Going to the fair once meant an abundance of cotton candy, corn dogs, candy apples along with some fries, elephant ears, lemonade and root beer floats. Times have definitely changed because now when you visit the fair, your probably going to find your food on a stick, and deep fried if you want something exotic . . . and not so kind to your body. We are a long way from the deep fried Twinkies, Oreos and Spam. Have a look without drooling (or otherwise). Maybe you might want to carry some anti-acid along just in case.

As for myself, I think I’m going to have to (1) Skip the fair, (2) Eat before I go or find something a little more healthy there, or (3) Have one heck of a last meal. Here are some highlights:


Alabama (Birmingham): Krispy Kreme Hamburgers
The doughnut burger at the Alabama State Fair is a quarter-pound hamburger, bacon, cheese and two glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts in place of a single bun; containing nearly 1,100 calories and 67 grams of fat.  Photo © Bob B. Brown

California (Costa Mesa):  Deep-Fried White Castle Burgers
The Orange County Fair is so dedicated to frying that a vendor called Heart Attack Café chose Deep Fried Butter Stand as its new name after being pressured with legal action by Arizona's Heart Attack Grill. Even more stupendous: Chicken Charlie's fried White Castle cheeseburgers (bun and all).  Photo © JoAnn Maxwell Stougaard

Florida (Tampa):  Cheeseburger with Fried Ice Cream
One Florida State Fairgoer rationalized the appeal of a cheeseburger topped with deep-fried ice cream by describing the salty-sweet hybrid as a "milk-shake burger".  Photo © Dennis and Cheryl Reas

Indiana (Indianapolis):  Hot Beef Sundae
When state fairgoers tired of the iconic rib eye steak sandwich, Indiana's Beef Cattle Association invented the Hot Beef Sundae ~ layered with mashed potatoes, marinated beef, gravy, cheese, corn "sprinkles" and a cherry (tomato).  Photo © Tom Coates

Massachusetts (West Springfield):  Fried Jelly Beans
The Big E (a nickname for the Massachusetts State Fair) doesn't force a choice between candy and funnel cake. These jelly beans are dipped in batter before being deep-fried.  Photo © Melissa Rebelo

Montana (Great Falls):  Fried Butter Balls
While the Montana State Fair is famous for its Big Sky ProRodeo Roundup, fried-food enthusiasts head for the deep-fried butter balls. Photo © Heather Leah Kennedy

North Carolina (Raleigh):  Kool-Aid Pickles
Also known as Koolickles, pickles soaked in the sugary beverage are a Southern tradition and a sweet-and-sour snack at North Carolina's annual state fair.  Photo © deep fried kudzu

Ohio (Columbus):  Chocolate-Covered Bacon on a Stick
Known as "A Muddy Pig".  Chocolate-covered bacon on a stick isn't new to fairgrounds, but the Ohio State Fair gilds the salty-sweet construction with a candied cherry.  Photo © A. Bill Miller

South Carolina (Columbia):  Fried Pepsi
Pepsi was created in North Carolina, but it's hardly recognizable in South Carolina, where state fair vendors inject fried dough with Pepsi syrup and top the result with powdered sugar and more syrup.  Photo © Sean Mellody

Texas (Dallas):  Fried Beer
Even alcohol can be fried when it's pocketed in pretzel dough. The food innovation won the 2010 Big Tex Choice Awards at the Texas State Fair.  Photo © Amanda Gillispie

Ice cream and summertime seem to go hand-in-hand and July is National Ice Cream month - bonus!

Dating back to the 1600’s where the concept of flavored ices evolved, ice cream has come a long way from the flavored ices to the hand-crank ice cream maker to a multi million ice cream (gallon) industry per year. We now have ice cream cones, ice cream cakes, pies, sundaes, and about anything your taste buds desire. Trip Advisor shared their members top picks for homemade ice cream. Here are the details to one of our favorite summertime treats:

The Split Banana Company in Staunton, Virginia (VA)
http://thesplitbanana.com/
Open 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

You can sample as many flavors as you want before you decide. They have free high-speed WiFi for their customers, ice ice cream, gelato and sorbet.

Brown’s Old Fashion Ice Cream in York Beach (New England), Maine (ME)
232 Nubble Road, York, ME 03909
207-363-1277

Brown’s Old Fashion Ice Cream is located about a hundred yards from the famous Nubble lighthouse (just east of Nubble Lighthouse http://www.nubblelight.org/ and Fox’s Lobster House http://www.foxslobster.com/) and not far from the busy York Beach boardwalk (1-2 miles) http://yorkbeach.com/. Brown’s offers 50 plus ice cream varieties including hard to find flavors like grape nut and Indian pudding.  (Photograph of Nubble Lighthouse)

Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream in Charleston, West Virginia (WV)
255 Capitol Street, Charleston, WE 25301
304-343-6488
Monday - Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Homemade ice cream, unique flavors and large serving sizes. Ellen’s also serves a lunch menu salads and sandwiches which are all fresh and delicious, along with daily specials of cold pasta, grain salads and soups including an amazing Red Curry Soup. Coffee drinks, teas, smoothies, and baked goods with of course, ice cream for your dessert or even an appetizer.

