Saturday, August 16, 2014. Fair day in Upper Michigan

After leaving Kyle with tears in our eyes we drove to Appleton, Wisconsin, home of at least two famous people: Harry Houdini and Joseph McCarthy. We headed to The Historical Museum at the Castle in downtown Appleton because it has a display about Houdini.

We arrived at the museum to discover the weekly farmer's market was running down the street in front of the museum. The farmer's market is over two blocks of fresh and canned vegetables, cheeses, meat, candles, honey, jewelry, a variety of cooked food and much more. We purchased some pickled garlic, asparagus, and squash. We enjoyed some of the crafts; two ladies glue old, fancy china plates and colorful glass bowls together so they look like large wild flowers, then hangs them on rebar. They sell them for $25.

After the farmer's market, we went into the museum. The three Houdini rooms had texts about his early life as the son of a poor rabbi and momma's boy living in Appleton, some locks and lock picking equipment he used and several interactive exhibits about his life as an entertainer and a small exhibit about his debunking of spiritualists. The exhibit was ok. It suggests, but doesn't fully reveal the awesomeness of his talent and how hard he work. Oh my gosh, how hard he worked to be the best.

After the museum we ate in a park filled with beautiful flowers and a water fountain featuring dancing bronze children. With their wonderful farmer's market and beautiful neighborhoods, Appleton seems an idyllic community.

We drove on to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As we drove through Escanaba we saw a large Goodwill store. We purchased some light jackets because we forgot to pack them for the trip and thought we would soon need them. Since I am too cheap to buy and expensive winter coat and can not find used versions in the Great Bend Salvation Army store I purchased a winter coat. Kathy purchased a dress coat for next winter.

 In the store parking lot we heard the roar of stock cars racing around a track. As soon as we left the parking lot we passed a state fair. We decided to go, but first we needed to get a camp site. So we drove about 4 miles further to a campground. The campground was full, but the woman at the counter saw we have a 1995 Roadtrek. Since she and her husband have a 1994 Roadtrek, they found us in a spot next to the kiddy playground. She also told us that the state fair in the Upper Peninsula is the only Michigan state fair left. The fairs in the lower part of Michigan have closed down.

At the state fair Chris ate a pasty which seems to be a UP Michigan staple, like bierocks in Kansas. We also watched a 20-lap stock car race with several crashes and near crashes. Far more excitement in those 20 laps than in a five hour NASCAR car race. In the one vendor area, we bought three packaged dips, just add sour cream and mayo. In the livestock area, a baby goat kept nibbling a little girl's jacket sleeve. She thought it was funny. Her mother did not. In an earlier trip, Kathy and I visited the Arkansas State Fair. This Michigan fair was about the size of the Arkansas fair, perhaps a tad larger. The Kansas State Fair is many times larger than either of these fairs.