Alan Jackson has a cool old boat. He describes it as an old antique motor yacht. And he always wanted to take it up north to New York.

The year he finally did it turned out to be the best Independence Day celebration he’s ever had.

Since his wife and daughters like going to New York City, they came along.

“I don’t really care about going to the city,” Jackson said in a recent interview. “So I got to stay in my boat there at the harbor tied up.”

And while his family did things in the city, Jackson stayed put way on the Hudson River.

Before he knew it, it was the Fourth of July.

“We were anchored out in front of the Statue of Liberty, and New York City was behind us, and the fireworks were going off … sitting on that boat," he recalled. "That was the coolest thing, and my girls still talk about that. I mean, that was the coolest thing on Fourth of July I can ever remember. I can’t top that one.”