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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Fried Frog Legs and Rastafarian Bananas

Every June, we have the annual San Diego County Fair (or Del Mar Fair to those of us who REFUSE to call it by its new name). It's a pretty big deal to us San Diegans. About 60,000 people attend the fair each DAY while it's here. People go to eat weird fried food, maybe buy some new knives or a crystal dragon figurine, look at the livestock, ride an elephant or try to win a Rastafarian banana. It's all great fun!

Hubs and I went last Sunday, thanks to some free tickets from his grandma.

Some steampunk guys at the entrance! See, K. Marie Criddle? Told ya!

Every year there's a new fried food to try. This year, it was Deep-Fried Kool-Aid (see a couple photos down). We didn't buy them, but we saw a lot of people partaking in the red balls of fried dough. Not sure if they were any good. Yes, that is deep-fried butter in this picture. No, we didn't try it (ew!). A couple of years ago, we did try chocolate-covered bacon. But I wouldn't recommend it.

Chicken Charlie's appears to have the most bizarre fried foods. Even though hubs says frog legs are pretty tasty, I don't think I can ever try them. Even if they're deep-fried. Ick!

Here is the place we ordered from (an extension of Chicken Charlie's). We got the "Totally Fried Avocados" and the fried Oreos. If you can't read the sign, yes that's a chicken sandwich with Krisy Kreme donuts for the bun, and then deep-fried.

Here's hubs and me with our fried avocados. They were AWESOME. They came with some olive oil dipping sauce with herbs in it. So good! I was pleasantly surprised. Oh, I just noticed that's the first aid station in the background. Good thing it's right next to Chicken Charlie's!

Then we walked through the rides and games area. For some reason, the big prize was one of these Rastafarian bananas. They also had Angry Birds.

Normally I love to go on rides, but they're so expensive here. And we'd just eaten fried Oreos and avocados. It made me a little queasy just to watch people get twirled upside down. But this pic is perty :).

Elephant rides!! I totally would have done it if I wasn't so cheap. No, I don't know these people. Hope they don't mind being on my blog.

In the livestock area ... llamas! We backed away quickly because that white one kept giving me the stink eye. I was sure it was going to spit on me.

"You know it's hard out here for a pig". Or hog, I guess. This photo doesn't really show how MASSIVE this hog was. From tail to nose, it was probably a lot taller than me.

These music guys were hilarious. They did "Thriller" and did a great job acting like zombies.

I totally broke the rules by taking this picture, but it's Cindy Pon's brush art! Later I wanted to take a pic of a painting of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, but hubs was like "You can't take pictures. There was a sign." Oops.

Another one of Cindy's brush art!

OK, this was seriously awesome. This is in the woodworking displays. The sign reads: "The Wand Chooses the Wizard - 25 Wizard Wands." I asked hubs which wand he'd want to have, and he said, "The wand chooses YOU." Oh, right.

In the gemstone displays. I just love "Paul's Holey Balls."

I didn't take a picture while we were there, but we usually go to the fair to browse the shops areas. Basically, it's like booth after booth of infomercial products. After agonizing over whether it was a good purchase, we spent $60 on this cleaner (we're so young and hip, right?). The demonstration was very convincing! And, we can bring it back next year for a full refund if we hate it. It has a 20-year shelf life and claims to take care of most of our household cleaning needs. I DON'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY MYSELF. YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE NEVER HAVE TO BUY CLEANER AGAIN - BWAHAHA. Ahem.

So, there you have it - my very professional recap of our fair visit. How does this relate to writing? There was SO much inspiration here. A whole novel could take place at the fair: so many interesting people, things to do and see, experiences that are different from everyday life. What's it like to travel from city to city, trying to sell your wares or entice people to buy fried candy bars? What shenanigans can ensue?

Have a great Fourth of July, everyone!!

6 comments:

  1. Looks like fun! I'd say an overall success - ate some awesome fried food, escaped the stink-eyed llama unscathed and scored some sweet cleaner! Way to rock out with your wand out ;)

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  2. Those steampunk guys look pretty interesting. I can't imagine being that age and still dressing up for the fair. But I find it hard to put the effort into dressing up for renaissance fairs and I'm not even 30 yet ;p

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  3. What fun! Thanks for sharing the pics! I agree, a fair is a great place to set a book. I once wrote a historical novel where the hero and heroine are on their way to the first world fair in St. Louis. At least I think it was St. Louis. I might have to go back and look. It's been a year or two. Heh. The hero was a mechanic and built amusement park rides. :)

    Oh, and fried butter??? ICK!!!

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  4. Jenna - LOL! "Rock out with your wand out" - I think I'll have to use that one.

    Lame Unicorn - I think (hope) they were hired by the fair people. I have a hard time dressing up too, mostly because I'm too cheap to buy a real costume :).

    Anita - Thanks! Wow, I wonder what it was like to attend a world fair back in the old days. Probably less about fried butter and more about freak shows and animal tricks - LOL.

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  5. Ahhh! What fun! We were hoping to hit the fair this year but alas, no luck. But you guys look like you saw enough for all of us! SO COOL. And you're right, I'm drooling over the steampunkers. And the fried avocados! Man, I guess I'll have to find another place to get chosen by a wand now. :D

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  6. Aww. I missed the fair this year. The woodwork and gemstone desplays are my favorite parts.It looked like you guys had a lot of fun! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

    Also I can't tell for sure through all the make up but it looked like one of those steampunk greeters may have been one of my sister's drama professors. Haha. I know he did some promotional work for the fair this year.

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