Texas State Fair - Dallas

 Today was Texas State Fair Day.  We left home at 8:45 and decided to follow our GPS to the letter.  I love the GPS but there are times when a common paper map will do just as good and the trip to the fair was an example of that.  GPS had us turning onto streets and going through neighborhoods that maybe we should not have been in and all the time we could see I-30S which is what we came in on.  When we finally made it to the fairgrounds, I-30 would have gotten us there as well.  We decided to not GPS the way home and follow the paper map.  We arrived just as it opened at 10:00 a.m.  Food and rides are paid for with tickets that have to be brought.  I had already purchased the entrance fee and tickets on line so we were all ready to enjoy the fair.  The Texas State Fair began in 1886 and has been running for 135 years.  It was not held last year.

The Cotton Bowl Stadium sits in the middle of the state fair grounds.

This is the Texas Star Ferris Wheel.  It is the tallest amusement ride in the Western Hemisphere.

Taken from the Texas Star.  Does Carol look comfortable?  Probably not because he does not like heights but he conquered that fear to ride the Ferris wheel with me.

We saw a lot of new cars/trucks.  There were at least three buildings filled with them in addition to several elevated over the grounds.  Carol found several he could be happy with.

We watched the Stunt Dog Show.  All the dogs were rescued from shelters.

The dogs did all kinds of flips and jumps going after the frisbees.

Big Tex greets all fair goers.  He actually speaks to welcome attenders.

We spent five hours at the fair.  We saw the Budweiser Clydesdales along with their wagon.  They would be in the  Twilight Parade but our feet would not allow us to stay until then.  Also on display were the horses that the Dallas Police Department use.  

Of course, we ate fair food.  Carol had Crispy Crazy Corn which is individually battered and fried corn with pulled pork and topped with pineapple slaw.  It was very spicy but good.  I had Texas Fried Fritos Pie.  It was very good as well.  For dessert we had The Armadillo which is an ice cream sandwich.  The ice cream is between two deep-fried butter cookies shaped like an armadilla.  It was very good.  The Texas State Fair is famous for all the things they fry.  You don't get food like this at the Illinois State Fair.

We listened to an interesting group called "Trash Vocal Band."  They played their music on trash cans and lids, huge 5-gallon water bottles, a guitar made out of a tool box.  We did enjoy it.

There was a petting zoo with unusual animals like kangaroos, camels, porcupines, and the regular animals like goats, donkeys, etc.   They had a Texas longhorn and the info with the cow said that the horns could be as long as 7 feet tip to tip.  That is a lot of horn!

We left the fair around three o'clock and stopped by Buc-ees for sandwiches to eat tomorrow.  Everyone should experience a Buc-ees!  By the way...this is Buc-ee.

Tomorrow we must pack up and leave this park and Dallas.  We only have 100 miles to Waco so we aren't going to leave here until 11:00. In the morning I plan to do laundry and then we can take our time loading the car and unhooking things.  Tomorrow we will be staying in a Corps of Engineer campground west of Waco.  Looking forward to exploring Waco even if only for one day.

A final sunset from the skies east of Dallas.

This is Carol's dream car...a jeep.

This donkey and her baby were at the petting zoo.

There was a "Pee Wee Stampede."  We watched the little kids ride their stick horses around the arena.

This Clydesdale was having lunch.

One of the Dallas Police Department's saddle horses.