250 Memories of America
I’ve been alive for 17% of the 250 years this nation has been an independent nation. I feel fortunate to have been born and raised here. In my 43 years of American life I have enjoyed many great gifts from this sprawling, bountiful, sometimes overwhelming land. So on the occasion of America 250—as my family heads up to the cabin in the Sierra, on the Stanislaus River, where we usually spend Fourth of July—I thought I’d list 250 memories. Sights, smells, tastes, sounds, people, places things. Grateful recollections and appreciations. Sketches of my American life.
Capturing fireflies in mason jars as a kid
Walking Boston’s Freedom Trail
Walking the High Line in Manhattan
Riding bikes around D.C.’s monuments in early Autumn
Riding cable cars in San Francisco
Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge
Capturing turtles as temporary pets
Building Pinewood Derby cars with dad when I was in Cub Scouts
Marveling at Time’s Square
Marveling at the St. Louis Arch
Marveling at the view from the top of the Sear’s Tower
Hiking sections of the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking around Clear Lake in Oregon
Playing Oregon Trail in an elementary school computer lab
Meeting PCT hikers in Kennedy Meadows
Spending long hours exploring the creek behind our house
Playing basketball in the driveway and roller hockey in the street
Eating at Empress of China in SF’s Chinatown
Eating ramen in L.A.’s Little Tokyo
Eating at Tavern on the Green in NYC
Eating Parker House rolls at the Boston hotel where they originated
Eating cinnamon rolls from Sweet Jill’s in Seal Beach
Visiting California missions up and down the coast
Learning Gold Rush history in Columbia, California
Pushing babies in strollers on the San Clemente Beach path
Walking the rugged coastal bluff trails in Sea Ranch (California)
Smelling freshly mown grass on Saturday mornings
Smelling lilacs in Lombard, Illinois
Smelling burning piñon in Santa Fe fireplaces
Smelling mom’s stuffing on Thanksgiving morning
Smelling citrus on Soarin’ Over California at Disney’s California Adventure
Feeling the end of summer and onset of autumn at high school back-to-school bonfires
Playing in the Shawnee Mission Northwest marching band at Friday night high school football games
Binge-watching Friday Night Lights with Kira in our dating years
Talking to the actor who plays Matt Saracen while boarding a flight from LAX to ORD
Marching in the Citrus Bowl parade in Orlando
Attending a Cotton Bowl game in Dallas
Playing in the pit orchestra for my high school theater production of Guys and Dolls
Playing John Philip Sousa marches and John Williams movie music in high school band
Singing “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” out of hymn books in church
Waiting for fall foliage to peak
Skiing in the Rockies
Navigating roads during ice storms
Hoping for big snow accumulation so school is cancelled
Ice skating at Crown Center
Staying hydrated in Southwestern dry heat
Drinking iced tea in thick Southern humidity
Kayaking in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Watching thunderclouds build in the sky during monsoon season in the West
Savoring the scent of desert sage after rain
Hearing the ominous sound of tornado sirens
Hearing the sizzle of wet hot pavement during summer rainstorms, and the pings of hail
Feeling noticeably cooler air after a summer thunderstorm moves through
Getting my first whiff of pervasive jasmine the first spring I spent in Southern California
Eating juicy Palisade peaches on Colorado’s western slope
Eating sweet Iowa corn on the cob
Eating chips and queso in Texas
Eating street tacos in California
Eating Chicago deep dish pizza (especially Lou Malnati’s)
Getting a slice of New York style pizza in Manhattan
Eating all-you-can-eat spaghetti at Gondolier in Boulder
Trying the best BBQ in Kansas City, Austin, Memphis, and elsewhere
Strolling the squares of Savannah
Admiring the historic homes of Charleston
Staying at Los Poblanos Inn (Albuquerque) on a babymoon
Riding bikes along the Rio Grande
Listening to “The Mighty Rio Grande” on American roadtrip playlists
Curating place-inspired playlists for family road trips in Colorado, Montana, and the American West
Tasting my grandma’s pecan pie and homemade vanilla ice cream
Savoring Kira’s blueberry pie and strawberry pie
Sipping Washington cider at Finnriver Farm
Toasting Willamette Valley wine
Taking in the pristine blue of Crater Lake
Seeing the first purple blossoms of Jacaranda trees in May
Observing the strange beauty of Saguaro in Arizona
Contemplating the mind-blowing age of Sequoia trees in Yosemite
Breathing in the Sierra mountain fragrance of ponderosa pine
Hiking among ferns and Redwoods in Redwood National Park
Roasting s’mores around a mountain campfire
Smelling campfire smoke while watching outdoor movies at Pinecrest amphitheater
Hearing National Park ranger talks
Tubing down the Stanislaus River, especially after a snowy winter
Making fresh-squeezed OJ during citrus season
Making fresh-squeezed lemonade with our kids to sell at lemonade stand
Grilling hamburgers on my old-school Weber
Eating Wisconsin cheese curds and “widgets” (fried dough with cinnamon sugar) at Maggie Moo’s Dairy Ripple
Trying blueberry ice cream in Rockland, Maine
Getting bagels from Russ & Daughters in NYC
Watching the Maui sunset and eating Hula Pie at Duke’s
Tasting fresh pineapple at the Dole Plantation on Oahu
Cooling off with Dole whips during the Enchanted Tiki Room show at Disneyland
Smelling beignets in New Orleans Square
Watching my kids devour churros dipped in Mexican hot chocolate sauce
Relishing the rides, foods, and expo hall at Tulsa State Fair every September
Getting a Hot Dog on a Stick in the mall food court
Eating at Chick-fil-A back when it was only in mall food courts
Seeing the Northern Lights in Fairbanks
Watching a grand sunset over the Kansas plains
Watching July 4 fireworks at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado
Watching July 4 fireworks on a boat cruise in San Francisco Bay
Watching July 4 fireworks over the Arkansas River in Tulsa
Watching a Boston Pops concert before July 4 fireworks on the Charles River Esplanade
Setting off smoke bombs and Black Cat fireworks on our driveway
Putting on a patriotic “concert” with my cousins in my grandparents’ backyard on July 4
Listening to jazz in Millennium Park at the Chicago Jazz Festival
Sitting in the grass hearing Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood
Laying on the grass hearing Explosions in the Sky at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Attending Hollywood Bowl concerts over the years (Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie)
Seeing Coldplay at Red Rocks with my sister on their A Rush of Blood of the Head tour
Going with my church small group to summer “Concerts in the Park” in Orange, California
Exploring foodie spots in Brooklyn in the heydey of hipsterdom
Seeing “Oklahoma!” at Discoveryland in Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Seeing Lawrence Welk and Shoji Tabuchi in Branson, Missouri
Taking in the flowers at the Azalea Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Riding the carnival rides, and eating brats, at Oktoberfest in Tulsa
Swimming in the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park
Swimming in the Glenwood Hot Springs pool
Swimming in Slide Rock State Park (Arizona)
Swimming in the balmy Atlantic Ocean on Miami Beach
Swimming in the cold Pacific Ocean on Coronado Beach
Escaping to Utah during the pandemic (no masks anywhere!)
Hiking Angel’s Landing in Zion
Riding “Angel’s Flight” in downtown L.A.
Riding an airboat in the Everglades
Riding the mountain coaster in Breckenridge, Colorado with my son
Watching my sons come down the alpine slide in Park City, Utah
Riding the Durango-Silverton steam train as a kid and then with my kids
Taking the Cog railway to the top of Pike’s Peak, as a kid and then with my kids
Watching Old Faithful erupt, as a kid and then with my kids
Watching sunsets from the Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge, before it burned down
Sitting in the chapel in Teton National Park
Walking under the antler arch in Jackson, Wyoming town square
Watching the Jackson town square “shootout”
Enjoyed chuckwagon suppers at Flying W Ranch in Colorado Springs
Visiting the Hearst Castle in San Simeon
Watching Citizen Kane
Reading Lonesome Dove
Coming to love Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo: IV. Hoedown” by watching the 1990s “Beef: It's What’s For Dinner” commercials
Touring the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine
Touring the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Touring the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe, NM
Touring the Bob Dylan Museum in Tulsa
Admiring Wayne Thiebaud’s “Cakes and Pies” and “Apartment Hill” at Kansas City art museums
Frequenting Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago back when it was one of the pioneers of third-wave coffee
Sipping coffee at sunrise while tent camping in the Sierra
Attending Rooster Days parade and carnival in Broken Arrow
Doing a mock Oklahoma Land Run in 4th grade
Seeing four planets and the Milky Way with my kids in Tucson’s dark sky
Climbing the pink-red rocks at Garden of the Gods
Riding in my grandparents’ camper van back to Boulder from Royal Gorge
Voting in my first presidential election (2004)
Standing on the field at Arrowhead after the Chiefs-Buccaneers game on Election Night, 2024
Seeing Ralphie run before a University of Colorado football game
Attending White Sox games with my cousins
Riding the Red Line to Wrigley to see a Cubs game
Taking in a Red Sox game with friends at Fenway
Going to a Dodgers games for Father’s Day with my kids
Going to a Cardinals game with my dad when Mark McGwire was nearing the home run record
Seeing the Royals beat the Angels in the playoffs the year KC won the World Series
Getting goosebumps during the hype video at Allen Fieldhouse before a Jayhawks basketball game
Watching (on TV in my L.A. apartment) Kansas beat Memphis in the 2008 NCAA national championship game
Watching Macy’s Day parade on TV every Thanksgiving morning
Watching the Rose Parade on TV every New Year’s Day
Eating Chex mix and mini hot dogs at Super Bowl parties
Eating at the McDonalds Riverboat in St. Louis
Crossing the Mississippi River on drives from Kansas City to Chicago
Watching Jurassic Park in June 1993 after a morning at Bill Self’s basketball camp
Watching Malick’s The Tree of Life in the Cinerama Dome with 20+ friends in May 2011
Sitting stunned in a Beverly Hills screening room when I watched The New World at a press junket
Seeing a new-release Malick film in a theater for the first time: The Thin Red Line in 1998
