I think its a wonderful view as I watched it there lots of times during my College Program in 2002 (as it is the closest location to watch and then get to the college program bus stop). I also found back then that the wind never really blew in that direction so you never had to worry about the smoke blowing towards you.
But there is a nice section of fence with no trees, and if you get there early enough there are a few benchs you can grab and turn around so you can sit and watch.