Portland: Livestock and Voodoo.

Fear not.

Though the title of this entry may be conjuring up images not meant for the faint, Voodoo is sweet and fried and Livestock is rural and on a stick.

Monday of this week, we ventured into the great beyond to soak up the crazy at the Big State Fair. As it is always a dream of my dear Ruby, during the harvest season, to visit each and every State fair in the Union so, we humored her with a 50 minute drive south west to Salem, OR - the state capital.

Not unlike the Minnesota State Fair, this crowded event was a chock full of crowds, overpriced and frightening food and showcases of award winning farm animals. The grounds are beautifully manicured, the people more tattooed and less obese, no deep fried cheese curds or pickles on sticks, but many blue ribboned apple pies and quilts, tractors and hot tub displays. A taste of the mayhem of the Midwest here on the west coast.

Highlights included a car quilt (photo on right), Oregon berry lemonade and a Smoky the Bear camping and forestry display featuring a tank of live salmon and a fully furnished camping yurt.

Now for the Voodoo.
One word: donuts.
We read about Voodoo Doughnut months ago, and thus continued our irrational obsession with fried dough. We have gone to great lengths to sample the wares of donut aficionados across the country. When told about great donut experiences, we will make our way to them. We remain loyal to our NY staple, Donut Plant. Not too sweet, fresh, delicious. But we wanted to visit this sweet fried mecca- a place refrenced in almost any guide to weird and wacked out Portland sites.

As the name implies, the theme is wicked, raunchy, gory, sicky and bizarre. Donuts in the form of skulls and genitals (yes.). toppings such as bacon, tang and unidentifyable blue kool-aide.

In addition to attracting millions of unattending screaming children, they also perform weddings (for $25) and blare hard rock from their jukebox. The walls are pink and the decor is emodied by the black velvet portrait of Kenny Rogers that hangs behind the cashier.

At and average of $1 a donut, it was a bargain breakfast. We ordered 5 donuts and 3 $1.25 Stumptown coffees knowing that we may be tossing away the remains if they proved to be unpalateable. Lemon chiffon cruller, Oregon creme (like a custard, really), Arnold Palmer (cake doughnut covered with lemon and tea powder), maple glazed and something chocolaty.

ps: A bargain breakfast made of sugar, oil, sugar, flour and chocolate is not the breakfast of champions.