Upper South Carolina State Fair – A Beautiful Mess

We got to the fair right when they opened on half-off unlimited-ride bracelet day. We were the only ones on the rides for about the first hour we were there.

I did the math, and we rode about $200 “worth” of rides for $40. This pleased me.

The fair did not have The Zipper as advertised though.

This displeased me.

This was a decent starter ride for the kids.

This was a decent ride to stay away from. I think it was called The Up-Chucker. I sat the bench on this one and took photos.

No regrets.

Levi looks scared. He isn’t. It’s just a weird smile for the camera.

These kids love rides…

Even that big hairy kid.

Better smiles. This was our break time on The Ferris Wheel.

The Zipper was no where to be found, but Freak Out was so killer that it almost made up for it.

Unfortunately, the kids were not tall enough to get on this ride. I know they would have loved it.

But Melanie and I took turns riding this beast as many times as possible.

It also had the best music playing – 80′s Hair Metal cranked to Eleven.

“Whoa – OH! We’re half way there. Whoa – OH! Livin’ on a prayer.”

Perfect.

This mini roller coaster ride was nameless. I called it Final Destination.

It was fun in that really terrifying, “this track is going to fall apart and we are going to fly off the rails and we are going to die,” sort of way.

I rode it twice, and could not bring myself to ride it one more time. I really thought this was the last photo I would ever take of my family.

Cart 5 lived. But I’m not sure about those in Cart 13. We didn’t look back.

The fair had its share of dirty. Like the “Nothing Butt Dixie” shirt I saw in the Carnival Games area – the Southern Carnival version of “Buns and Roses.”

I know you’ve seen it.

Butt we avoided those Carnal Balloon-Popping Games and enjoyed the beauty of the nighttime lights instead.

The fair is a odd place -  much like our everyday world.

You love it and hate it at the same time.

There is something joyous and sad about it.

Compelling and revolting.

Heavenly and hellish.

I can’t wait for the day when everything wrong is undone already.

But that time is not yet. So for now…

We live with the Upper South Carolina State Fair.