Thursday, September 18, 2008

Disney's High School Musical Ice Tour

We headed for the Oklahoma State Fair on Sunday afternoon.


Of course it has been raining so parking was a bit of a problem but only a bit.   It always rains at fair time.

It was actually a little cool in the wind on Sunday early but the sun warmed things up a lot by the time we got out on the Midway.  

It is much as I remember it from my youth except it is bigger.  In fact everything is bigger including the people.  Sometimes I think I may be of a different species because everyone seems so much taller and bigger. 

I remember the first time I walked down the Midway at the fair.  I must have been like Pinocchio just come to life and looking at the world as a real boy for the first time.  There were all these people, mostly men but some women, hollering at me to come to their tent and try to win something or to try my skill or to see something weird and amazing.  I was too naive then to know to not look directly at them.  I remember how they would try to shame me into coming over and spending money.

But I had very little money and I was pretty scared of losing any of it.  I remember when we were in grade school in the early years that there was a fair day and the school actually took us to the fair in buses.  Later that was changed and we just received free tickets and got off a day so we could get ourselves to the fair.  I don't know if anything like that happens now.  

Anyway I remember kids coming to school with stuff they had gotten from the fair.  One thing I remember clearly are the Chameleon lizards that several kids would have.  I always wanted to get one of those but I never did see where they were sold out there and besides my parents would never have allowed it.  Then someone would always have a set of Chinese handcuffs which were more like finger cuffs really.  But I remember thinking they were so cool.

The thing that I recall the most clearly about the fair though was the kind of cylindrical shaped  building where these guys would ride the motorcycles on the walls.  I think they called it the Wall of Death maybe.  I just thought that was the most amazing thing.  I am pretty sure I understood centrifugal force by then but still it was amazing.

Some people I know just love food from the fair.  They have their favorite things like Dan's Indian Tacos or funnel cakes or Deep Fried Oreos.  The line to the Deep Fried Oreos (or Snickers or Twinkies) was amazingly long when we were there. 

I think the most disgusting thing is those big turkey drumsticks.  I think they look horrible.  I saw this one kid eating one and he had bits of meat and stuff sticking in his teeth and it just seemed particularly nauseating.

We walked into the car show building.  Cars are so expensive and hybrid varieties were the big thing.  There was a Corvette on display for $83,000 plus.  

Then we walked through one of the horse barns and looked at the Clydesdale's in their stalls.  Those things are huge.  Judy wanted to know if she could have one.  Ha!

Finally it was time to go to the arena and find our seats for the High School Musical show.  I had purchased our tickets earlier over the Internet so all we had to do was walk in the building and find the right place.  There were a few hundred other people doing the same thing and there were another few hundred people trying to sell us stuff along the way.

Finally we found our seats.  We did notice that we were about the only people there without kids.  I guess that isn't all that surprising.

The program was really good. We like High School Musical. It was a lot of fun and I'm so glad we got to do it. 

All the younger kids seemed to know the songs and understand what was coming next.  Once the skater playing Kelsi was going around asking each section what the title of the next song should be.  And this one little girl a few rows below us knew it and was saying it and the skater stepped over the rink and asked the little girl her name.  That made such a huge impression on everyone there and especially the kids.

I bought Judy a hat which came with the cotton candy. I ate the candy. She got the hat.  They put a little wet wipe packet in the bottom of the bag of the cotton candy for you now. I thought that was handy. That was $12.  I suppose it was mostly for the hat. Then I was thirsty so I bought a lemonade which was $4. But I kept the plastic container. The program was $20 and we bought one of those. In all fairness the program did play a song when you opened it.

Tickets to the fair itself were $8 each. The tickets to the program started out at $28.50 for the rink side seats I bought. But then they added $13.50 convenience charge along with some tax and stuff. Anyway we were up there approaching $125 for the two of us by the time we left.

What really amazed me though were the families sitting around us.  There were parents and grandparents and children.  I bet the people around us had maybe 22 seats all together.  And their kids had hats and drinks and whirly things that lit up when spun.  And lots of popcorn, too.  I can't even guess the total cost but surely in the thousands.

Anyway we had a great time at the fair and I am so glad we got to go.

2 comments:

Lori1955 said...

Oh I love going to the fair. The fair grounds are just around the corner from me so I go every year. Boy, you are right though that it can sure get expensive, especially the food. I'm glad you had a good time and I say buy Judy the Clydesdale. :)

¸.•*´)ღ¸.•*´Chris said...

I love the fair too. Where I live, our county hosts the states oldest fair. Although I don't ride the rides anymore, I go for the food and I eat with reckless abandon until I can't stuff another bite inside. I told my husband this year on the way out that I could hear my arteries harden I had eaten so much. I figure it's once a year and I don't eat like that as a habit. I would be big as a house and broke if I did!

Glad you had fun! Making some great memories and yes, buy that sweet lady a horsey!