Seeing Stars: My own independence at Castaway in Burbank

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. It’s almost always warm. It’s a fun day to enjoy delicious barbecue food with friends and family, all while wearing casual attire in the sun. Did I mention I love stars? There’s always a lot to do — concerts, parties, camping, boating, the beach, fireworks and no gift purchases are necessary. When I was young the fireworks on our street were most spectacular and my Pavlovian joy of that past fun still lingers.

This was my first 4th of July in Burbank and since I didn’t have a freelance assignment, I wanted to get out of my apartment to experience my new city. My dogs were happy because unlike the suburb in San Jose I came from, there were no round-the-clock firecrackers and M-80s going off for weeks before the big day.

But what to do on my limited budget?

I didn’t want to spend money and some of my friends were going to the Hollywood Bowl, which was way out of my budget. While polling people, a guy in the hot tub at my apartment, a La Crescenta native, mentioned “Castaway,” which is a restaurant up in the hills of Burbank just 10 minutes from home. He said you can see fireworks throughout the whole valley and beyond. This sounded perfect to me, but not to my friends left at the complex.

When I talked to the ladies I’ve gotten to know about going to Castaway, they assured me I couldn’t get in, I wouldn’t find parking, I’d be stuck in traffic and it would be a horrible experience. They wanted me to drive with them near the Starlight Bowl and park on one of the residential streets to watch the fireworks but I decided my first 4th of July in Burbank was going to be better than that. I explained to them I have magical parking karma (I always have) and I just really wanted to go there. I couldn’t convince them to venture out to join me, so I headed out on my own and I’m glad I did.

Castaway is a great spot and another first for me. I left my apartment at 8:30 p.m., arrived at 8:40 p.m., had no problem getting in. It cost $3.50 to valet park the car at the restaurant and I got the best seat in the house, according the bartender, as I picked an empty bar stool right by the window.

The tables on the beautiful outdoor veranda with the most spectacular views were bought and paid for that evening at $40 per person and there was a security gaurd making sure nobody crossed the line. However, there was no charge to sit at the bar and I could see everything through big glass windows. I got a drink and met some lovely people that began to trickle into the bar for fireworks.

I could see the fireworks from Universal Studios, The Hollywood Bowl and several other unidentified displays but the show at Starlight Bowl was up close and personal. The restaurant broke into loud cheers and applause, toasting America’s 235th birthday as the sparkling finale filled the sky.

People told me they enjoyed their dinners and people at the bar were ordering appetizers that looked good. I’m planning to go back one day when I have some dough for a regular dinner at sunset.

I felt happily free that I took the chance to try something different, didn’t listen to negativity and met some new friends. It’s part of my own new happy independence!

Cassandra M. Bellantoni is a Los Angeles freelance reporter, producer, video editor and featured front-page blogger on Huffington Post. Follow her on Twitter @StarShineSpeaks or email cassandra_bellantoni@yahoo.com