In addition to the barbecue contest, they also had a motorcycle show at the
festival. Here was the Log Hog on display with Cole and I posing for
the camera:
We also got to participate in the barbecue judging. We signed up for
the "people's choice" award judging and were sat down at a table where they
brought us each 5 samples of barbecue pork in little numbered cups and a
card to write down the number our favorite:
You had to judge the entries based on texture, appearance and taste.
Life don't get much better than this. I love barbecue.
We picked the winners and turned in the judging cards to the attendants then
went out to check out the various competitors and their smokers. Here
Michelle and Cole are checking out one of the more colorful vendors selling
natural sodas:
We were pleasantly surprised to see that our favorite south Mississippi Barbecue
joint was in the competition. The Shed is located in Ocean Springs (about
20 miles from where I live) and we go there at least once a month. Award
winning barbecue, cold beer and live blues music every Saturday. They
even build a big campfire out back and everyone huddles around listening
to music in the evenings:
The Shed is exactly as you might picture it. The building is made from
old, reclaimed barn wood and is very rustic. the meat is smoked with real
wood smokers and seasoned with secret a recipe of ingredients. Delicious!
After visiting with our old friends from the Shed, we continued on around
the festival. Michelle and Cole did a little shopping with the various
vendors that were present. Here was a guy who took old record albums
and made purses out of them. One side is the original album and the
other side is the actual album cover:
After visiting the barbecue contest, we were hungry for . . .your guessed
it, barbecue. While exploring downtown Oxford, we found this great
little place called the Rib Cage:
After eating we went ahead spent some time exploring downtown Oxford. This
is an old town, very small and just beautiful. Here is the county
courthouse which is under renovation:
Oxford kind of reminds me of Mayberry from Andy Griffith. Just a very slowly
paced, take-it-easy type of town:
