All Things American

With the 4th of July approaching, I can't help but be excited! I love all things related to this patriotic holiday! As a child, I welcomed the fourth of July most summers at my granddad's cabin in the mountains in NC. This small community has celebrated this day in good ol' homespun fun for years. The morning begins at 7 am with a community 5k. This is followed by a rinky dink parade that is loads of fun for the kids (most of the parade participants are retired senior citizen residents and their families, children and counselors that are there for the summer camp program, the local veterans association, the Presbyterian bagpipe association, random walkers and, of course, the fire department). Everyone in the parade is dressed in their all-american attire, waving their US flags and throwing handfuls of candy to the delight of all the children watching this lovable spectacle. The parade is followed by a BBQ picnic for the whole town, a greased pole climbing contest, 3-legged races, paddle boats and canoe rentals on the lake, family reunions, and much, much more! The evening is topped by a square dance held under the moonlight on the tennis courts - the whole town comes out and either dances or socializes - and it's undoubtedly my favorite event of the day! Lastly, if your kids are old enough, you can head 10 minutes to the next town over to watch a fireworks display over the water. 

It really is dinky but I wouldn't miss it for the world! I have such fond memories of coming up for this each year during my childhood... that I have dreamt about the day my kids would get to form their own happy memories surrounding this holiday in NC, too. This won't be their first year doing this but at 4 years old, I expect Paisley to take great delight and enjoyment in it all more than before.

Anyway, to celebrate this patriotic holiday, I've decided to make a list of all things american. Feel free to add other great american things I may have missed in the comment section:

The Grand Canyon

The Great Smokies

Baseball

College Football

Tailgating

An old chevy truck

Cowboy boots

Stars & stripes

Marilyn Monroe

Hollywood

Apple Pie

Elvis Presley

Rock & Roll

Faded Jeans

State fairs

Big Red chewing gum

Hot dogs

Michael Jackson

Roller Coasters

Fried Chicken

Independence

Happy Fourth of July all!