We spent
two weeks in Hershey and had so much fun! I must warn you ahead of time: This is a LOOONNNGG one!
I'll
start with the campground: It was a Thousand Trails Resort and it
was one of the prettiest we have visited. There were beautiful green
rolling hills and the flowers were blooming. We had a nice spot
close to a pond and we backed to one of the big hills where the kids
could run, play and explore.
(from the top of the hill down)
(looking up the hill)
Greg and
the kids did a little fishing but the most fun we had at the pond was
watching the toad life cycle! When we first arrived there were
probably a hundred toads along the bank singing their mating songs. Can you see the love??
And we watched as several of them produced their eggs. Jordan and
Jacob also had a great time catching them and putting them in
Jordan's shirt and then in a bucket. Yuck!
(5/4/15)
The pond
had so many ribbons of eggs in the water and within a couple of days,
we saw them hatch. I have never seen so many tadpoles!!
We were all so excited and went about every couple of days to check their progress. Too bad we weren't there a little longer to see their legs form.
(tadpoles hatching from the ribbons 5/8/15)
We were all so excited and went about every couple of days to check their progress. Too bad we weren't there a little longer to see their legs form.
(getting bigger 5/11/15)
(A great mass of tadploles! 5/14/15)
We also got to see the fish nests in the water!! So much to observe and learn at the pond ;)
The other great thing about the campground was that there were many things around to do. We would soon learn though that going 8 miles could easily become a 20+ minute trip. Every road was small and windy. Pretty, but it doesn't make for quick travel.
The other great thing about the campground was that there were many things around to do. We would soon learn though that going 8 miles could easily become a 20+ minute trip. Every road was small and windy. Pretty, but it doesn't make for quick travel.
Within a
15 minute drive was Hemlock Archery and Jacob was able to take some
archery lessons. He had a great time and he did fantastic. He had
three private lessons and was really able to improve his skills.
He's a pretty good little archer!
And
Jordan was able to go to gymnastics at the Gymnastics Center of
Hershey. It was a weird time of year for them to take on someone new
but she had a great time and really worked on some of her skills as
well.
The
first week we were there, we went to Hershey's Chocolate World and
the Hershey Story Museum.
At Chocolate World, they have a free factory tour ride. It wasn't very busy and since you can't really see it all on one trip through, we did it three times. Greg and I had been there about 10 years prior and we were not impressed at all with the tour but it has changed and it is really much better.
At Chocolate World, they have a free factory tour ride. It wasn't very busy and since you can't really see it all on one trip through, we did it three times. Greg and I had been there about 10 years prior and we were not impressed at all with the tour but it has changed and it is really much better.
(Hershey Kisses)
The kids (and Greg) really wanted one of these 5lb Hershey bars but $40 a bar was a bit much!
So then to the Hershey Museum. I really enjoyed it. Milton Hershey was a very interesting person and I love how he built the town of Hershey for his employees and established the Milton Hershey School for orphaned and underprivileged children.
The
Museum had an apprentice program ($3 for Jacob) which was fun. It
was basically a way to get kids to read and explore in the museum.
After completing each section of their booklet and the museum, they would go to see one of the attendants and get a stamp or sticker for their booklet. I was really hesitant to pay the extra money on top of the admission for the museum but it really did improve the experience for Jacob (Jordan was too young for that but did get a free I Spy booklet for the museum)
After completing each section of their booklet and the museum, they would go to see one of the attendants and get a stamp or sticker for their booklet. I was really hesitant to pay the extra money on top of the admission for the museum but it really did improve the experience for Jacob (Jordan was too young for that but did get a free I Spy booklet for the museum)
And
before we left the museum, we headed to the Chocolate Lab to make our
own candy bars!
This was an extra fee as well. It wasn't really what I expected. Basically, you poured some chocolate into a mold and then added some topping they provided. That took just a couple of minutes.
The rest of the time was an informative talk on the
history of chocolate and the components of chocolate candy. It was
definitely interesting to me but not so much for the kids.
This was an extra fee as well. It wasn't really what I expected. Basically, you poured some chocolate into a mold and then added some topping they provided. That took just a couple of minutes.
(our finished products)
Later in
the week, the kids and I visited Kreider Farms for their dairy tour.
We found a groupon deal for this (it was $24 for 4 people) and while
I did enjoy it, I would not do it again if I had to pay full price.
(The groupon was 50% off the usual rate). We rode in a trolley and
toured some of the buildings and then got out so we could get a
closer look at the milking process. We have seen this before so it
wasn't new, but still fun to see.
