Waiting for the bus:
Fun on the bus:
This year, our first stop provided Noah and Phil with a new experience - the famous giant slide. After climbing a long staircase, the two hopped on a burlap sack and went flying down the huge plastic structure. Noah loved it!
Ready...Get Set....
Go!
Next stop was the Miracle of Life barn - crowded as usual - where we were able visit up close with the little animals born during the State Fair (one cow was just about to give birth while we were in there). Noah's favorites were the fluffy little baby chicks. Kai was mostly interested in running around like a wild man which proved quite challenging with the large crowds in the barn - it was a pretty quick visit this year!
Checking out a calf:
Though it was still quite early in the day, Noah decided it was time for a snack, more specifically cheese curds. Phil was quick to comply with the request for this traditional fair delicacy - as an experienced fair goer, he expertly led us to the best vendor and quickly obtained a freshly fried batch. They really are dangerously delicious - especially when hot out of the fryer. Knowing we had more eating ahead of us, we diligently ate just a few curds each before tossing the rest.
Next up - rides for Noah and Phil. Being about 34 weeks pregnant, I decided to comply with all the signs that barred pregnant women from pretty much any ride and instead wheeled Kai around in the stroller watching people. Noah was adamant about riding the Ferris Wheel, so he and Phil stood patiently in line, then enjoyed viewing the entire fairgrounds from up high. Noah then asked to go on a pirate-themed ride by himself - navigating various climbing structures, bridges and obstacles before flying down a very fast slide (his expression was priceless - wish I had been able to capture it in a picture!).
Kai seemed quite content to observe:
More eating followed - pronto pups, hamburgers, fries, and our new food for the year: sausage and cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped with bacon and lightly fried; in case there wasn't enough artery clogging fat in this "dish", it came with ranch dressing for your dipping pleasure. Phil and I agreed that the jalapenos were by far better than the new food item we attempted last year - deep fried snickers bar.
By this time, crowds were really beginning to build (it turned out to be the largest daily attendance in fair history!) and we knew we should start winding things down soon. Noah was allowed to pick one last thing to do - no surprise, he wanted to see the Choo-Choo Bob show. (Choo-choo Bob has an impressive train store in St Paul that we have frequented several times.) While Phil and Noah went to play with trains and watch the show, Kai and I did some more strolling around. Eventually we ended up at the miniature farm sponsored by John Deere. Kids could follow a little trail and pretend to be farm hands. Kai was given a little apron and bucket and off we went. When it became clear that the line was moving at a snails pace and Kai was more interested in banging the metal bucket in the sidewalk, I aborted this mission. We made our way to the end of the trail and opted for the free sample of ice-cream instead.
My sweet little farm hand:
After collecting Noah and Phil from the train show, we headed for our last stop of the day - the dairy barn - for a creamy ice-cream treat(the ice cream sample that Kai and I had just devoured was minimal enough that we had no problems gulping down a few more spoonfuls!).
Satisfied with our visit, we headed back to the bus and our car - another successful State Fair visit to add to our resume!
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