BRYCE ALDERTON -- Reporter’s Notebook

I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t breathe, and my stomach felt like it was

about to shoot upward. My dad was sitting right next to me and he was

silent too.

My arms and legs were stretched out and the only thing keeping me from

falling hundreds of feet to an unknown fate was the shoulder harness on

the ride Evolution at last year’s Orange County Fair.

I was suspended in this position for what seemed like an hour, but it

was probably only 10 seconds. Then the hot dog stand with the colored

blinking lights began to slightly move to the right. Before I knew it, I

was spinning, going upside down and moving side to side as Evolution

began to move in the craziest gyrating fashion I’ve ever experienced.

Now, I have been to Magic Mountain, Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm,

with its Supreme Scream ride, and I never thought I would ride the

scariest ride of my life that summer night at my first fair.

But so is the nature of the fair. It’s “fun” in its purest form. It’s

the way fun is supposed to be: eating cinnamon rolls dripping with sweet,

creamy icing; admiring a woman’s collection of antenna balls that

includes an In-N-Out Burger Cup, the Wienerschnitzel Hot Dog and an

Anaheim Angels cap; throwing darts at a bull’s-eye to win a stuffed teddy

bear for someone special; and enjoying the sounds of an evening concert.

But whatever you decide to do at the fair, you need to experience the

Carnival and go on some of the rides that you can’t find any other time

of the year. The rides only last 17 days at the fair, and those 17 days

come and go faster than the time Evolution holds you in place overlooking

the entire fair.

My heart pounded and the sweat began collecting on my brow as I gazed

into the night sky and saw the shiny white arm that held each passenger

car rotating around. I thought to myself, “That is so high,” and it was,

but any anxiety I had before riding Evolution was gone by the time I

stepped off that zany ride. My heart slowed to a murmur and my muscles

felt as relaxed as if I had just gotten out of a spa. A ride like

Evolution clears the mind and revitalizes the soul, but so does the

entire fair.

The fair is a natural mood-enhancer, capable of eliciting the largest

smiles and friendliest greetings -- people are happy to be there. And why

not?

The fair is a place of fantasy, a place of magic that appeals to

anyone’s taste. Any inhibitions about trying new things are gone just by

being at the fair. I felt free to do anything I wanted, and that’s the

greatest thing about the fair -- I was carefree and a kid again.

I laughed as I ate that cinnamon roll, something I usually don’t do

when I eat. I looked at some of the oldest World War I and II artifacts

in the collections and memorabilia building, and bobbed for fish in the

Carnival area just for the heck of it.

I can’t believe that I went 21 years of living in Orange County and

went to my first fair last year. I had heard about the fair but just

never thought about going.

I feel fortunate enough to have worked at the fair last year because I

got to experience firsthand how a fair comes together, which now makes me

appreciate it all the more.

Seventeen days go by quick, so don’t miss out on the chance to be a

kid again and forget about all the worries of the world. Enjoy the rides

and the food.

* BRYCE ALDERTON is the Pilot’s news assistant.