Cheryl Runs For Pie. Ethan And Cheryl Play Tourist in Amana.

Such a busy day today!  And it was all finished before 2 pm.  I wonder if I can squeeze everything in a single blog post or will I have to break things up... We shall see. 

First!  The Pie Run!   Cheryl read that there was a small race somewhere in Iowa where the prizes for winning were in Apple Pie.   The "Finisher's Medal" was also a small apple pie on a stick.  What could be more odd than that?  ( Besides running for a watermelon or something....)  Cheryl has had a number of successes running for food items as of late.   Why not give it another go?

When I say small, I mean really, really small!   I think this was the smallest race we have attended yet.  I think it was done by a church group who is trying to raise money for Haiti.   ( Possibly some missionary thing there... Or natural disaster..   Or terrorism.   Who knows? ) The top three people in each age group gets to pick an apple pie that was freshly baked for the occasion.  

Did I mention it was just a 5K?   Yes,  three Miles.  No Shirt!   No Medal!  Just pie and then a bigger pie if you win.  Good thing there were not many people there, as Cheryl's odds increased.   I could justify the travel, time and cost if she actually won a pie.  Otherwise,  it would have been a complete waste of time, money and effort!  ( Yes!  Pie makes all the difference!) 

Well, she didn't "win".  Only two other females came in before her and wouldn't you know, one of them was in her age group.  No first prize this time.  But she did win a pie, and that makes everything acceptable.  Oh!  And she apparently scored a New PR ( personal record) for the 5K distance.   That's kind of cool...

I'll cut to the chase:  The pie was tasty.  Light, flaky crust... sweet and tender filling.  Everything you want in a dutch apple pie with caramel drizzled on top.   She took a chance and picked one of the "unknown pies" that did not have clear plastic wrap on them.   She got lucky as Dutch apple pie is her favorite. 

After the race,  we headed to an Art festival that was happening just down the road.  It was definitely "Fine Art" as most of the vendors were painters, ceramicists, or glass blowers.   I few other odd media pros, like basket weavers and knitters, were also there.  We purchased a few replacement mugs for Cheryl's Tea set and my home coffee needs.  

Then on to the Amana Colonies. Apparently,  there is an apple festival there as well and we have never been to the Amanas before.   What better time than October to see what the Germans of Iowa are up to? 

Well.... Besides pastries...  Beer! After visiting the bakery and a few shops, we headed out to find the local brewery for some of their seasonal beverages.  I should note that the Bakery was like one of those Disney animated movies.  I was swarmed with Birds and butterflies while we ate our pastries.   All that was missing was the background  music and dancing. 

To the Brewery!  We could not make up our minds on which beer to sample, so the attendant suggested the "Flight"  a sample of five beers.   We got the two Oktober Fest Beers, the Two IPAs and a Wheat/pecan porter.  We topped it off with a couple Rootbeers for hydration.  After running any race... even a 5K,  I believe some form of beer needs to be involved. 

We could not find any Brats, however.   Which is too bad.  Because after sampling those 5 beers,  Cheryl and I were feeling it!  (Cheryl had skipped breakfast and all I had was a small Muffin.)  I must say that going from the brewery into the Christmas store was a bit overwhelming.   Cheryl found everything funny, and I could not really focus on any single thing to purchase.  

Until Cheryl found this hat.   She decided I needed it. A Green Fedora.  I don't know why.  Perhaps she fantasizes about me yodeling in the Alps with matching lederhosen. 

All in all, it was a good day.  And for brief moment in time,  Cheryl was happy.  We now get to eat her winnings and plan our next Amana visit.  Possibly with some relatives.   There were plenty of shops we did not peak inside, so we still have much left to explore.  I also hear that there is an Oktoberfest festival there later next month.   More beer!  And hopefully some freshly grilled Brats this time.  We did not want to go into the restaurant where they were serving the meats.... Too many people there on a Weekend.  But maybe mid week sometime. 

Hope everyone is having a fine weekend so far.  There is much more to blog about, but I'll have to save it for later.   Tomorrow might be boring and I will have time then... Unless I spend the day chalking in the park.  We shall see.   

Thanks for stopping in.