I’m taking some vacation next week, at least a day of which will be spent at the State Fair of Texas. The event, the largest state fair in the country (everything’s bigger here blah blah blah), opens tomorrow for its annual three-week run.
“Big Tex” is the patron saint of the fair. He’s a big statue-like thing erected *heh heh* each year to welcome visitors to his party. I think he used to be a Santa Claus, but is now festooned in cowboy attire. He also “talks,” but his jaw is so unwieldy that it’s kinda slow. For the uninitiated, he usually begins announcements with “Howdy folks” ... or more like “How ... dee ... folks!” Great fun. Big Tex’s greatest job is as landmark, but he also magically makes all calories consumed at the fair not count.
This will be the Cutlet’s first trip to the fair. I’ve been several times – with parents, high school friends, college friends and once a few years ago with the Petite Filet. We vowed never to return until we had a child. Well, here we go. Time to make some memories.
Here are the Top 10 things to do at the State Fair of Texas, according to me:
1. Rides. I’ve always wanted to ride the Texas Star, which is a multi-story Ferris wheel from which you can see Fort Worth on a clear day (that’s about 40 miles away, folks). We won’t be doing any gut-jostling things with the Cutlet in tow, but I might have to ride that big wheel!
2. The Auto Show. This is a great time to smear things onto the interiors of cars you’ll never own. It’s also a great place to augment your collection of new-car brochures. We won’t be doing that because we’re not in the market for any vehicle we don’t win (note to self: enter all the drawings).
3. Livestock shows. We’re going to try to watch one of the Border collie shows. The Cutlet loves to torment ours, so we figure he’d get a kick of seeing several at once doing their intended dog-duty of herding sheep. We’ll hit the petting zoo if there is one, too.
4. Eat a fried Twinkie®. This concoction became infamous at a New York City deli. There’s only one booth at the fair licensed by Hostess® to fry Twinkies®. You will be mine, fried cream-filled delight.
5. Eat a corny dog. Despite having a factory across the street from my office that deep-fries 10,000 of them at once, I just gotta have one at the fair. With mustard. You will be mine, fried dog in a blanket on a stick!
6. Eat a fried Oreo®. Hadn’t heard about this one until I saw it on a morning news program. Must have one, oh delicious transfatty battered cookie!
7. Eat (see a pattern here?) a turkey leg. That is, if I’m not ralphing on Big Tex’s boots after stuffing myself silly with items 4-6.
8. Eat [insert name of whatever else looks good at the time]. Yummy, whatever you are!
9. Tour some of the exhibits. Several large halls feature creative arts projects, commercial booths and the like. If there are baskets, the PF will drag me to that area, too. Fortunately, I’ll be so high on sugar and greasy goodness that I won’t know where I am.
10. Go home happy. We’re planning to hop the train to Dallas, and take a bus to the fairgrounds. For many people, taking a train is not a big deal, but Texas is Land Where Everyone Drives. The stress of fighting traffic, the cost of parking and considering how tired we’ll be afterward, the train’s the only way to go. We’ll ride the rails back to Fort Worth, drive the five minutes from the station to our house, and collapse.
Fun!
Someone's going to have a tummy ache at the end of the day.
I haven't been to the state fair in years and years and years. I'm definitely going to have to make the drive and take the kiddos someday.
Fun, fun.
Oh yes! I am so there, too! No where else will I eat the above mentioned foods willingly. But at the fair, you just crave it! (Went there 3 years ago when I was pregnant with Little Diva. I almost bankrupted my family eating so much!)
See ya there (or on the train!)
Love the State Fair!! The Ferris wheel is SO worth it - awesome!! And only a Fletcher's corny dog does the trick. They're the best! I'm planning to eat a fried Twinkie too. And some fried cheesecake. Yum!!
I'm so hungry now...at it's nowhere near lunch time...aghhh!!!!! I never thought a fried twinkie and a corn dog would sound so good.
[Found my way here via T, over at Eagle Eye View]
As a card carrying member of "you simply can't go to a state fair without eating your self sick" club, I'd like to welcome you to the group!! ;)
that guy has got a serious problem between his legs...well...you know what i mean? hard to walk and all.
OH! You know what I heard was good? The fried 3 Musketeers Bar! Try that for me and let me know, okay?!?
T-bone -- I miss the Dallas, whoops, Texas State Fair!!!
It makes for the best people watching, ever. Although the Oklahoma State Fair is right up there with it!
On the eating fried anything subject, I posted this before somewhere, you may have seen it?
The Prodigal Son bar in Chicago has $1 Batter-n-Fry nights on Thursday where you can bring anything (edible) in to get battered and fried. Twinkies, Candy Bars, Cheesecake, YUMMMMMMY...
This bar also has Wednesdays "All you can Eat Bacon" night...
I so love the State Fair. I am glad somebody else loves the ferris wheel as much as I do. My buddies usually do not want to ride it.
for me, it's all about the funnel cake from the fair...damn, now I'm hungry!
Great posts of the last week or so, or at least to the end of the page I've read. I was going into T-Blog withdrawl! Have a great time at the fair, and a great vacation! I think we're going this weekend.
You can't forget the petting zoo now that you have the little one!!! I'm so glad Little Prissy Princess loves animals because I blame having to go in there on her *big smile*.
Bring two bibs. One for the Cutlet and one for yourself!
:)
Have fun!
I don't see what's cheap about this. :/