The Texas State Fair has been around for more than 100-hundred years, and this time it came back even harder with rides for everyone, thrill-seeker and reserved-rider alike. Food items for the more open of us also grabbed attention with choices that included bacon brittle, fruity-dessert nachos, and deep-fried pico de gallo.

Located at Fair Park in the center of Dallas, one of the numerous entrances of the fair greets you with a Texas staple, Big Tex.

Original Big Tex, unfortunately, did burn down back in 2012. If you never got to see him, as a born-and-raised Texan, I do apologize. The rebuilt Big Tex is still there for viewer enjoyment and for that picture your mom will make you take.

If you want to get anywhere once inside, you have to buy coupons. These serve as the fair’s equivalent of cash. Each coupon holds a 50-cent value, and they can be bought in sheets. I was smart and went with my family, so I did not have to pay. Coupon costs can add up quickly.

Food and rides both cost coupons, and each item/ride goes for an average of 10 coupons. Games go by a different system. They are all rigged. Google it. But, if you want to play, so you can impress the date you brought by winning a giant stuffed Tweety Bird on the ring toss, then you have to buy game credits. Every 10 credits cost $10.

Food is one of the staples at the fair, and vendors always deliver with the craziest concoctions. I personally cannot handle some of the overly sweet foods the fair sells,  but my family enjoyed things such as a caramel-corn funnel cake and a deep-fried cinnamon roll topped with bacon bits.

“I was skeptical at first about the addition of bacon in the cinnamon roll,” Community member Elizabeth Chick said. “But, it gave the sweetness of the cinnamon roll a wonderful smoky flavor.”

With new additions every year and venders vying to place in the “Big Tex Choice Awards,” the fair never seems to disappoint in the food department – as long as you have the stomach to handle it.

One of the scariest possible things you can do at the fair is eating a deep-fried Twinkie and taking a topsy-turvy ride. The ones of us with the strongest stomachs can do it.

From simple rides like the classic Ferris wheel to insane ones, only the bravest, or craziest, of us can handle these challenges – like the ‘Skyscraper’ and ‘Sling-Shot’.

As an adrenaline junky, myself , as soon as I saw a duo ride option for the ‘Skyscraper’ and ‘Sling-shot’, I was ready. The cost to ride both one time was 200 coupons ($100), for both my brother and I. It is a bit steep, but the price is worth it if you crave a good adrenaline rush.

DO NOT ride either of the rides if you have a fear of heights or are prone to nausea. They will test your limits.

After paying my 200 coupons and getting a bright green wristband fastened to our wrists. My daredevil sidekick 20-year-old brother and I trotted over to the ‘Sling-shot’ first.

The ‘sling–shot’, although did not provide me with as much of an adrenaline rush as the ‘Skyscraper’, still impressed me with its high anticipation levels. You are left in a large ball like cage, sitting flat on your back while looking up at the sky and waiting to be shot up into the air like the hornets you used to make when you were 8. The entire experience is composed mostly of sitting and waiting. After you are shot up into the air, all adrenaline is lost, and you are left bobbing up and down about three times before they lower you at the end.

I was forced to take a break after the first ride due to extreme nausea. Then, I went with my family to buy more deep-fried foods.

Not having the stomach to handle any more food, I kept my water bottle close and prayed this wouldn’t be the time I threw up. About 30 minutes and a few sips of water later, I decided I was ready for the second ride.

After being let down by my first ride, I was starting to regret the $100 spent, but I stayed hopeful and rode the ‘Skyscraper’ next.