Fair 09

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2009 Ventura Fair
from 8/12/09 / posted 8/16/09

We've been making a pilgrimage to the Ventura County Fair with assorted kids every couple of years. This year Dad chaperoned the girls; Tess, Lucy Light and Annika Mager.

Keeping with tradition, we opted for a combination of bikes and public transportation. We like to mix it up and do one of the legs on the train. The train is expensive, ($11 one way between Carpinteria and Ventura for adults, and half price for the kids), so we chose the 9:43 Coastal Express bus on the way down ($2 one way for all ages over 5). Unfortunately, we were stretching departure from last fair activity next to the train stop. We needed Surfliner to be 5 minutes late, and it was 5 minutes early, so we took the last bus northbound.

Our southbound bus was close to on time. We got off at the Ventura River and took the bike path down river to the beach. We turned left and followed the coast through the Carnie Camp trailers stretching the length of Seaside Park. The girls voted to wait in line 10 minutes to buy our tickets early, which was a good move because the 30 yard line stretch back 150 yards by 10:30 and 300 yards by the 11 am opening time.

We had a half hour to kill, so we took a bike ride down the Seaside boardwalk to the parking garage. Up to the roof on the elevator for a downhill glide hooting and hollering. The girls were testing there high pitch echoes off the concrete walls. Back to the Fair at 11:03 and walked right in.

The girls of course, were eager to get to the rides, but we only had a hundred tickets, enough for 6 or 7 rides, so they would burn through their allowance in an hour. Being dollar day, we expected the ride lines to be shorter and the crowds heavier for the free stuff. We started at the Youth Expo. Did the wooden toys and met the toy maker, Mr & Mrs West. They have 12 grandchildren. Also did the kaleidoscope exhibit in the Youth Expo.

Shifted over to the commercial building next door, but were turned away from most of the demos because you need to be 18 to try the massage gizmos. Headed up the main avenue toward the animals. Watch a bungee jumper drop from a crane, and the kids were game to try the bungee trampoline bouncer.

Did a walk through of the smaller caged animals and newborns. Sat in on the pig judging for 5 or 10 minutes. Went through the livestock; sheep, goats, pigs, and cows. The girls liked feeding the animals with alpha appropriated from various sources. Stopped by the horse stables and had our snack of power bars, apples, and oranges while sitting through a couple rounds of equestrian judging.

The pressure was mounting for the rides, but we were out at the far NW corner and didn't want to walk back and forth, so I talked them in to the wildlife show. Annika was also game for the Turkey Races next door. The blacksmith show at 3:30 would have been good, but I'd seen the 3 o'clock pig races in previous years, and they are another version of the turkey races, so we opted to head toward the rides after a bathroom break and a quick stroll through the cool shade of the agriculture building.

When I moved to Ventura from the Louisiana Bayou in 81, the fair was slotted for harvest season in October, but with farming interest dwindling, the commercial lobby has won out and the fair is now held during prime summertime revenue season. On entry, we got a flyer informing us that Arnold wants to sell the fair grounds to raise revenue. Since the democrats bought into our electric contracts at the price peak (by by Mr. Davis), I guess in makes sense for the republicans to retaliate by selling our prime real-estate to their buddies at the bottom of the market.

The first ride was the big swing. Annika and Tess were game, but Lucy opted to watch. She wanted to do the bumper cars next door, but the girls were too short to ride without an adult. They followed the swing with a slip down the big slide. I was going to do the Big Drop (really), but the girls wanted to get to the graviton. Annika was a Graviton veteran, so the girls repeated the ride by popular demand later. The hang glider was next. The Ferris Wheel rules wouldn't let the girls on the without an adult, so I went up for the view. We finished up with the smaller caterpillar roller coaster.

The petting zoo was in the NE corner on the way out next to the train station. We were planning to ride the 4:49 Surfliner back to Carpinteria, which is typically late, so we were stretching our stay at the zoo when the train pulled in 5 minutes early. Not enough time to collect the bikes so we had to take the last bus instead. Scheduled for 5:56, the Costal Express was running about 20 minutes late.

Rode the bikes from the bus stop to McDonalds, followed by YoYumYum for dessert, then back to Annika's house. Annika peddled about 3 plus miles. Tess and Lucy are stronger and had the legs across town to Annika's, so the did about 5 miles each. Dropped Lucy off a bit after dark and got home about 8:30ish.

Missed some photo ops of the girls on their bikes and the bus, but didn't think to take any pictures until were at the bungee bouncers.