The first place I headed when I got through the gate was a building which plays host to Blondie's. They had a new item on the menu, a chicken bacon ranch pita. Now, I have to say that this particular item was absolutely delicious. The pita shell was fresh, and it was filled with a generous amount of grilled chicken, whole pieces of cut up strips of bacon (none of that diced bacon bit stuff), piled high with chopped lettuce and tomato, and finally drenched in ranch sauce. This was a very easy, if slightly messy, eat. Paired with a Pepsi, this was a great way to start the day.
While letting that settle, I took the requisite pass through the animal shed. It is not my favorite part of the day, obviously, but the fair is never a complete experience without getting a nose full of cow manure. This was a quick visit, followed by a pass through the old farm tools exhibit. This is always kind of neat, seeing the ingenious gas-powered tools used to cut logs, split wood, move water, and other necessary jobs.
With the animals and old engine tour done, it was time for something else to eat. This time I went to a stand advertising boneless pork rib sandwiches. I went over and ordered one up. "Onions and peppers?" they asked. "No, thank you," I responded. I took the nicely sized rib on a bun, smothered in barbecue sauce, found a place to sit, and took a bite. Oh, heavenly pork product. Not quite as tasty as the pita I had earlier, but still quite good. It was tender and the sauce had a nice flavor. That went down with a bottle of water.
After that, a journey up to the craft buildings was in order. There were all sorts of vendors selling all manner of goods. Rain gutters, leather jackets, belts, stone carvings, local food stuffs (like hot sauces and coated nuts), crystals, painted slates, you name it, you could probably find it. That led to a walk through the rides area, a place I knew better than to partake in, considering the food I was hoping to eat.
Our next stop was the pig races, a fair tradition that I find humorous, but not terribly exciting. What it did do was get me ready for something cool. Obviously I stopped by a cart selling root beer floats. There is something magical about the combination of soft serve ice cream and the god of sodas. It was a good size cup and had plenty of ice cream in it — perfect for cooling off on this excessively hot day.
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