Minnesota State Fair (Part 1)

On Monday the Troutbirders headed off to St Paul and The Great Minnesota Get Together. The Iowa State Fair is the largest in the nation with Texas second: however, the Minnesota State Fair has a higher number of attendance daily but is open half the amount of time. It a lots of fun and gives Troutbirder the opportunity to break all the rules, once a year, on what he shouldn't eat! Come on along and take a look.

If you've gone to state fairs off and on for decades, there is a routine that develops. Certain venues are always visited, things eaten or done year after year. This year was going to be different. We decided to branch out, try some new things and began with the gondola ride.

Launch pad
Up Up and Away!

It was mid morning about this time and the huge crowds hadn't arrived yet. Mrs T, not being enamored of heights nor amusement rides, thought the gondola ride was just fine. On a roll, I suggested the dealth defying giant bungee capsule ride. "No thanks," I heard her say.

We could hear some music and stopped at one of the many band shells. This was the "Leinie Lodge" named after a certain Wisconsin Beer.

Alpinsterne (Stars of the Alps) was playing oompah music. Soon members of "senior day" audience began jumping out into the aisles and dancing to the melodious strains of "The Beer Barrel Polka." "Edelweiss" from the Sound of Music soon followed along with other favorites. We sat and listened for about forty-five minutes. At this pace, I suggested we just might not be exhausted, as we usually were, at the end of the day!

All right lets cut to the nitty gritty - food. Fast food is in, usually of the....shall we say, grossest types. Years ago there were many church dining halls, serving wholesome standard family fare. No more. Every exotic item is available now. Much of it is served on a stick after being deep fat fried. For example, deep fried Snickers Bar. Yuk. One of my favorites though are deep fried Cheese Curds.

Here is something new this year. They take chunks of bacon fat and deep fry it. I did have enough sense to skip that one but still managed, in about six hours, to put away approximately 25 thousand calories and a three week supply of chloresterol.

We stopped in the horticulture building. Being a gardener, I like to check on the standards that are being set in the vegetable field.




No doubt about it. My veggie garden needs more sunshine and fertilizer!

One thousand One Hundred and Eigthy Six Pound Pumpkin. Seriously!!!

We also visited the livestock barns.

Now speaking of BIG, in the swine building, we met Deano. Deano, a Hampshire boar, weighs in at a measly 1310 lbs. I wonder if he has heard of the Big Fat Bacon stand? He doesn't look too worried though.

Next in Part 2 we see some amazing dogs, venture into a romantic tunnel, and witness a live birth.