Discovering America in Columbus

     It was a day trip with a buddy that took me to Columbus, NJ and the Farmers' Market there.  It is quite an operation that runs every week of the year from Thursday through Sunday.  Here is what we saw as we pulled in the driveway to their massive parking lot:

It was quite an impressive collection of differing booths scattered throughout the location just outside of town.  We began in the main building with breakfast in the Amish section:

      It was interesting to see how many people had a traditional breakfast while others were more adventuresome and chowed down on "Que" for their first meal of the day.  And speaking of people, Bob warned me that it would be a different crowd than what we were used to at the Green Dragon.  And, boy was he correct on that one!  The Columbus Farmers' Market made the Green Dragon look like Saks Fifth Avenue.  And the kinds of booths were different as well.  There were the typical food booths selling everything from pineapple upside down cakes, to the ever present pizza and burger joints.  But there were also folks grilling satay sticks of beef and a booth with some strange looking Korean food for sale.  And something not seen in peaceful Ephrata, Lancaster County was the booth under the series of canopies outside advertised by this sign:

    

     And outside there were tables full of cheap bling, knock off pocket books, sunglasses and row after row of white athletic socks.  Along the long aisles of cheap clothing were vendors with seedlings and various vegetable plants for sale direct from the nearby garden nurseries.  There were some good deals if you had a discerning eye and a tight purse, coupled with a specific need.  Then there was an open air section that had the appearance of the contents of your grand parent's attic.  It was quite an eclectic collection of junk that the Thursday day traders hoped to unload on passers by.  One vendor had an impressive display of military paraphernalia that only a certain clientele would appreciate:

    

     After looking at all the items we realized we could live without we made our way to the produce market back out in the main parking lot.  That was where we found the real bargains.  Fruits and veggies were fresh and plentiful with bargain price tags.  So we were able to declare the day's adventure a success as we stocked up on things like melons, peppers and potatoes:

    

     So I found real America populated with real Americans at the Columbus Farmers' Market.  I mean, where else could you be entertained by a decidedly off key gospel trio as you shopped?