It's Fair time!...

One of the things I forgot to mention in my ramblings about September is the L.A. county Fair. I've been going to the Fair since I was a kid. My parents would take us every year. Then as a teenager in High School, and in band, we performed at the Fair every year, so I have lots of fond memories of going to and being at the Fair.

Now as parents, we like taking our kids to the Fair each year. It's kind of expensive to go to the Fair depending on when you go. Luckily, the first day of the Fair, it's only $1 per adult until 5pm. That's the best deal they have, so we try to go that day. It's usually pretty crowded, but that's something we can handle.

This year, we left the house just after 4pm in hopes of getting there around 40 minutes later. The fair grounds are in Pomona. Well, as luck would have it, there was an unusually large amount of traffic heading the direction we wanted to go. I got on the 10 freeway by habit. I should have taken the 210, it would have probably been much faster. As 5pm gets closer and closer, there's no way we're going to make it in time, so we call my mom, who we knew was going to the fair as well. She was in some traffic herself, and wondering if she would make it in time too.

Turns out there was a spilled pile of bricks on the freeway a couple miles away from our exit, and that's what held up traffic. Then once we got on the streets to the parking gates, the traffic is just as crowded. When we got near the ticket booths from the street, Anna hoped out to get in line while I continued in the traffic leading to the parking entrance. It was about 5:36 when Anna got to the ticket window, (she knows that because the ticket seller told her), and was told she couldn't buy any $1 tickets. Anna's pretty good about raising a "stink" about stuff, and asked for a supervisor. The supervisor mentioned it's all done by computer and he couldn't do anything, but said that the far booth had printed a large amount of "extra" $1 tickets, and if they still had some, Anna could buy some. They did, so Anna did.

I parked, got the kids and our stuff unloaded, and headed to the gate. Anna would be meeting us there. (Anna had also gotten a ticket for my mom and took it over to here, but that's another whole story.) The kids needed to go potty, so we went over to some porta-potties. I'm pretty sure this was their first experience with a porta-potty, and I think the boys liked going in the side urinal thing. Jennan didn't do as well. I think she didn't get up on the seat in time because when I opened the door to helper her out, her pants were all wet. Oh well.

Anna joined us just outside the entrance, and as we approached, I noticed that people with $1 tickets were being told they couldn't get in with them. I think it was just after 6pm by now. Anna got her game face on, and as we were next, before the girl at the gate could say anything, Anna unloads with something like, "Don't even tell me this ticket isn't good, I had to get a supervisor to buy it, I'll get another one to get us in!" The girl didn't say anything, and we went right in. (btw, Anna gets it from her mom [thankfully].)

Once inside, we enjoyed the animals very much; pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, cows, horses, etc. Then we moved on to the kids' building. There were tons of activities for them to do. There was a very well done insect section, stuff to build, trains to play with, science activities, artistic activities, and so on. There was a building with winter activities, and the kids went down the snow slide a number of times each. We also walked through a few of the retail buildings before heading home. It was a fun time.

Here is some photographic evidence...

Checking out the dairy machinery.

Tegan looks happy to be there.

With the animals in the petting zoo.

Liam wanted to give them hugs.

Then he wanted them to wear his hat.

Then Duncan did too.

Gentle Jennan.

Liam and the wild thing.

Waiting to slide.

"cheese"

Even though on Wednesdays and Thursdays, admission to the Fair is only $5 after 5pm, I don't think we'll be going back this year. Maybe if we got a babysitter, and only Anna and I went, I think we might consider it, but otherwise, we look forward to next year.