Hump day with the Cherry Blossom Festival newbies
Editor’s note: Caitlyn Stroh and Stephen Mays are both newbies to The Telegraph as well as newbies to the Cherry Blossom Festival. They’re going out into the festivities this week and giving us a firsthand account of their CBF experience.
HAPPY HUMP DAY
Mike, Mike! Guess what day it is.
— Caitlyn Stroh (@caitlyn_stroh) March 30, 2016
HUMP DAY! pic.twitter.com/k6J9Qo0UXv
FESTIVAL FOOD REVIEWS
Caitlyn: I am not the foodie that Stephen is so my opinion here might be a little amateur. But then again, I think that's the mentality you have going in to festival food lunch. I went a little safe with my choice and chose the gumbo. Not true fair food, but it smelled too good to pass up.
I've always thought gumbo was supposed to be a little spicy. Or at least have a strong Cajun flavoring, but this was super mild. Not a bad thing. I'd be lying if I said I didn't eat every single grain of rice.
I do regret not getting a turkey leg.
After a few laps walking around the park, it was time for dessert. And what better way to cap off a sunny, warm lunch than with soft serve ice cream?
Stephen: Caitlyn glorifies me with the foodie title, when what she really means is I love eating.
I opted for an Italian sausage with onions and peppers for lunch. The flavors were alright, but I would have liked more spice. Looking back, I should have taken the tried and true corn dog instead.
The French fries were surprisingly tasty. They were cooked exactly like I like them--crispy on the outside and super fluffy on the inside.
After touring the rest of the park and seeing people enjoying the rides, we grabbed dessert on the way out. I claimed to be hangry when we entered the park, but I didn't eat all of my ice cream cone either.
Honestly, I've been wanting to try El Camino downtown, so my mind was probably preoccupied thinking of tacos.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
C: I have been to Central City Park several times in the past week and Wednesday was by far the biggest crowd I've seen. I have to assume that the weather played a large part in the attendance because it was a near-perfect afternoon to go enjoy the festivities.
And it's Bibb County schools spring break. Perfect timing for the sunshine to make an appearance.
S: Everyone at the park today seemed really happy, either because of the weather, the festival itself or who knows what. A nice group of folks let Caitlyn and I sit with them for lunch and kept up conversation the entire time.
Finding total strangers who are willing to share space for a meal will always be one of my favorite things about the South.
While we were busy at Central City Park, plenty was still happening downtown on Third Street.
This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Hump day with the Cherry Blossom Festival newbies."