FAIR, FUN & FOOD: We spent most of Monday in Puyallup, at the Washington State Fair.
It was raining fairly hard, with ominous skies in all directions. But we'd checked the forecast, and it was supposed to improve as the day went on. We took a chance, drove the hour plus to the fairgrounds, and started on some rides in the rain.
Easing into things, the kids relived childhood memories (ha ha) and rode some tiny coasters.
And they enjoyed a small swing to get into the swing of things.
Fun houses were a place to hide out as the rain continued.
And since it was Talk Like a Pirate Day, they checked out the haunted pirate house, as well. While they were inside, blue sky made an appearance.
We made our way to the midway where the bigger rides were located. They enjoyed multiple revolutions on a sky high swing.
Their colorful pants helped me pick them out of the riders as they whizzed overhead.
On the swing ride I couldn't help but notice some of the classic portraits painted on it are looking worse for the wear this year.
There was a pair of Ferris wheels they rode, of course.
And they checked out a cool new ride with a fancy flame paint job.
Naturally, there were roller coasters to be ridden. The kids are in the front car, below.
Later, on the same coaster, they rode in the Ol Yeller cars. They were third from the back on that go 'round.
I love checking out the faces of the riders as they start down the BIG drops. (Click on the photo to make it larger.)
CJ is blocked in the photo below, but you can see Annabelle's expression.
I thought it warranted a closer-up look. She definitely looks more terrified than thrilled at that particular millisecond.
Of course, it wouldn't be the fair without gawking at the array of mind-blowing (and questionable) food choices. There were really big burgers ...
as well as cotton candy, of course.
This 'ice cream bar' looked OK from a distance. The Nikon's big lens made it look significantly less appetizing.
There were cookies (near the cow barn, ironically).
When we saw this booth, CJ was wishing he had more money and empty calories to spend.
He was especially attracted to Velveeta, deep fried and served on a stick.
Fortunately, he had just filled up on an official Fisher fair scone. We'd never tried them before, and vowed this was the year.
I have to admit, the bite I had was tasty - and only $1.50, a bargain there!
Incredibly, Fisher scones have been a fair mainstay for 100-plus years!
One new thing at the fair this year was a superheroes sideshow. CJ and Annabelle enjoyed the photo opps within, but passed on meeting the fake Superman and Supergirl.
Here are Annabelle's brief thoughts about her fair visit this year.
The Puyallup Fair this year was fun. They had almost all of
the rides from last year and a couple of new ones! It was especially fun to see
the makeover they gave the WildCat roller coaster. It had blue and green, and
even a new 12th man cart! My favorite ride at the fair this year was
the Classic Coaster, a wooden roller coaster. It’s the last of its kind! It was
super cool seeing all the agriculture displays as well. My favorite display was
one with a baseball diamond made of seeds, beans, and eggs. The fair really has
something for everyone and I can’t wait for next year!
Of course, a fair wouldn't be complete without some chainsaw art ...
And we always enjoy the Washington State Grange displays, but ESPECIALLY loved this baseball themed one!
The bracelets we bought ahead of time for access to all the rides included a couple of midway games. Christian and the kids took on the Kentucky Derby game, which involved aiming a water stream at a vessel. While that was going on, horses would run. The first one to fill up their vessel won.
Annabelle was the family's sharp shooter. She got a stuffed unicorn (!) as her bounty.
Our last stop at the fair was the face painting booth. Frequently, face painting booths are on site in places we visit. And always, there are long lines at those booths. Not yesterday. She walked right up and got a small constellation of glittery stars, no waiting!
Here's CJ's summary of the experience
Every year for quite some time, our family has visited the Washington State Fair, more commonly known as the Puyallup Fair. According to their website at http://www.thefair.com, the Washington State Fair is the largest single attraction held annually in the state of Washington. The Puyallup Fair continually ranks as one of the largest fairs in the world. The Puyallup Fair hosts two annual events, the 21-day Washington State Fair every September, and the four-day Spring Fair in Puyallup every April. Recently, my family visited the Washington State Fair, and I will tell you about what I consider to be the most memorable moments from this trip:
First off, I could not talk about the Puyallup Fair without talking about the Wildcat. The Wildcat is a large roller coaster near the northern part of the park that is pretty fast-paced. Although the lines for the Wildcat are long, the experience is probably worth it. Like most other roller coasters, the Wildcat has dips, or places where the cart takes a plunge down a steep part of the track. Unlike most other roller coasters, though, the Wildcat has three dips, all of which are marked by a small number sign.
Placed very close to the Wildcat is the Classic Coaster. The Classic Coaster is, as its name implies, an old, but refurbished roller coaster. According to the Puyallup Fair's website, the Classic Coaster has been a mainstay at the Fair since 1935, and has just completed a five-year renovation to last the next 100 years. In the 1970's, there was a fire that destroyed some of the coaster, as well as several other parts of the fairgrounds. The Classic Coaster is apparently the last coaster of its kind to feature carts that resemble minecarts (I can't remember the exact name), thus making it special. To me, wooden roller coasters like the Classic Coaster are often scarier than their modern counterparts, probably because they sound rickety, and you can see the wooden framework coming dangerously close to your head and limbs.
Lastly, there was the Giant Slide. The Giant Slide, as its name implies, is a very large slide, located near the southern part of the fairgrounds. The Giant Slide is mostly colored yellow and red, which makes it stand out from other parts of the fair. At the bottom of the Giant Slide, riders will grab a rug from a nearby pile, which they will slide down on, presumably to protect them from plastic burns. Riders then climb a pretty tall staircase, which eventually takes them to the top of the slide. At the top of the slide, an attendant will help the riders get mounted on their rugs, and, once the coast is clear, slide down the bumpy slide. Riders then take their rugs, and add them to the aforementioned rug pile.
In general, I enjoyed the fair this year, and I look forward to going to it again.
