On the left: Mr. Peanut and Sylvester play Jasmine and Aladdin, with one of those peek-your-head-through-
holes-in-a-cutout thingies. On the right: a representative example of the classic fair food stand, serving shish-ka-bob, jumbo corn dogs, turkey legs, funnel cakes, and pork chops on a (burp) stick.

Below: on the left, we leave the Iowa State Fair with a fond look at a faux Dumbo ride, then drive on to Chester, Illinois -- the birthplace of E.C. Segar -- where I pose with a statue of his greatest creation: Popeye the Sailor. Travel on