Illinois State Fair

This is it. The reason that you go to the Illinois State Fair. You haven't really attended until you have seen the butter cow. Yes, it is a cow carved in butter. I actually overheard people comparing the accompanying animals to those in the display last year. It must come from upstate. I would have thought a corn husk cow, perhaps.

I was amazed to learn how food is vended these days. If I am going out to eat, I like to sit down and be served and eat food that doesn't come from the freezer at a chain restaurant. So, I've been missing the food on a stick revolution.

Most of the fair is very much like the Jersey shore. Lots of rides, tons of food, and scads of people. It was sorely lacking in animals because we were there on the last day and they had all packed up and headed back to the farm.

As a rule, I hate these events. Where most see fun, I see crowds of disorganized masses with no goal or purpose. But thankfully, at the end of tarmac hell, we encountered an oasis. The Department of Natural Resources stages Conservation World, a fair within the fair. It saved me. We were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves strolling rolling hills and taking a 35 person canoe for a spin. They had exhibits where you could fish, shoot a bow and arrow, and fire a bb gun. We found touch tanks of fish and turtles and a life sized model of a car created from all recycled materials.

Although we perambulated for 5 hours, we didn't see half of what the fair had to offer. We'll return next year, but rest assured I won't forget about Conservation World!