The World Famous Pineapple Whip

So Missouri is definitely different from the South. Since our first visit to Springfield, we have noticed many differences.  The types of trees and flowers commonly seen? Different. The grass is different too.  The roads are DEFINITELY smoother than the Jackson area - (and even though the heat has been incredible here lately, I haven't seen any buckled parking lots - but I bet the roads are made of different materials).  Most people here don't say words like Y'all. 'Accent' is not pronounced 'Ack-sent.'  People think the day is too hot when the thermometer hits 80. Sweet tea is NOT served at every restaurant. And the Fair takes place in the summer! If the Mississippi State Fair took place any earlier than October, I'm fairly certain that people would die.    

Some new friends gave us free Fair admission tickets, so last Friday night, we decided we'd check out the Ozark Empire Fair.


The truth is that neither one of us has been to The Fair in years and years, and without the free tickets (Thank you, Judy Foley!) we probably would not have bothered. Especially since we assumed that since it was just a regional fair (not the State Fair) that it was going to be somewhat rinky-dink.  We were totally wrong!  We were so very surprised to see the size of the fair and the size of the crowd. It was pretty big for being just a regional fair.  

We checked out the midway, enjoyed some really bad karaoke (score!), and stumbled across something we had heard rumors of in the past few weeks: 

The World Famous Pineapple Whip. 

Evidently this is THE favorite fair treat of Springfield locals.  Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect, but it was another pleasant surprise! It's a pineapple-flavored frozen/ice-creamy-ish treat.  And it was delicious!  Joshua decided to go against the flow and get a Grape whip instead - and it was also very good!

Then...while we were walking along, taking in the sights and sounds of the midway, enjoying some pineapply goodness, we came across this sweet-treat reminder of home:

 It was a good night.