We all piled into the Suburban about 2:00 pm and headed to Plant City. About an hour dirve from the house. Found a parking spot ($5.00) about a half a mile away. After walking about 10min. past flats and flats of strawberrys for sale we made it to the front gate.

Surprisingly there was very little wait, so we paid our $8.00 each (the kids were free) and we were in. The first thing I notice even before I got there was the smell of all that food, and I was ready.

We walked past the petting zoo which had a big line. Past a big cow barn and the first thing that caught everybody's attention was some indians (I think Peruvian) playing music under a tent and we were drawn over there. Me and Desi squirmed our way up front to listened (see photo 1) to a couple of songs. The guy with the flutes was very good.

OK time to get something to eat before I go nuts. I pick up Desi and turn around and see my wife but nobody else. It seems that Mike and Clare there father and his girlfriend had wanderded off. So the 3 of us are off in search of fun and food.

It didn"t take long for us to find the strawberry shortcake. I'll take 2 please ----$2.50 each----one for them, one for me.We found a bench out front ( see photo 2) and started the eating session which would last -----as you will see---- all day. After finishing mine and what was left of there's we proceded to walk into this big shed like bulding filled with people selling craft items, food, different city and goverment departments------wildlife, farming co-ops etc------doing demos. Lots of people milling around and very loud. We stop at a food stand and Desi said she had to go to the bathroom. So off they went. While I was waiting I ordered a couple of hot dogs. One for me with catsup and onions and a plane for Desi. They got back and I gave Desi her dog (see photo 3) ,mine already gone, and proceded to walk out of the building into the birght sun. Amy upset that she frogot the sun block for Desi-----as it turned out she just got a little red in the face-----

We walked past game booths, past food booths, more booths, and more booths (see photo 4) all trying to get your money. We wound up on the midway at the kids rides. Amy, worried about the other kids called and they said they would meet us there. I stoped at the ride ticket booth and bought $20,00 worth. Desi went on a ride while we waited for the rest of us to meet up. They showed up shortley and we walked the midway up and back, stopping a couple of times so Mike and Claire could go on a couple of rides that you couldn't pay me to go on( see photo 5).

But it did give me a chance to get some more to eat. I remember some kind of chicken on a stick ($5.00) Terriyaki I think and some very good pizza and corn on a stick dripping in butter (see photo 6). So we wound up back where we started at the kiddie rides. and all waited while Desi went on the hellacopter ride and laughed histerecally the whole time (see photo 7&8).

This is where I ran out of film.

Ready for more adventure and as a group------------oh no where did mike go----------Well he's a big boy and we all have phones------We set off walking, more booths, more booths. Amy and Desi stop at a squrit gun booth. Pay $3.00 and squrit at the target if you win you get a cheep stuff animal, Desi won! More walking, more rides. This time Clare and her dad's girlfriend go on this crazy rocking spinning thing. While they are over there I'm getting what turned out to be the high point of the fair. For $2.50 a deep fried Milkyway bar. They take a Milkyway bar put it on a stick dip it in batter a deep fry it until it is golden brown. That's not sweet enough so they put powder sugar over it yummy and very messy.

Now everybody else is hungry so Amy finds an empty picnick bench kinda behind these booths. While I'm getting Desi an ice cream cone Amy is getting pizza. This table was right behind a booth where you take a BB gun and try so shoot out the red star.-------------- I spent $30.00 trying to do this a couple of years ago very hard to do--------------Any way the back of the booth is metal so like every 30 seconds or so you would here the rapid stictto of the BB's hitting the metal, very sereal. So after everybody was full------------can't waste good food-------------I finshed the rest. We started walking again and found this big tent.

One end had a big stage, in the middle chairs and tables, on the edges more booths, at the other end a big place selling strawberry shortcake. This time Clare wanted some. She got this plastic bowl that had 6" of whipped cream on top. We sat down in the middle, at a table. While Amy and Desi looked at the booths around the edges. Clare couldn't finished her shortcake but I could. We left the tent Amy starting to worry about Mike.

And POP there he was. He had been walking around this huge place looking for us for hours.

Now all together and getting dark. We found a tent where these kids were dancing on a stage about 20 of them. There was one chair up front that was empty so I sat down with Desi on my lap. We watched for about 5 songs.They were very good.

Next we found the baby farm animals Clare and Desi loved petting them. It was very hard to tear them away from them.

Next we found this tent with a big gospell group singing and stayed for a couple of songs, they were very good, but it's getting late.

One more stop at the petting zoo that was so crouded when we came in. You could buy slices of carrots to feed the anamals and Desi found some on the floor but by this time all the animals were full there was only 1 goat that was half intrested in food.

Ready to go we started out to the car. On the way I saw a booth that had what looked liked some absolutely yummy Loundon Broil. But I resited temtation, mainly because everybody wanted to go.

Walked back to the car and on the way bought some tomatoes and sweet onions. Then Home