The 250th Birthday of the USA

2026 was the 250th birthday of the United States and was celebrated with the brand "America 250".

For some reason, it felt like it was literally the anniversary of everything!

• Route 66 turns 100

• Hunchback of Notre Dame turns 30

• American Girl turns 40

• Budweiser is 150

• KIDZ BOP is 25

• Pokémon turns 30

• "Wild Kratts" turns 15

• Winnie the Pooh is 100

I went to Wild Kratts LIVE! 2.0 - Activate Creature Powers. Now I didn't watch Wild Kratts, but I did watch Zoboomafoo and hopped around like a lemur as a kid. I felt it in my soul the need to see the Kratt Brothers.

This was one of the best shows I have seen in a long time. More specifically, a children's show. The interactions, the props, the whole script, it was all great.

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Memorial Day weekend I went to Atlanta, IL to visit the American Giants Museum with the other Route 66 and Muffler Men enthusiasts. Later, I saw the "World's Largest McDonald's Fried Apple Pie" on Route 66 in Joliet. This was only up for a limited time.

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While traveling down to Indiana, we caught the Budweiser Clydesdales as they were celebrating their big anniversary.

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I enjoyed a wonderful can of "American Dew". I love this can design.

Fourth of July came faster than a speeding bullet. To celebrate the big anniversary, we first headed over to Token Creek (outside Sun Prairie) to watch the World's Biggest Little Parade. While that is the tagline, it is more like the world's wettest parade. Everyone lines up and down the road and prepares with the biggest water guns they can find. Those in the parade are prepared too. The National Anthem is sung, and there is a Freedom Circle where everyone "Whoville" holds hands to "God Bless the USA". I have never seen anything more US then this. Then the chaos begins as the parade starts and the water starts flying (not that it wasn't already being shot before the parade).

After getting soaked, it was off to Monroe, Wisconsin. We started with some of the best chinese food at "New Chopsticks" then checked out the art around the square. Each year they do a different art theme and put up sculptures around their town hall. This year's theme was "Road Trip"!

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Then we headed over to the park to chill out and wait for fireworks. We ate kettle corn and of course had to find a hot dog.

Monroe's fireworks are the best town fireworks I have seen. But I haven't seen many. I love that they are paired up to music.

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It was a great way to wrap up the Fourth of July.

The rest of the summer was spent seeing Rush, flying on the B-17 Sentimental Journey, and taking it easy at home for the most part. I had hoped to more on Route 66, but this wasn't in the cards this year.

Happy Trails!

~The Tacky Tourist