By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

Kim Reynolds has taken a different path as governor when it comes to the Iowa State Fair.

Terry Branstad, Tom Vilsack and Chet Culver made appearances at the Iowa State Fair while they were serving as governor, but after Kim Reynolds took over as governor she decided to spend each day at the 2017 Iowa State Fair.

“I get to be in blue jeans, cowboy boots and a bling belt for 11 days,” Reynolds said yesterday. “Who doesn’t want to do that?”

Reynolds, who is not running for reelection, kicked off the ninth year of that 11-day ritual yesterday. “I’m going to get emotional. It’s just bitter sweet,” Reynolds said. “I’ve loved it. I’ve loved every part of it.”

Reynolds is again scheduled to flip pork chops, serve beef and hand out boiled eggs on a stick. On Saturday, she’ll show a steer in the 44th annual Governor’s Charity Steer Show. “I kind of have to start lifting weights to hold the head up as long as I need to,” Reynolds joked.

The governor, though, admits she spends most of the next 10 days visiting with fairgoers. “I don’t go too far where I don’t stop, visit, take a picture,” Reynolds said, laughing. “In fact, most of our grandchildren say to me: ‘Can we just go with grandpa and you can catch up?’ Because they get to where they want to go…as fast as they want to. It just a lot of magical days.”

Reynolds said most everyone she meets has a story about the fair — and the State Fair “has been the backdrop” to stories from her own childhood. “I had a great aunt that camped here until she was like 98, cousins that camped,” Reynolds said. “I have a brother now that’s got a spot that he inherited through his wife’s family.”

During the State Fair’s Opening Ceremonies yesterday, Reynolds suggested she may volunteer to hand out water during next year’s Iowa State Fair, to keep her own string of fair attendance going. “There’s simply nowhere, absolutely nowhere that I’d rather be,” Reynolds told the crowd.