Watching Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan and later reading Garrett Graff’s When the Sea Came Alive
Standing silently in the American Cemetery at Normandy
Attending red carpet premiere of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon at the Dolby Theater
Watching Hoosiers at McCracken-family Christmas gatherings
Watching The Ten Commandments on ABC every Easter
Watching TGIF sitcoms on ABC every Friday night
Decorating my Grandma McCracken’s Christmas tree with popcorn strings
Bowling on Christmas morning
Getting care packages from Grandma always with Cracker Jack boxes and Pepperidge Farm treats
Experiencing Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead for the first time
Reading The Great Gatsby in Adams Park(Wheaton) on a warm April day
Reading books all summer for the public library reading program
Winning an Ernest Hemingway writing contest in high school
Building houses with Lincoln Logs that my dad played with as a boy
Visiting Lincoln’s birthplace in Kentucky
Visiting Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage in Tennessee
Visiting the Truman Library in Missouri
Seeing Manhattan Project sites in Los Alamos, NM
Taking the Chicago River Architecture Tour
Celebrating Chinese New Year in Chicago’s Chinatown
Eating a cannoli at Modern Pastry in Boston’s North End
Hearing about the Oklahoma City Bombing in my sixth-grade (Tulsa) classroom
Watching the O.J. Simpson verdict announced live on a TV wheeled into my seventh-grade classroom
Coming home from my high school and watching Columbine high school students jump out of windows live on television in 1999
Waking up on September 11 (as a Wheaton College freshman) to news of planes flying into the World Trade Center
Hearing the heroics of Wheaton College alumnus Todd Beamer on United 93
Feeling wrecked at the end of Paul Greengrass’s United 93when I saw it in a Redlands, California theater in 2006
Visiting the 9/11 Museum
Watching live TV, with a group of friends, as President Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden
Falling in love with American history through courses I took from Larry Eskridge at Wheaton College
Seeing a midnight screening of Return of the King with Wheaton College friends
Attending midnight book releases for Harry Potter at Barnes & Noble
Waiting in line to see Star Wars: Episode 1 in 1999 with high school buddies
Visiting numerous Civil War battlefields and historic sites on family road trips
Doing the Gettysburg self-driving tour with Kira
Riding the ferry from the Olympic Peninsula to Seattle
Touring the School Book Depository museum in Dallas
Driving the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West
Driving Highway 1 from L.A. to San Francisco
Driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park
Driving I-40, I-70, I-80, and other east-west interstates across many states and time zones
Driving down I-15 at night toward the Las Vegas lights
Driving on the 405 to Santa Monica, Venice, or The Getty, listening to RAC’s “405”
Driving on I-70 West to Denver from the plains, seeing the faint outline of the Rockies emerge
Flying into Southern California at night (the glowing sprawl!)
Touring the Coke factory in Atlanta
Touring the Coors factory in Denver
Exploring the National World War I Museum in Kansas City
Visiting the original Kentucky Fried Chicken
Seeing the first Starbucks at Pike Place Market in Seattle
Visiting the Walmart museum in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas
Seeing the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia
Enjoying Amish baked goods at Reading Terminal Market
Looking at American art at the Gilcrease Museum
Walking among the Shuttlecock sculptures at Nelson-Atkins Art Museum
Watching street magicians on Pearl Street in Boulder
Shopping on Michigan Avenue in Chicago
Lighting ceremony at the Country Club Plaza (KC)
Finding The Brady Bunch house in Studio City
Mowing neighbors’ yards as my first “job”
Smelling like buttered popcorn from working concessions at Cinemark for a summer job
Making lattes for Val Kilmer and Suge Knight as a barista in Beverly Hills
Picking up lunch in Studio City for intimidating executives when I was an intern at Focus Features
Screaming on my first roller coaster: Zingo at Bell’s Amusement Park in Tulsa
Riding the original “Fire in the Hole” at Silver Dollar City (Missouri)
Getting a headache riding roller coasters all day at Six Flags Magic Mountain (California)
Blacking out on Millennium Force at Cedar Point (Ohio)
Feeling inspired by The American Adventure show at Epcot Center
Begging my parents to take me and my cousins to Water World in Denver
Swimming lessons in the neighborhood pool
Taking family bike rides in our neighborhood
Talking with neighbors at impromptu block parties
Spending spring at Little league fields, as a kid playing and as a dad watching
Winning shuffleboard and bocce ball tournaments at Conference Point Camp (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin)
Eating dozens of casserole variations at post-church potlucks
Going to Vacation Bible School for a week each summer
Sensing the Holy Spirit’s presence around the campfire the last night of camp
Getting baptized as a 10-year-old at Florence St. Baptist
Laying on the grass looking at the stars, pondering God
Falling asleep on the couch to the background noise of televised golf