Since we weren't going to have lunch until later, we got breakfast sandwiches at Barnes and Noble's cafe. She had a sausage patty, egg, and cheese on a croissant. I had tomato caprese (tomato, pesto, and so much mozzarella, there was enough to fill three pizzas) on crusty bread.
We drove up to Lee next to pick up Rico, who was visiting his family's home there, and wave to his darling little niece. Rico's a sweet guy, but he's had a lot of trouble lately. He had to have some really rough surgery on his hand and has been off work for months. Apparently, his knees are bothering him as well. He needs this probably even more than we do. He got to choose the music (70's rock and classic country) as Lauren took us down the Mass Pike to West Springfield. She parked in a lot behind a shopping center that's only a five-minute walk from the Big E and is a lot cheaper.
The Big E is the enormous, sprawling state fair for the entire New England region. We did have to wait for Lauren when she was turned away by fair officials at first. Turns out she was carrying too much stuff in her backpack! After she came back, we went in...and were assaulted with huge tents selling spas and booths touting every single thing that can possibly be fried (and some that can be but probably shouldn't, like Kool-Aid). Lauren and Rico were happier buying wine slushes (which Rico claimed contained very little wine) from the rustic, dark-wood paneled Eastern States Farmers Market and Wine Cafe.
Our first stop was the cavernous Better Living Building. They touted everything from pianos people could really play to collectible (and overpriced) hand-made pins and magnets. The only thing we ended up getting there were free samples of really tasty maple ice cream.
We eventually had lunch at the Yankee Boy seafood and unique meat booth just outside of the Better Living Building. Lauren and Rico were more adventurous and had macaroni and cheese with alligator meat (Lauren said it tasted like sausage). Rico also had fried scallops and French fries. I'm not quite that brave. I just had a slightly flat cheeseburger with surprisingly tasty fries. I saw a Slush Factory booth across the street and got my own non-alcoholic orange cream slush. (And appreciated something else that Lauren pointed out. The cool, cloudy day and still-strong wind kept the bugs and bees that plagued the fair last year at bay and made walking around the fairgrounds a lot more tolerable.)
Next up, we strolled down the path to the Midway. Rico can't really ride anything with his hand, and Lauren gets motion sickness easily. Not to mention, I have to agree with Rico that the rides are really overpriced as well. We settled for getting stuffed animals out of cranes. Rico had no luck. Lauren got a pale blue Yoshi. I got a cute little Bulbasaur.
After that, we ducked back around to the Young Building. This is basically a smaller version of the Better Living Building and sells most of the same mix of local crafts and businesses touting huge wares. Lauren and I made a beeline for the Alpaca booth. This year, we both got small teddy bears. Lauren's had fluffy fuchsia fur. Mine had brown fur and an unusually long nose.
At this point, Rico declared he needed a rest. He relaxed on a bench outside of the Massachusetts building while Lauren and I explored the States Buildings. These are recreations of each state's government building that touts that state's wares. Mohegan Sun and the upcoming National Coast Guard Museum were prominent in Connecticut. There were lines around the building for baked potatoes from Maine. Massachusetts boasted Boston sports memorabilia and its many farms. Vermont had maple syrup and honey booths and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. New Hampshire had candy and beautiful stone jewelry.
The crowds were thin enough that I was finally able to try something I've wanted to for years. My older friend Linda Young grew up in Rhode Island in the 50's and 60's. Her essays on being raised in the Ocean State extensively mention Del's Lemonade. I got a small cup of Del's Frozen Lemonade. Oh yum! Just sweet enough, with big lemon pieces. No wonder Linda has such fond memories of it.
Since Rico was still relaxing after we finished with the State Buildings, we rode the train on our own as well. The train is a cute little motorized train with a big yellow smiling face. It's supposed to be for families, but it's pretty much the only ride Lauren will get on. It's a lot of fun! People and store-owners at the shopping booths wave to you when you pass by them. It's like a parade.
Once we got off the train, we'd decided we had enough. It was past 6 PM, and the crowds were getting much thicker. Lauren says they sell half-price tickets after 6 PM, probably to draw more families in. Lauren and Rico stopped at the Farmers Market to refill their wine slushes, then we headed back to Lauren's car.
Lauren and I always have dinner after the Big E at the Chipolte less than a block away. We all got bowls. I had brown rice, spicy chicken, black beans, corn salsa, cheese, and lettuce. Lauren had white rice, black beans, shredded pork, cheese, and tomato salsa. I'm not sure what Rico had, but I did see his was topped with tons of guacamole. The bowls were so huge, even Rico couldn't finish his. We'll eat ours later in the week.
Rico was dropped off first at his parents' home after we got back in the Berkshires. He gave us huge hugs and promised to make a big chicken dinner for us tomorrow. We'll go there after we hit up the Crossgates Mall in Albany.
When we got into Lauren's house, we showed our finds to her parents, then went downstairs. I finished the night watching Zorro the Fox. This Italian production from 1968 definitely shows the influence of the time. It's much darker than most American versions of Zorro, with far more violence. While it does end on a happy note, there are several deaths and a lot of gunplay along with sword fighting. Very blonde George Ardisson makes a dull Don Diego, but Giocomo Rossi Stuart is a commanding Don Pedro, and Femi Benussi is fine and fiery as the daughter of the local alcada who ends up dead when Don Pedro takes over the town.
1 comment:
Del's for the win! Didn't they have any coffee milk???
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