1. Awesome anthems
Born in the USA by The Boss, America by Simon and Garfunkel, New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down by LCD Soundsystem, Stuck Between Stations by The Hold Steady:  America sure knows how to write a love (/hate) song to itself. This list could be endless, but those are some of our favourites. 

2. Bruce Springsteen
Have you ever driven on an empty highway at 2 in the morning with the windows down, hot air pouring into the car, and Springsteen playing so loud your ears hurt? It’s enough to make you want to sleep naked wrapped in an American flag. Next to Bruce Springsteen.

3. HBO
It’s not TV, it’s HBO! Sometimes a Great Notion was the first thing they aired, and they’ve stayed golden ever since. The television station was seemingly invented for long Canadian winters, for which we thank our American friends. Now, spending an entire week in your bedroom watching The Wire, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, or True Blood isn’t a guilty pleasure, it’s a cultural experience. Thanks guys!

4. Drive In Movie Theatres
Invented in Camden, New Jersey, necking teenagers everywhere have the Garden State to thank for inventing the Drive In. 

5. In n’ Out
Thanks to Burgers Priest, we’ve sort of got our own version of the classic American fast food joint, where you can order off a secret menu and be puzzled by the Christian sayings on the packaging, but In N’ Out was the original.  Pretty freakin’ American, if you ask me. 

6. Target
Duh. 

7. Route 66
This old highway, a romantic notion that technically no longer exists, can still be traversed if you’ve got a map and a few days. Tiny towns, bizarre patriotic murals, breathtaking landscapes and a time warp await you as you cruise down the original rambler’s highway. 

8. Portlandia
“Hey birds, you guys have little bikes?” This hilarious series captures the cultural phenomon that is Portland, complete with coffee roasters, fixies, and putting birds on things.

9. Allen Ginsberg, Gloria Steinem, Harvey Milk, Rosa Parks, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Hugh Hefner, and so many other amazing activists
The rebellious spirit of the American Dream finds a good home in inspiring individuals who fought for new thinking. These figures, and so many more, represent the importance of fighting to improve a place you love. 

10. Babe-raham Lincoln Outfits
Always hilarious. 

11. The Beach Boys
It’s summer, and all we want to do is listen to Beach Boys albums and dance in hot shorts on the deck of a pool. Okay, so usually this just means watching Beach Boys videos on Youtube at our desk, but it still makes us feel like Endless Summer. 

12. Motown
We seem to always spend one night of our weekend back in 1960, sweating to Motown classics. The Detroit sound is the gift that keeps on swingin’. 

13. Archie Comics
Most of our nostalgic high school memories are tinted by visions of Riverdale High. 

14. Beverly Hills 90210
The highwaisted stonewashed denim, the pastels, the bleached teeth, the drama. The coolest zip code ever is still in Beverly Hills. 

15. Nashville Country
Banjos, sequins, bouffants, sparkly cowboy boots. Oh, what we would give for five minutes onstage at the Grand Ole Opry. 

16. Classic American Style
Because no matter how hard you try, you can never look cooler than when you’re wearing a white t-shirt with Chuck Taylors, tattered Levi’s, and a pair of Ray-Bans. 

~ Haley Cullingham