Escape 4th of July Masses at a Boutique Hotel

July 4th at the lake, Bolton Landing, N.Y.

Where to stay: The Sagamore.

Price: $279.

There's something quintessentially American about a July 4th lake holiday, but we're not talking about the camping kind. The Sagamore on Lake George offers one of America's most fabled waterfront resorts, home to an Independence Day fireworks show that dazzles its stylish families and adventurous couples year after year. Visitors arrive to the pristine all-white hotel, which has a dramatic lobby enclosed in lake-facing glass windows and endless terraces overlooking the 3,500-square-foot pool. Those looking for exclusivity for the holiday should book into one of the bi-level Hermitage Suites with loft-style bedrooms outfitted in cozy Adirondack furnishings. After a day of golfing the local greens, rowing on the lake or simply baking in the sun, everyone comes together for the family-style July 4th.

Navy Pier fireworks, Chicago.

Where to stay: W Chicago Lakeshore.

Price: $269.

Located steps from Chicago's Navy Pier, W Hotel Lakeshore offers a playful summertime address for enjoying the activities of Lake Michigan as well as the pier-based firework displays. Not just limited to 9 p.m. on July 4, Navy Pier also features a biweekly show every Wednesday and Saturday night from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The W Lakeshore offers one of the only high-end luxury hotels on the lake. The hotel is a party hideaway to the hip Wave eatery, Living Room Lounge and outpost of Rande Gerber's Whiskey Sky. You'll want to check in to the hotel's Spectacular Rooms, which offer full visibility to fireworks and old school W design of burgundy velvet furnishings and peek-a-boo bathrooms.