State Fair

First thing on the agenda was breakfast. I had eaten some cereal before we left, but Des Moines is an hour and a half away. Cinnamon Rolls!



We pretty much headed straight to the Varied Industries Building, since the Fabric and Threads display was on the second floor, and it was kinda raining, so an inside activity was definitely a plus. I didn't look at the results online beforehand, since THEY DIDN'T POST THEM, so it was a surprise to find out I didn't win anything. Oh well. It was still a good experience, and I got to scope out what won in the various categories for ideas for next year. I'll also get my judges' comments back next week after the fair ends, so I'm interested in seeing what they had to say. The winning hat had more colors and was a more intricate fair isle pattern, so I don't feel too bad.



We walked around the booths downstairs while the rain tapered off. There were very few freebies compared to what I remembered, but I did come away with a few home improvement ideas.

I think we hit food then. Everyone else went for corn dogs, then in search of something relatively healthy for Hayden. I went to the Pork Producers tent for a pork loin sandwich, then couldn't find the rest of them where we said we were going to meet and my phone wasn't working, so I was a little pissed by the time they finally found me.

We checked out the Ag Building (with one of the prettiest eggplants I've ever seen), then over to the Cultural Building for photographs, woodworking, and the dollhouses. More food stops and the weather was getting bad again so we headed to the Animal Learning Center for the baby animals, which Hayden enjoyed.



We looked under the Grandstands at more booths and the hawkers (I was thisclose to buying a microfiber cleaning set), but by that time we were about done. I tried the deep-fried Snickers, which was DELICIOUS, and we stopped by the Pork Producers for Dad this time, while I ate a cornbrat.

The day wouldn't have ended so bad, calorie-wise, if we hadn't stopped in Little Amana for supper on the way home. Chicken schnitzel and all the Amananite fixings. So good.