The great Iowa State Fair was our family vacation every year. Growing up on a farm meant there were chores to do morning and night so that kept us from being gone more than a day. The State Fair was the day of vacation.
As a kid I remember when parking was allowed almost everywhere on the fair grounds. I remember parking on the steep hills near Pioneer Hall. Another year we were as far north as you can get in the parking lot, between the evergreen trees that were there at the time. They provided shade. We took a picnic lunch and met back at the car at noon to eat, somewhere in the shade.
As I recall, we usually split up. Mama liked to watch the judging of foods in the Women's and Children's building or sit and watch the talent search acts. Daddy loved the horse shows, roaming the animal buildings and checking out the new machinery exhibits. We always made a visit through the Varied Industries building.
We never set foot in the Midway but a ride on the Old Mill was a possibility. The State Fair became a ritual every summer and after Daddy retired he would often make more than one visit, often taking one of his grandchildren along. Those were days that gave them precious memories.
"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live," (Ecclesiastes 3:12 NIV),
No comments:
Post a Comment