Sweet Peaks Ice Cream in Whitefish, Montana (MT)
http://www.sweetpeaksicecream.com/

Opened in April 2010 and serving everything from the classics to the contemporary such as Lemon Dill and Chocolate Bacon. Their flavors change with the seasons and their ice cream is made with milk and eggs from Montana, huckleberries from the surrounding mountains, mint, dill and cherries from local farmers, and many other tasty and carefully chosen ingredients.

Cayuga Lake Creamery in Interlaken, (Finger Lakes), New York (NY)
http://www.cayugalakecreamery.com (please note at the time of this article, I was unable to open their website, but wanted to provide you the information in case it is back up and running)
8421 Route 89, Interlaken, NY 14847
607-532-9492
Monday - Friday: 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday: 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Homemade waffle cones made right before you. In addition to the many flavors, they also offer wine sorbets - Yummers!

Zinger’s Homemade Ice Cream in Seaside, Oregon (OR)
http://www.zingersicecream.com/

Homemade ice cream made with local ingredients. Summer hours are daily 1:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. with the exception of July 4th where the hours are noon - 9:00 p.m.. Remember to bring cash - no credit or debit cards accepted.

Pink’s Creamery in Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii (HI)
4489 Aku Road, Hanalei, KI 96714
808-826-1257

Choose your own ice cream, pick a topping that you want swirled in it and continue with more toppings on top of that.  Think about then taking a hike to the beautiful Hanakapiai Beach http://www.kauaivacationsecrets.com/hanakapiai-beach/ and enjoy the scenery.  (Photograph of Hanakapiai Beach)

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream in Youngstown, Ohio (OH)
http://handelsicecream.com/home/index.html

Daily handmade ice cream and yogurt since 1945.  With too many flavors to list with big servings. If by chance you can’t get there, your problem is solved - they even offer Ice Cream Shipping within the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii.

Bedford Farms in Bedford, Massachusetts (MA)
http://www.bedfordfarmsicecream.com/

Serving ice cream since 1880 and is open year round. Bedford Farms Ice Cream serves homemade style gourmet ice cream, frozen yogurt and soft serve ice cream in over 60 flavors.

Brickley’s Ice Cream in Narragansett, Rhode Island (RI)
http://www.brickleys.com/

Serving over 45 flavors ice cream, frozen yogurt, no-sugar added ice cream, sherbets and sorbet made fresh daily with only the best ingredients. Brickley’s has appeared on a “Best Ice Cream in New England” list amongst many others.

Hungry for some ice cream now? Here is a simple recipe with no ice cream maker needed. (Keep in mind that the advantage of using an electric or hand-cranked machine is that the final result will be smoother and creamier. Freezing anything from liquid-to-solid means you’re creating hard ice crystals, so if you’re making it by hand, as your ice cream or sorbet mixture freezes, you want to break up those ice crystals as much as possible so your final results are as smooth and creamy as possible).

Here is a great, very creamy recipe basic from http://www.kevinandamanda.com/ to give you some summertime ice cream smiles.

You will need:

2 cups of heavy cream 
1 can (14 oz) of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.

Add your flavors, toppings to the Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Fold in the whipped cream.

Place in covered 2 quart container and freeze 6 hours or until firm.

Some ideas for flavors and toppings could be ½ tsp cinnamon with ½ tsp vanilla extract and 3 Tablespoons melted butter, or try ½ cup Nutella with 1 cup peanut butter chips.

Now, I think I need to get busy and start celebrating with some ice cream . . . it is National Ice Cream Month after all!  Feel free to share your favorite Ice Cream Shoppe or recipe ~ we really can’t get enough of this wonderful treat!

Providing a nostalgic feel of Nantucket, I fell in love with The Cottages and Lofts at Boat Basin http://thecottagesnantucket.com/ (866-838-9253 or 508-325-1499) and with the 4th Of July, my first thought returned to these 24 cottages and their 5 new lofts that consist of one, two, and three bedrooms with some that are even pet friendly.

The pet friendly cottages require a non-refundable pet fee of $60 (1-3 nights); $75 (4+ nights) per stay and 10% of the pet fee is donated to the Nantucket MSPCA Adoption Center on Nantucket. Your pet will feel like it’s on a luxury vacation too with the special amenities of a welcome basket of pet treats and toys, a blissful bed (Draper Canine Therapy Dog Bed by http://drapercaninetherapy.com), food and water bowls, litter box, personalized pet tags, dog walking services and a directory of veterinary clinics and pet supply stores.

The cottages are located from the heart of Nantucket ranging from waterfront views and waterfront locations. The cottages at the Boat Basin are located directly on the docks at Swain Warf and Old South Warf (The Lofts are on Straight Warf). To get a better idea of the layout, see the map at http://thecottagesnantucket.com/reservations/map.html and click on the cottage or loft for additional information.

