Summer Archives : The Retro Network

Holiday Inn Holidome: A Lost Landmark of Family Travel

Holiday Inn Holidomes turned ordinary hotel stays into indoor adventures, where warm air, glowing string lights, and the sound of splashing pools made every family trip feel like a mini vacation.

We Still Remember Suddenly S’Mores

Mickey Yarber

Warm graham, melting chocolate, and a marshmallow puffing in the microwave. Suddenly S’mores turned an ordinary afternoon into a tiny burst of campfire magic.

Sliding Through Summer on the Crocodile Mile

Mickey Yarber

The Crocodile Mile turned an ordinary backyard into a full summer adventure. One sprint, one dive, and suddenly you were sliding through a giant crocodile like the star of your own Saturday morning cartoon.

General Pop Culture

Opryland USA: A Theme Park Built on Music and Memories

Mickey Yarber

Opryland was a theme park built on music, family, and pure Tennessee charm.

Stuckey’s: The Roadside Oasis That Defined the American Highway

Mickey Yarber

Stuckey’s was the bright blue promise on the horizon, a roadside oasis where pecan logs, souvenirs, and pure Americana turned every family road trip into something a little more magical.

Super Soaker 50: The Backyard Blaster That Ruled the Decade

Mickey Yarber

In the summer of 1990, backyards across America were transformed into splash zones thanks to a revolutionary new take on an old toy: the Super Soaker 50. Sleek, pressurized, and wildly powerful compared to the

House Rules Backyard Summer Games

Kevin Decent

My brother and I spent a lot of time at our grandparents home over the summer. There were dinners I still crave. I would never grill a hamburger the way my grandfather did but I

Enertech Water Guns: The Realistic Water Guns That Created Controversy

Mickey Yarber

Before the neon splash of Super Soakers dominated backyard water warfare, a more intense breed of water guns made waves in the mid-1980s. Enertech water guns, manufactured by LJN Toys, stood out for their jaw-dropping

The Last Summer I Saw My High School Friends

Kevin Decent

My son recently graduated sixth grade, and it’s a big time of transition for him. He’ll be going to a new school for seventh grade. New building, new teachers, new classmates. No guarantees that he

When Ernest Went to Splash Mountain

Mickey Yarber

Before the rise of influencers and viral ride-throughs, there was Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain, a gloriously goofy, half-hour TV special that aired on July 7, 1989, just days before the grand opening of Splash

The Retro Resurgence Podcast – Episode 20 | RR Jeopardy – Summer Edition

Chad Droze

Episode 20! The Inaugural RR Summer Episode! A whole lotta nostalgia packed into one summertime themed episode. Listen to the guys battle as they play a few rounds of RR Jeopardy for the bragging rights

TRN Round Table: Vacations and Road Trips

Mickey Yarber

The fine folks from all around the Network have come together to share stories of memorable vacations and road trips throughout the years. We’re combining them all into one long, omnibus-like post for you to

TRN Time Machine Podcast: Jason and Mickey’s Summer Memories

The Retro Network

The TRN Time Machine podcast is back! As a way to honor Jason’s podcasting legacy, we’re re-releasing classic episodes from the original Retro Network Podcast, as well as classic episodes from the early days of

Summer Reading Program: A season full of books

Karen Flieger

When Eric announced his idea for this series, I was very excited. Books have always been a big part of my life. My mom always read and the library was a frequent errand for us.

Summer Reading Program, Day 2: A Lion, A Witch and Several Investigators

Eric Vardeman

The summer of 1982. I’m twelve and it’s the first summer that I’m really allowed to just ride my bike all over the place. My friends and I would usually take off mid-morning and explore

Summer Reading Program, Day 3: A Galaxy Far, Far Away…

Eric Vardeman

I’m a child of Star Wars. I saw the original trilogy in the theaters starting at age 7. I had all the action figures and a lot of the toys. I had shirts and pajamas

Summer Reading Program, Day 4: S.E. Hinton and The Life of A Dog…

Eric Vardeman

Ninth grade me had a huge crush on an tenth grader in my Biology class. She was blonde, cute and very flirty. So when I found out that she was a library aid during my