Let's Go To The Fair!

Every year my mom and uncle attend the West Virginia State Fair. I have been able to accompany them almost every year. There were a few times when I couldn't make it home, but if I'm in town or close by at all, I try hard to go. Yesterday I was lucky enough to get to come along.

Part of the fun of the trip is the ride itself. My uncle knows all the back roads so Mom and I load into his truck and he drives us. The travel time is about two hours, so we make a couple stops. There is a gas station that we hit up every year. We pick up cakes and drinks for the road and continue on our way. In addition, we are entertained by my uncle's stories. He has an unlimited supply of tales about everything from areas or landmarks we pass to adventures from his childhood. The opportunity to be with those members of my family and hear my uncle's stories makes the ride fly by.

Upon arriving at the fair, our first stop is usually the exhibit buildings. Depending on what day of the week we go we can expect to see vegetables, flowers, or baking entries on display. We can always count on seeing art, photography, and crafts. It's fun to look at everything people have entered and see if we agree on the judges' choices.

After we finish exploring the exhibits it is usually about time for lunch, so we make our way back to the truck and eat the food we've packed. This may seem weird, but I love this about the trip as well. It's fun to have a picnic of sorts and watch the people heading into the fair. Believe me, people watching at a fair is never boring. All kinds of characters pop out of the woodwork for a state fair.

After lunch it's time to hit the livestock barns. The animals on display tend to vary a little as well, depending on what day we attend. Each year we can expect to see some combination of sheep, cattle, pigs, and goats. It's interesting to see all the different breeds of animals that are brought in. This year I especially enjoyed seeing some sheep with hair instead of wool that don't need to be sheared. Next stop is the draft horses. If you have never seen a draft horse up close you are missing out. No photograph can truly capture how big these animals truly are. The livestock exhibits are definitely one of my favorite parts of the fair.

At this point my uncle usually leaves us to go check out the farm machinery exhibits. Mom and I head to the rabbit barn. Inside is every breed of rabbit imaginable. They have tiny rabbits that could fit in your hand and massive rabbits that could eat your house cat, rabbits with super short velvet fur and rabbits that look like mops. The rabbit barn is full of children informing their parents how much they need a pet rabbit and that the one they are looking at says it is for sale. It can get a bit hectic inside, but the rabbit house is a great stop anyway.

We usually meet back up with my uncle somewhere around the poultry house. This building, obviously, contains all sorts of birds. They have baby ducks, chickens, and turkeys hatching in incubators. A slide surrounded by a pool always draws a crowd as people watch ducklings climb the slide and ride it back into the water. Finally there are usually pens containing full grown turkeys and non-traditional breeds of chickens.

At some point during the afternoon we always have to get homemade milkshakes. These are definitely some of the best milkshakes around. Unfortunately, this year my stomach was bothering me and I didn't feel up to having one of these amazing shakes.

After a full day of seeing all the fair has to offer it is time to head home. My uncles entertains with more stories for the ride. My stomachache bothered me this year, but I had fun nonetheless. It is always a little sad to leave the fair after having such a good day, but there is always the next year to look forward to. I hope that I will be able to attend!