Next week I will be making the journey back to the west coast. I will be in CA for around 46 hours. I will then be heading to Reno, NV for one of my closest friends weddings. I have known Craig for 10 years and I am so excited to celebrate with him and Laurie on this special day. It is also going to be fun seeing many of my friends again in one place! It might get a little crazy 🙂

During my almost two days of being in CA, I am going to get to go to the State Fair! The stars have aligned and the fair opens on Friday when I fly in Thursday. Not only that, but David Cook is the concert that night! SO EXCITED! I have been a frequent visitor to the Fair and I am so glad that my move to Texas has not changed the fact that I still get to go this year…I guess I should actually thank Laurie and Craig for planning their wedding this weekend, so THANKS!

Some of you reading this may have been to the fair, so you totally understand my excitement. Some of you may live in a totally other state and never been there. I know all state’s have fairs, and I am looking forward to going to Texas’, I hear its amazing, but I only have CA’s to go by. So I thought it would be fitting for me to share with you my top 10 favorite things at the fair:

10. Rides-I have always loved rides. At one point in my life it was my goal to visit every amusement park in the world. And fair rides do not scare me. A lot of people get nervous to ride them because they are not permanent and the workers look sketchy sometimes. But I go with full confidence that if it is my time, then its my time and I might as well go down having fun! One thing I have noticed with age though is I can no longer do certain rides. The one that comes to mind is the Gravitron. This is the one that looks like a spaceship. You lay against the wall inside and your seat slides up and down. I went on it after my first year of college and definitely thought I was going to puke. It has the same effect on me as the teacups do. Now I try and stick to others like the Ferris Wheel or the Drop Zone.

9. Games-I love carnival games. Side note-Circus Circus in Reno is one of my favorite places! I know most times it is a waste of money and people think they are rigged, but I can’t help but play a few. Last year my friend Jenna and I played the goldfish game. We didn’t win, but we spent enough money that they give you the fish anyways. He didn’t last too long…totally my fault. I will share that story in another post…it is quite humorous…unless you are an animal rights activist who cares about goldfish.

8.Concerts-I have seen quite a few good shows at the state fair. What’s cool is that you can watch it with just paying admission. If you want to be up-close than you can pay extra. Some of the artists I have seen are: Newsboys, Colin Raye, and Lifehouse.

7. Livestock Babies-UC Davis is a big agriculture school that is right next to Sacramento where the fair is. They have an exhibit with pregnant cows and pigs that give birth throughout the fair and you can watch. They also have areas set up to see the babies that have already been born. I have never actually watched a live birth, but I love visiting with the little babies! So cute! But we never stay there too long because we can only stand the smell for so long.

6. People Watching-Fairs are a close second, next to airports, when it comes to people watching. So many different kinds of people come to the fair and for so many different reasons. It’s fun to just sit, watch and rest on a bench while eating some dippin dots. Speaking of food…

5.FOOD-This is the time where if you are on a diet…it goes out the door. How can you pass up a funnel cake? I always have one in honor my friend Brianne. They are her favorite. She should have them at her wedding! Great Idea! So many different things to try-basically you can get anything you want fried. And then you have the classic turkey legs, corn dogs, and corn on the cob. The Lemonade stands are so good and I can never pass up a frozen chocolate banana-I love getting those at D-land as well.

4 County Exhibits-For some people this may be really boring, but I LOVE IT! Each county in CA is assigned to make an exhibit representing their county and then they are judged and have awards for the best. Some counties are just so creative. I especially love the ones that use water features 🙂 Which leads me to my number 3…

3. Themed Exhibit-There is an exhibit in the middle of Cal Expo that has a different theme each year. One year they did different classic movies, the next they did pirates. And in the middle of the exhibit is a huge waterfall. I could hang out in there for an hour, but none of my friends would like that much…actually, now that I think about it, there is a wine area right next to it, so maybe I will just make them get some wine and then I can hang out there…great idea!

2. Hypnotist. My first experience with watching a hypnotist was at my grad night from graduation. It is a memory I know I will keep for a long time. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard. At the state fair they have the same hypnotist every year. He is great! I have seen some pretty outrageous things. It is one of the most entertaining things I have ever watched.

1. Picture Taking! My friends and I like to have fun when we take pictures. So, all the photos you see spliced throughout this blog are all at the fair and us being silly. We tend to do this anywhere and everywhere we go anyways. Why take a normal picture? That’s boring. Dare to be different.

Well, its time for bed. Let me know if you enjoy any of the same things I do, or maybe you like something else. The countdown is on…7 days till I run, well actually walk, through those gates and have some “big fun.” Until next time…PEACE OUT!