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| Me and the winner of the "Best Beard Under Six Inches" Contest! He was a very nice young man who was quite proud of his beard and his state. |
Our shuttle driver picked us up right on time. The drive from the Alyeska Hotel to the Anchorage Airport was only around 45 minutes. Most of the drive is along the Seward Highway and is quite scenic. We had mountains out the left side and the tidal waters of Turnagain Arm on the right side. As an added bonus we were able to spot a few Beluga Whales along the way. These whales are fairly small by whale standards, with adults around 18 feet long. They do not have a dorsal fin, they're white and they grab a quick breath and head back under water. All of which makes them a little difficult to spot and when you do see them it isn't for long.
We picked up the rental car at the airport and were quickly on our way to Palmer and the Alaska State Fair. We had a hunch it would be fun but little did we estimate what a treat it would be. The sky was clear, the temperature was in the 60's, there was a 1471.5 pound pumpkin to be seen and it seemed as if all of Alaska and many folks from other parts of the world were wanting to see it. It took us about 45 minutes to cover the last 4 miles or so before pulling into a parking space. Once we were inside we were immediately greeted with a plethora of caloric delights.
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| Big, Fat and Fried! What more could you ask for? |
Not being shy we immediately dove right in. First up was something someone we had talked to told us was a "must", pork chop on a stick, which ironically was located not far from the racing pigs. Another popular item at the pork chop on a stick booth was fried cheese curds. Well, if you have to wait in line for one thing, you might as well get them both at the same time. We were off and running!
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| Pork Chop on a Stick! |
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| Fried Cheese Curds. I think the lady behind Beth is envious |
Size wise the Alaska State Fair is smaller than other state fairs we've visited (Florida, Texas and North Carolina). However, when it comes to enthusiasm and pride it tops the list. Crowds of happy people eating fried foods of all types while wondering through quilts, canned foods, decorated cakes, and art work by school children and adults. They were watching demonstrations of the latest and greatest in cookware, knives, cleaning products and massage chairs. As with most state fairs, the farm animals raised by members of the 4-H Clubs and school FFA organizations were a big treat. Speaking of big, yes, a 1471.5 pound pumpkin is quite large. As was the 50 pound cabbage, huge heads of lettuce, massive squash, zucchini and other vegetables.
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| 1471.5 pounds of pumpkin. You could get enough pumpkin pies out of that baby to supply Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pies to everyone in Deleware |
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| A fifty pound cabbage! |
We enjoyed watching a children's fiddling group while eating a bucket of crab cakes. We sat on a bench and took in the sites, sounds and smells with a funnel cake. We quenched our thirst with a blended mocha during the BMX bike stunt show and stuffed our faces with Kettle Corn (advertised as a "health food" that was high in fiber, low in fat and all natural) during the pig races. Just to set the record straight, we weren't always eating. We watched most of the "Best Beard in Alaska" contest and the entire one hour lumberjack show without food. Boy were we famished when that show was over. One funny thing about the "Best Beard in Alaska" contest. There were different categories. Two of the categories were under six inches and over six inches...……...that's getting a little personal!
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| A bucket of crab cakes! |
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| There were some great beards...……..most of them on men. |
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| Jumping over the sun while doing a flip...….impressive |
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| This thing left evidence all over our clothes |
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| I used to actually ride this thing...……...many, many, many years ago |
We learned that a unique and longstanding tradition of the fair is face painting and hair art. While it was mostly children, there were quite a few adults walking around with some fancy hair and faces. Below are a few samples:
After the second heat of the pig races we slowly made our way towards the car. We had a delightful afternoon of tickling the senses at the amazing Alaska State Fair. As we drove towards our hotel in Wasilla we talked about our experiences at state fairs. Although our sample size is only four, (Fla, TX, NC and now Alaska) they are great experiences that shouldn't be missed. It gives you an excuse to eat a ridiculous amount of unhealthy food, cheer on racing pigs, and see strange looking chickens and rabbits. But the most entertaining part of any state fair is just sitting back and looking at the interesting looking people in attendance. It brought a couple of questions to my shallow mind. Where the heck do all these unique looking people come from and since they're all gathered together at the state fair, who is shopping at Wal-Mart today?
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| Pig Races...……..loser goes down to the Pork Chop on a Stick Booth |
