonald's or the likes will have a play area, but much to our surprise we couldn't find one such location in Omaha. We had been to the Chucky Cheese's in the area before so I made that recommendation. After checking with the hotel concierge for alternatives, Chucky Cheese's is indeed where we landed. After a trip to the salad bar for mom and dad, and a personal pizza delivery for Paige, we made our way to the rides and games. The first stop was a gently swaying car ride in which you drove Chucky around. Like most of the other rides, Paige wasn't really sure what to make of it. Her attention span measured up to be about thirty seconds per game, and then she moved on. I expected her to be more fascinated with the other kids than she was.