Smells That Bring Back Childhood Memories In Illinois

Isn't it wild how a smell can hit you and instantly brings back memories from when you were a child? That nostalgic touch.

Imagine: You're in the backseat of your parents' van sipping on a Capri Sun and enjoying a Happy Meal. What smells do you remember from a moment like that?

There are a few smells that take me back to my childhood on 9th Avenue in Rockford. Freshly cut grass, wet paint, and the smell of woodchips. All of those smells I experience during my childhood because my dad would always be doing landscaping and upgrading the house as often as he could, and it makes me happy getting a whiff of them as an adult. Gives me a chance to reminisce!

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Funnel cakes and giant corn dogs also are smells that bring back core memories at the fair. Any fair: Young at Heart, Waterfront, Winnebago County Fair... you name it, I was there as a kid.

What smells stop you in your tracks and teleport you to a time when times were simpler? Here's what locals had to say.

Nostalgic Smells That Bring Back Childhood Memories In Illinois

Big fat black sharpie marker
Mimeograph paper ink
Wax figures at the zoo
Coffee at a gas station
Racing fuel
Plastic tablecloths
Big box of crayons
Corn dogs and hamburgers
Hose water in the backyard

Relate: Y ou’re Pretty Old If You Remember These in Illinois Schools

You know that smell of old books? It reminds me a lot of the dictionaries we had in elementary school. We all got one and they were so bulky, but the scent when you flip the pages is a smell I'll never forget.

It's funny how smells can bring back memories, good or bad. It's even better when you totally forgot something happened and only remembered because of a familiar smell.