Vacation Part One - Hershey PA

The annual Baima summer vacation!  This year was an east coast adventure - Fly into Philadelphia, drive to Hershey for two days, drive back to Philadelphia for three days, Atlantic City and Ocean City for two days. It was a very eclectic vacation - roller coasters, beach, and the Liberty Bell.

HERSHEY PA DAY ONE

Leave Springfield at 5:40 a.m. = Arrive in Philadelphia at 10:38 a.m. = Drive to Hershey PA in the pouring rain through the iconic Pennsylvania countryside = Check into Hershey Lodge and receive 4 Hershey Bars = Lunch at The Bear's Den = Hershey Story Museum = Hot chocolate taste test = Chocolate World = Create Your Own Candy Bar = Hershey Lodge Water Works water park = Dinner at Cocoa Cabana

We have arrived in Hershey!  The very intense rain on our way from the airport to Hershey Lodge made us wonder if we would make it!

Each person receives one free Hershey Bar upon check in to the Hershey Lodge.  We stayed in Hershey Cocoa; the other places include Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, York Peppermint Pattie, Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, or Kisses Tower.

Yes, the room had chocolate scented shampoo, conditioner, and soap.  As well as chocolate kisses wallpaper, and all of the wall hangings had hidden pictures of chocolate bars in them.

We started our trip at the Hershey Story Museum.  This explained how Milton Hershey created the Hershey empire, his philanthropy, how the Hershey Bars were originally made (believe it or not, the early production involved using bathtubs!), and various chocolate samples.

Original Hershey Bar molds.

The first Hershey Bar machine.

Six different hot chocolate samples - from dark and bitter to sweet and caramely.  The Mexican hot chocolate was the worst - it had hints of black licorice.

We each had to force down a sip of the Mexican chocolate.

Even though it continued to rain, we had to pose next to one of the iconic Hershey Kiss lamp posts throughout the town.  And, yes, the town smelled like chocolate.

Up next was Hershey's Chocolate World.  This place was basically a giant store and restaurant, with various activities you could pay to do (like a 4D chocolate mystery movie, chocolate tasting experience, create your own chocolate bar, and a free chocolate factory tour).

No, we did not buy these oversized candy bars.

Olivia in York heaven!

So we tried to do the free chocolate factory tour, but it seems that all of Pennsylvania was at Chocolate World on this day (since it was raining harder, people came over from HersheyPark).  See the crowd behind Ethan - most of those people are in line for the tour.  We had to leave the line in order to make our Create Your Own Chocolate Bar tour time.

The mandatory clothing to enter into the Create Your Own Chocolate Bar factory - aprons and hair nets.  

For the Create Your Own Chocolate Bar, you get to pick 3 mix ins (out of 6), decide on dark, milk, or white chocolate, and sprinkles on top or no.  No matter what type of chocolate "vessel" you choose, everyone gets their bar topped with milk chocolate.  So, if I had to do it again, I would not pick a milk chocolate vessel so that I could have two types of chocolate on the bar.  And everything is better with sprinkles.  All of our bars were delicious, but Joe was not as thrilled with his bar.  His was the last bar assembled, and after watching the rest of our bars get so many toppings on it that the vessel could barely contain them, his barely got any!  Luck of the draw, I guess!

We even created our own candy bar wrapper, and received a metal tin for the bar.  Joe's bar was "Kruncherz Delight", Kate's was "YNOT Sprinkles", Olivia's was "Chocolate Break", and Ethan named his "Rocket Bar".

We ended the first day at the Hershey Lodge free water park.  This just opened about 2 months ago, and was wonderful for the kids!  Only available to Hershey Lodge residents, it is a water park, restaurant, and game room.  The kids loved burning off some energy, and Joe and I loved that there were adult friendly drinks in the restaurant to enjoy by the pool!  Below is a picture of the Twizzlers' slide that extended outside of the building.

This seemed to be the most popular water attraction with all of the kids - the Reese's Water Walk.  You are supposed to walk across the "cups" while holding onto the ropes above, but we never saw anyone do that.  The kids would either crawl carefully across the cups, or (the more popular method), attempt to run across to the other side (we saw maybe 3 succeed with this method).  And we are completely shocked that we did not witness anyone breaking their neck on this attraction!

The next picture taken after this one was Olivia completely wiping out.

HERSHEY PA DAY TWO

Breakfast at Lebbie Lebkicher's = Hershey Park = Drive to Philadelphia = Dinner at Red Owl Tavern

Olivia had to sample the Hershey Hot Chocolate at breakfast, and Joe had the chocolate raspberry pancakes.  And each of our breakfast entrees came with a chocolate chip muffin.  

Since we stayed at a Hershey lodging, we were lucky enough to skip the line into Hershey Park and take advantage of the "Sweet Start" when lodge residents can enter one hour early.  We started the Park with The Kissing Tower so we could get a birds' eye view of the park and town.

A view of Hershey Factory from The Kissing Tower.

We loved the Coal Cracker (like a log flume) ride so much we rode it twice.  We were lucky all day on the lines - while it did not rain on us at the Park, the forecast was calling for about a 60% chance all day, so that probably kept many people away.

Kate and Olivia on the Sky View.

A good introduction for the kids to roller coasters.  This was not too bad at all, and got them brave enough to try a "real" coaster after this.

The kids' first "real" roller coaster.  Ethan LOVED it, but Olivia was happy that it was over.  I just closed my eyes tight and waited for it to finish.

The BEST picture ever!  Taken while on the Lightning Racer roller coaster.

Hershey Chocolate vending machines were located everywhere in the Park.

I didn't get any photos of us in The Boardwalk - the water park area.  Our favorite water ride was The Tidal Force, although it was definitely taller than we had expected!  On our way out we were able to get a picture with the Hershey Bar mascot.

Ethan posing with the Milton Hershey statue.  Olivia was done with pictures by this point.

We drove to Philadelphia and checked into the Hotel Monaco.  After a delicious dinner at the Red Owl Tavern, we called it a night and prepared for the  next stage of our vacation.  Luckily the Hotel provides a yoga mat in every room, so Ethan could meditate.