Every February the Florida State Fair takes place in Tampa at the fairgrounds. When my girls were little, we pulled them out of school for a day of petting animals, watching shows and marveling over the different kinds of fried food vendors offered. As the girls got older, and more busy with school and activities, we didn’t make our annual visit.

Until a few years ago. My youngest daughter, older now and clearly nostalgic, wanted to visit the fair. So for the past four years, we’ve make a full day of it.

Cracker Country is a favorite of mine. Old wooden buildings were moved to fairgrounds to show how people lived in the 1800’s. A one-room schoolhouse, general store, post office, church, train station, just to name a few, now celebrate Florida history. Children can walk though the structures and hear stories from volunteers, informing curious minds about what went on in the buildings and how things are so very different today. Volunteers wear period costumes and work just like they lived back then, dipping candles in hot beeswax, pounding out nails from scraps of metal, twisting rope, and giving us a glimpse of what life was like before electricity.

Then there are the art projects from students all over the state. Oil, watercolor, ceramics, fabric, photography, from first grade on up, each as intriguing as the next.

Of course, you can’t go to the fair and not visit the animals. Baby goats are my favorite. There are also plenty of livestock to observe and every year a calf or two is born.

This year’s highlight? My daughter rode a camel. A camel.

Then there are all the free shows and exhibits; illusionists, trained rescue dogs who are clearly treated well and loved by their owners, 4H projects, and the pig races. Yep, we have those too.

Probably the most important aspect of the outing is this; spending time with my family, unplugged for a few hours of simple entertainment and enjoyment. Spending the day outdoors, under the sun, eating food that is not good for us in any way, shape or form. But hey, you can’t beat deep fried Oreo cookie dough. I figure once a year won’t hurt me.

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of fifteen novels. Family values, a bit of mystery and, of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HIS ONE AND ONLY BRIDE, available now.  Visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter and receive a link to download a free digital book.