For the past couple years my mom and dad have taken Maggie to the Skagit County Fair, giving Barry and I break from adventuring/parenting. She has always come back with stories of what she experienced and will talk at length all year long about it. To this day she remembers taking her first pony ride on a horse named Durango, a memory that cemented itself deep, deep into her most treasured memories. I’m pretty sure that my mom and dad have memories of trips to the port-a-potty with a toddler that didn’t ‘need’ to go and sweltering heat, but sometimes it is easy to let those things fade away.
We happened to be staying in Anacortes during the time that the fair was happening and my parents were out of town. Barry needed to work and the obvious thing to do seemed to haul the girls to the fair and check it out for myself. I was not disappointed. It was utterly delightful and full of small-town community and life.
We ended up seeing some dear friends, riding rides, seeking out large animals, going to the petting zoo, and ultimately watching a strange animal pet show. I ended up buying a $4 lemonade that quenched our thirst, totally worth it.
By the time we made it back to our car, we we were ready to head back to A-Town. I now get why the fair was so much of a big deal to Maggie, and I’m feeling like I’ll be back again next year.
