I can’t rank them. It would be like ranking your favorite child or sibling. I love them all the same.

I’ve never watched a sunset and thought “meh”

I’ve never experienced one without a smile on my face even if I was walking out of a slow day of work at Southern. The sun always set right when I’d leave work on a summer work day. I’d drive home while it disappeared over the distant Appalachians. Sometimes it would be the only smile I could conjure up from a long day.

I’m rarely on the west coast so a good beach sunset is rare for me. I spent 6 sunny days in Hawaii and every evening I’d run down to the beach, find the coziest spot on the rocks and melt into the set with a cold vodka in plastic cup. I wish I had better control. I do miss that initial burn down my throat. I could feel the icy liquid run through my blood from head to toe. That’s the only part I miss.

I watched that sunset every night. I planned my whole day around it.

I ate my first lobster roll in hand while the sun set over the bay in Bar Harbor, Maine. I pulled my truck over and sat under a bridge right outside of Acadia National park. Same trip I ate outside of a cafe in Delaware and watched the sunset right over a bed and breakfast. The food was terrible but the sunset brought tears to my eyes. Two days later I’d cut ties with Southern

Tailgate wrapped in blankets in a vacant parking lot in Buena Vista on a cold October evening. Shivering in 27° pre snow forecast. Recently unemployed. Too caught up in the moment to give a shit.

The one I saw with my old high school buddy straddling Utah and Arizona lake side on Lake Powell that spanned along the wide horizon, now I know where they came up with the colors of the Arizona flag. I bet I took a thousand photos. If I were ranking them that one would give all of the others a run for their money.

Utah outside of Moab, a old gas station highway side after exploring the Arches. Feet dangling out of my tailgate with a can of Campbell’s tomato soup and potato chips. One of my favorite childhood meals. I was on a nostalgia bender that day. Earlier that day I’d bought a can of Pepsi with a side of junior mints. My mother and I would walk to the grocery store in Piedmont in the summers to grab these and snack on the way home.

Piedmont had a few that would set over the pastures. I acknowledge them now. My young mind wasn’t ready for the value of a good sunset. I had MTV instead

Our old home in San Souci I never got to see one because of where our house sat. Maybe that’s why I never liked that house.

Gulf sunsets warming my face, eating bang bang shrimp with while a small trio, wearing floral shirts, paying homage to Jimmy Buffet.

Feet submerged in the Rocky Broad in Hickory Nut Campground after a fat burger in the village. Site 78 I believe. The sun set would touch my site briefly before resting for the night. I had no idea that the last time I was there it would be my last one in that spot.

Two of them I watched back to back outside of Glacier. 23zero camping chair under my truck awning. The second night I felt like a mountain lion was watching the same one as me. I spent the rest of the evening in my roof top, mossberg nestling close by. The full moon shown brighter than the sun that night.

Watched the sun turn purple one night outside of Gallatin, MO with my daughter on our tailgate

Shitty seats at a Elton John/ Billy Joel concert in Death Valley stadium in the early 90s. Nose bleed level but that sunset took over the concert. Joel was playing Scenes From an Italian restaurant. It became my favorite song of his.

Big fat one sat over the plains opposite the Wall in South Dakota. I had driven 16 hours to get there. Exhaustion diminished that one a tad.

Crested Butte- camped in Washington Gulch. It was amazing enough for me to drive back to see it again. Mosquitoes be damned. My mind lives in CO some days.

A hundred of them in Linville. My little spot that sometimes I just shake my head in wonder that I get my own little sunset. Rarely see another soul. The dusk light stretches all the way across the gorge. In the winter when the air is crisp you can see for miles. I’ll sit on a rocky ledge alone and feel my reset switch flip. I’m terrified of heights everywhere except for that one particular spot. I intend to get back there soon. I don’t give a shit if I have to buy three chainsaws. We were meant to be together.

Although I’ll never rank them Linville does have an unfair advantage of being one of my favorite places in all the lands.

I read a quote some time ago “Sunsets are my escape into the reality I want to continuously live”

It’s resonated ever since.