State Fair

Yesterday a group of us went to the State Fair at lunch time. We work just down the street from the fairgrounds.

We had a nice time walking around the concessions area. Nathan and Ray got steak sandwiches from the North Carolina Cattlemen's Association while I went to the booth next to it and got roasted corn on the cob. Then we went to another concessions stand and Jason and Scott got steak sandwiches while Joe got an Italian sausage (apparently, not from the good sausage place). On our way to get NCSU ice cream, we paused to get salt water taffy -- Joe and Jason each got some to bring home -- and we passed a deep fried everything place. I guess that kind of explains the name of the official State Fair blog -- Deep Fried! Joe and Ray got chocolate chip mint ice cream and I noted that the corn on the cob near the rabbit barn looked better than the corn that I had purchased earlier.

From there we started to head towards the free hush puppies, but took a detour to the cider place near the flue cured tobacco barn. Then it turned out that no one wanted cider. Joe debated getting some kettle corn to bring home (Jason had purchased some earlier) and by the bluegrass stage. Then we went to the grist mill and got our free hush puppies and wandered through the Village of Yesteryear. Then it was on to the Amish fudge so that Joe could get some to bring home. The final items on the shopping list were nuts and maple cotton candy.

Joe wanted nuts from a stand on midway near the Kerr Scott building so we headed up that way, stopping along the way for Jason to get a float. We threatened to put Jason on the Vertigo ride after he had his float! The nuts looked good and we passed the ostrich burger place to get there. We debated getting Click it or Ticket clickers for Joe's daughters and went into the Kerr Scott building in an attempt to located them but had no luck. There I overheard a mother telling her daughter, "Oh honey, you won't like that. It's souse." We sampled the honey cotton candy and decided that the maple cotton candy was probably better so we passed on that.

From there we cut through the Green NC display, saw the chick-cans and went to the Commercial building where Joe and I each had a Mount Olive pickle and got maple cotton candy to bring home. On the way out of the building, I got a sample of chocolate covered peanuts and shared them with the group.

We went through the Education building next door and saw the chocolate dipped bacon that we have heard so much about. We decided to get an order to share among for of us. At first, it tasted kind of good but not particularly special -- like chocolate covered salted nuts. Then it just started to taste fatty. The finish was bad -- like gritty bacon grease. Joe said that he wanted something to get the taste out of his mouth. Jason pointed out that the place that sold the chocolate covered bacon also sold sodas. Joe refused to give them more money. It was time for us to leave the fair anyway so we went to the gas station across the street and got a soda and walked back to the office.