The Summer of '95: The summer of summers

Every time I drive Interstate 80 between Iowa City and Des Moines, I think of the summer of 1995.

East or west, day or night, and especially at sunset, 80 conjures memories of that blazing hot summer 25 years ago: my family’s vacation to Colorado, a trip to the state fair, and road construction, road construction, road construction. I think of “Ants Marching,” Batman Forever, and a five-mile hike to the beach to celebrate the end of elementary school. It brings to mind my trusty Walkman and cassettes filled with eighties music recorded from the radio. I recall sitting in the highest row at Coors Field for my first MLB game—and our Dodge Grand Caravan filling the streets of downtown Denver with smoke afterward.

The summer of 1995 was epic—as epic as a summer can be when you’re 12 years old. It stands out in my memory as the summer of summers, the most eventful and impressionable from my youth, so I plan to commemorate its 25th anniversary with a series of posts. (I’m all about silver anniversaries—perhaps because I always miss 20th anniversaries.)

It should be a fun trip down memory lane—and fun digging through disorganized bins of family photos for worthwhile pics!