The cottages have a nautical ambiance with polished pine floors and stylishly casual furnishings with colors of marine blue, white and the classic Nantucket red. Many of the accommodations have private balconies or terraces and during your visit you are provided with complimentary use of bicycles (first come, first served), daily housekeeping, modern kitchens, fine bed linens, complimentary wireless internet access, flat-screen TV’s with cable television, DVD, Business Center, hair dryer, in-room safes, beach chairs and towels to name a few of your awaiting luxuries.

As an added bonus is the front desk will even do your grocery shopping prior to your arrival an have your kitchen pre-stocked. If you fly into Nantucket airport, you can be greeted by the “Beach Bus” with previous arrangements to take you to The Cottages. For additional travel accommodations to reach the island, visit http://www.islandofnantucket.info/howtogetthere.html for further options. Prior to your arrival, The Cottages Nantucket Vacation Planner will contact you to make arrangements for transportation, dining, island excursions, picnics, car and bicycle rentals. To contact the Nantucket Vacation Planner, please email [email protected] or call 866.838.9252.  The “Beach Bus” also will shuttle you to and from your favorite Nantucket beaches.

If you are a guest at The Cottages & Lofts you have access to the White Elephant Spa, the brand new spa located at their sister property and just a short walk away.

You'll find an extensive selection of treatments and massages to make your stay even more relaxing. Visit http://www.whiteelephanthotel.com/spa/ to learn more or call 508.228.2500 to make a reservation and mention that you are a guest at The Cottages.

Grab your bag from http://www.jessicacushman.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=JKC&Product_Code=ROP-LOB-NAT&Category_Code=ROPTOTE that screams Nantucket, step back in time and wander over 800 historic buildings while walking along the cobblestone streets ~ a perfect way to relax while visiting an array of upscale boutiques, antique shops, art galleries, pubs and fine restaurants.

Make sure you visit the Whaling Museum http://www.nha.org/sites/index.html open daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. where you will find the history of Nantucket’s whaling industry and see artifacts that are exhibited at the museum.

For those of those that want to explore further, venture into the vineyards and brewery’s of: Nantucket Vineyard, Cisco Brewery, and Triple Distillery at http://sites.google.com/site/ciscobeers/ for a day of fun and relaxation.

Arrange for a private sail aboard the Endeavor http://endeavorsailing.com/ located at the Straight Wharf dock outside the cottages. Enjoy a sunset cruise for two or a pirate-themed adventure with the kids. Aboard the Nantucket Harbor Cruise at Straight Wharf (502-228-1444), pull lobster traps, enjoy an afternoon Ice Cream Cruise, or end your evening with their sunset cruise. For those that want to own their own yacht for a day or half the day excursions, visit Hinckley Cruise Your boat will be stocked with all the provisions you needs to make your day on the water memorable. Contact your accommodation concierge for more information and booking.

In July and August, go on the whale-watch vessel Yankee Springs for the day (& hours) and visit the whale feeding grounds at the Great South Channel. It departs from Straight Wharf. http://nantucketwhalewatch.net/ 800-322-0013 or outside of MA call 800-942-5464

For the land lovers there are many inland tours to choose from be sure to check with your local accommodation concierge for more information. You may enjoy visiting Brat Point Lighthouse, the second oldest lighthouse in America, established in 1746. http://lighthouse.cc/brant/ or just take a leisurely bike ride or stroll on the many paths. Make sure you grab some ice-cream on your way!

Don’t be surprised to hear live piano music and sing-along while strolling through downtown. The Club Car is an iconic seafood and steak restaurant in an old train car.

Make sure you make reservations at 508-228-1101. One restaurant among many lining the streets of Nantucket for your enjoyment. http://www.nantucket.net/maps/diningmap.php

For the 4th of July, Jetties Beach (on Nantucket) http://www.nantucket.net/beaches/jetties.php at 9:00 p.m. is the perfect place to view the spectacular fireworks and in August Jetties Beach host a Sandcastle and Sculpture Day along with the Boston Pops http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/perf_detail.jsp?pid=prod4040071 on August 13, 2011 to benefit the Nantucket Cottage Hospital http://www.nantuckethospital.org/Events/Pops.html with special guest, Carly Simon. Make sure you visit the Raw Bar at The Jetties http://thejetties.com/ for a complete Nantucket Beach experience.

For more 4th of July fun, there are activities on Main Street starting at 10:00 a.m. which include the dunk tank, the watermelon eating contest, face painting, the pie eating contest, and the famous "water fight" between the town fire fighters and Flint Ranney's volunteers. For more information visit http://www.nantucket-ma.gov/Pages/NantucketMA_Visitor/46814_Nantucket_WEB_6.pdf

A relaxing and memorable trip to the east coast to enjoy the dog-days of Summer. What a wonderful way to celebrate Independence Day with having your vacation perfect in every way!

Photographs courtesy of The Cottages and Jessica Cushman