Alaska State Fair

That's a pumpkin! 

      We stayed in Anchorage for 13 days to get a few things done truck & RV maintenance, shopping, prescriptions, photo equipment, laundry, and human/canine haircut-wise.  It's over 2200 miles to Salem, OR.  We arrived in Palmer, AK on August 22nd, staying at the Mountain View Campground just east of town and the fair.  www.mtviewrvpark.com/  $40/night (with Good Sam discount) for full hookups with all the bells and whistles.

     What trip would be complete without a change to see some of the world's largest home grown vegetables?  This would be our base of operations for the next 3 days.  The fair is much longer, but this is the time we allocated.  Our last 'HOORAH' during this trip to the Great White North, Barb was itching to see as much as possible.  This was a bucket list 'check off' for my wife.   www.alaskastatefair.org   We had no plans to attend concerts or shows, but just to meander about and sample the various 'fair food' and check out the exhibits.  State Fairs are all about that, excess.  Due to the incredible amount of sunlight and temperate climates during the growing season the area is famous for some incredibly large vegetables.  I know from buying green onions in stores the past 2 months nearly the size of bananas.

      Our first night the campground recommended a very good burger from a place 'off the beaten path'.  Jim Creek Fattburger is on the Old Glenn Highway just north of the Knik River Bridge.  What a burger!

Jim's Double Butte Fattburger

No, I didn't finish it in one sitting

      Although we saw the various vegetables and fruits on display or being loaded in, we were not present for the Giant Weigh Ins.  These are the 2018 Giant Grand Prize winners:

1471.5 pound giant pumpkin

138 pound giant green cabbage

      We spent 2 days sauntering around the fair, exploring the treats, exhibits, and cultural displays.  We had to  suspend our last day due to Barb having a pretty severe bout of stomach flu.  You had to leave early each day as the traffic and construction was terrible.  The lines ran 1-2 miles north and south just to get parking.  Like any fair you do a LOT of walking.  We also did a bit of geocaching while here.  Although we are not at the same 'Magellan Level' our some of our friends, we pick them up when we can.

Home Division large squash    

The guest of honor

Wishing and hoping

You'd think that with a King Crab Leg I could manage a smile

Best of the fair; the tractor pull arena

An abundance of quilts

Open Division Blue Ribbon in Woodworking

More woodworking

Winners in the 'Spiritual' Division

Weather was GREAT, crowds were out

       Other than breakfast I did no cooking here.  We simply ate on the go whenever we wanted, mostly at the fair.  We really did enjoy the fair and the time to explore one more venue of Alaska previously unseen.  From here it's the trek NE to Tok.  Our last stop before crossing border back into the Wild Yukon Territory.

"I'm a big state fair person.  My main goal is to eat as much food as possible, but I tend not to do the foods on a stick.  But, I like big, fat bacon" 

Alison McGhee

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