I went to the SC State Fair yesterday with some of my closest friends (Guy, his mother, Karen, and her sister Kris). We left out at 9am and arrived at the fairgrounds around 11am along with hundreds of other people. We got through the ticket lines relatively easy and within minutes I was at the fair with my ride-for-free bracelet around my wrist.
Now, I went to the fair this year with three goals in mind: to eat a carmel apple, to ride as many rides as possible, and to have fun.
Within an hour of being there, I had a delicious carmel apple in my tummy. Of course, later in the day, it was followed by vanilla/chocolate swirled ice cream in a waffle cone, a philly cheesesteak, lemonade, and Diet Coke (gotta watch my weight - hehehehe). So, mark that one off my list.
Ask those who went with me and they'll tell you that I was riding nearly everything in sight. Avoiding the kiddie rides, I went straight for the rides with names like Inverter, Spider, Swing Tower, and Fireball. Yes, I love the rides that go upside-down and make stomach-tossing turns and twists! As a matter of fact, I rode some rides that only Guy and myself had the guts/stupidity to ride. Mark this one off my list as well.
Now, did I have fun? Well, yes and no. The food was good (I'm still savoring the taste of that carmel apple in my mind) and I rode some fun rides. I even got to watch Guy spend waaaay too much money trying to win cheaply made prizes for his girlfriend, her sister, and his mom. (I would have tried too, but everyone knows the games are slanted in the vendor's favor, I have no need/desire to impress these particular ladies, and I was already having fun watching Guy spend his money so I didn't need to spend any more of mine!) I also had to deal with rides that required riders to have "partners" in order to ride. That lame policy pretty much sucked all the fun out of my day. There were a few rides where three of us wanted to ride at the same time, but I ended up having to ask around if there was anyone who need a partner. I felt like one of those guys that hangs around sporting events and asks you if you have a spare ticket for sale. While I did get to meet some interesting people this way, it seemed unnecessary.
I remember a time when the operators would just let in X number of people to ride so that every seat was filled. If you wanted to ride with someone you knew but the operator would only let in one of you, you'd let the single person behind you ride ahead of you. The only reason I could think of why they would do things this new way is to make twice as much profit for the operators. But for those of us who don't have a "partner" or who have one that doesn't like scary rides, it sucks having to wait for someone else in the same situation to show up so you can have fun!
Oh, and the lines do get longer later in the day and more and more kiddies show up to scream in your ear as you ride. Get there early and leave before you get sunburned! Did I mention that we all got a little burnt? Not too bad, just a little red. We left around 4:30pm along with a lot of other visitors, got a little confused getting back the way we came, and got back into town around 7pm.
In summary, carmel apples are great! Rides were fun as long as you don't mind kiddies screaming in your ear and you have someone willing to ride them all with you. And did I have fun? Yeah. Mark that one off too and I'll reuse the list next year. =D
