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The Minnesota State Fair ’08 popularly known as the Great Minnesota Get-Together has culminated last Labor Day Monday.  My first experience of being in such a huge event was in no doubt stupendous.  The State Fair hosts a lot of activities for fun and enjoyment for people of all ages.

Travis and I left home at around 9am and drove to the Co. Rd. 73 Park and Ride (Transit Center).  From there we took the bus that brought us in the front gate of the Fairgrounds.  We started to explore what the Fair has to offer and we sat down for awhile in the Rodeo Arena watching people showing off their calves and cows for judging. While I was there, all I could think of is how tasty their meat must be.  I was hungry and before I turned crazy, we decided to leave the arena.

The our feet led us to follow the aroma of something toothsome.  We landed at the Pork Chop on a Stick booth.  It is where you can find a delectable good size of pork chop marinaded and grilled well.  There was no need for extra seasoning.  It tastes just as good as I smelled it.  A hearty breakfast was necessary to keep us going all day.

We went to the Dairy Barn which hold different exhibits that has got to do with Farm Products like cheese, milk, butter, and others.  It is where the famous Princess Kay of the Milky Way was carved in real time.  You can see the artist trying to sculpt the subject in butter inside a rotating booth for everyone to see.  Can you just imagine the amount of butter that they use to realize this project?  It could make a couple of birthday cakes I suppose.

Since I started talking about food again, Travis decided to take me to Netterfield’s Food Court where we have a coupon for one of the all-time favorite Cheese on a Stick.  You will definitely be lost once you take a bite on it and the cheesy goodness will just blow your mind.  Until now that I’m writing this post, the taste continues to linger and it’s not a good thing.

We got ourselves Root Beer from the draft while waiting for the Backstreet Boys to come on stage.  I am not a Backstreet Boys Fan but I admit in dancing to some of their songs long time ago.  Phew! Those were the days when I was too confident with my dance moves and no dancers can intimidate me.  Going back to the Backstreet Boys, they are the first celebrities that I’ve seen since I got here in the US.  The guys changed a lot after all those years.  Nick Carter look more like Bobby Flay (Food Network Chef and owner of Mesa Grill) to me.  So, I was excited to get a glimpse of him because of that.  When they were interviewed and the smoke from the Pork Chop on a Stick booth was blowing in their direction, Nick could not resist but commented that it made him hungry.  Nick also broke the news that his brother-Aaron is in the state fair too!

We decided to explore more and ended up admiring the different state fair entries.  One of which is the amazingly big pumpkin.  How can you carve a face into that? !  We also went to the Food Building to buy the popular snack-Cheese Curds.  Then we continued to watch other exhibits and enjoying the short parade on our way.  We bought some stuff most of them are kitchen utensils.  We also watched the Lumberjack Challenge which was very fun.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to to sit on the front row since we did not arrive there on time.  I also did not miss the Great Slide.  I thought it was scary but it was actually fun.  And I’d like to do it again.  We also went to the exhibits in the Grandstand where I get to ride one of my dream cars – the red Mazda Miata.  I got myself used to it just in case…. hehehe!

The 12-hour stay in the MN State Fair seemed short.  There are still a lot of things to see and enjoy.  Travis and I did not even use any of our 40 Midway ride tickets.  But all in all, the experience was fun.  We didn’t miss Sweet Martha’s Chocolate Chip Cookies which is a must for every fair-goer.  We also tried the new bacon on a stick and before we could take a picture of it, it was already gone.  The grilled shrimp was not missed and it was what ended my day.

Despite the sore feet and calves that Travis and I had, we are still looking forward for the next Great Minnesota Get-Together!  By then we should have already burned the calories we gained this year.