AP Photo
What better way for Sarah Palin to celebrate her final weekend in office than with an Alaskan picnic tour? Thousands showed up at the governor's annual event in Wasilla on Friday. Dressed in a red sweatshirt that read “Once a patriot, always a patriot,” Palin signed autographs and handed out hotdogs to fans. According to the Wasilla Chamber director, several tourists came from out-of-state to join the festivities, and some even inquired if they could buy Sarah Palin mementos—like a lock of her hair. Wasilla is only the first stop in Palin’s picnic tour: the governor will host another picnic in Anchorage on Saturday, and a third in Fairbanks on Sunday, where she’ll officially hand over power to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell. “Never apologize for being Americans!” she told the crowd in Wasilla, to which one man responded: “We want you to be our commander in chief!”