And since there really is always something new to learn, here it is: You know the big irrigation systems on wheels that you see out in the field? I know living in Texas that everyone has thought, even if for a second, how nice it would be to cool off under one of those. Well, did you know that some farmers spray liquid manure through them?! Disgusting!!
For our first weekend family trip, we headed to Philadelphia, which was a couple of hours
away. We decided to stay overnight in a hotel so that we could start
early the next day as well.
We
visited Independence Hall,
Congress Hall,
the Liberty Bell Center,
and Franklin Court, including the Benjamin Franklin
Museum and Franklin's post office and printing office.
(The Assembly Room where the delegates signed the Declaration and Constitution)
(first Library of Congress)
We went
by the Declaration House where Jefferson wrote the Declaration and by
Carpenter's Hall where the First Continental Congress met but they
were both closed. There was a little military museum by Carpenter's
Hall that we were able to check out instead.
(Declaration House)
(Carpenter's Hall)
That evening, we took a LONG walk to eat at Geno's, famous for its Philly cheese steaks! Our opinion: Just OK
Then we took the subway back :).
Then we took the subway back :).
The next
day we walked through Logan's Square
and visited the Franklin Institute Science Museum (free with pass)
and visited the Franklin Institute Science Museum (free with pass)
where we visited the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial,
made recycled paper,
crawled through the "nervous system"
and sat in a jet.
We ended the weekend with a visit to Valley Forge National Historical Park. The kids practiced being soldiers to earn their Jr. Ranger Badge
and then we toured the battlefields stopping at many of the notable sites.
(National Memorial Arch)
(George Washington's Headquarters)
The SECOND week was just as much fun, if not more! Two families that we
met in Florida this January were staying at the same campground. There was another family we knew at a nearby campground. And
through the Fulltime Families Facebook page we met another family who
was also close. Throughout this week, we would get to hang out with
these fun families.
Our
first outing together was to Eastland Alpacas. This was a tour of
the farm (cost is donation). The kids were able to learn about the
alpacas and get close up to them.
They fed them and hugged them. And we were able to compare and contrast with the two llamas that were there as well.
They fed them and hugged them. And we were able to compare and contrast with the two llamas that were there as well.
(Yes, this alpaca is wearing sunglasses!)
In case you are wondering like I was, alpacas are primarily just pets.
The
second outing was to Whitaker Science Museum in Harrisburg (free with
museum pass). The boys had a good time with the stop motion animation and made video after video.
Jordan liked doing bubbles but had the best time in the younger kids section where she could role play in the house and kitchen with the other girls.
And
there were other times we all just hung out and played.
The kids
and I also went to Hersheypark amusement park. We had a good time
and since it was a Friday during the school year, the crowds were not
bad.
This is a re-creation of Jordan's expression on the first big roller coaster we went on. It's pretty accurate except she has way too much color in her face here.
This is a re-creation of Jordan's expression on the first big roller coaster we went on. It's pretty accurate except she has way too much color in her face here.
These were a couple of their favorite rides:
And then our last day in PA would be spent at Gettysburg National Military Park. While there is plenty to learn, see and do at this park, it was the MOST DISAPPOINTING national park we have been to.
It is very commercialized with a cost for nearly everything. Our National Parks Pass did not apply here. To enter the museum, watch the video and view the cyclorama, it is $12 per adult. Add a bus tour to that and it is $30 per adult. If you wanted to go to nearby Eisenhower National Historic Site, there was an additional charge for that too. Several of these activities are the same things you get to do for <$5 or FREE at every other national park! And while we understand that this location was important because:
1. It was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War (over 50,000 casualties in 3 days)
2. It was the turning point of the war, and
3. Lincoln gave his famous address here,
neither of us felt this battlefield park was any better than Chickamauga (the second bloodiest battle) in Georgia or Valley Forge that we saw the previous weekend.
And then our last day in PA would be spent at Gettysburg National Military Park. While there is plenty to learn, see and do at this park, it was the MOST DISAPPOINTING national park we have been to.
It is very commercialized with a cost for nearly everything. Our National Parks Pass did not apply here. To enter the museum, watch the video and view the cyclorama, it is $12 per adult. Add a bus tour to that and it is $30 per adult. If you wanted to go to nearby Eisenhower National Historic Site, there was an additional charge for that too. Several of these activities are the same things you get to do for <$5 or FREE at every other national park! And while we understand that this location was important because:
1. It was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War (over 50,000 casualties in 3 days)
2. It was the turning point of the war, and
3. Lincoln gave his famous address here,
neither of us felt this battlefield park was any better than Chickamauga (the second bloodiest battle) in Georgia or Valley Forge that we saw the previous weekend.
We were
also turned off by the fact that they do not allow backpacks in the visitor's center and that a woman at one of the concessions refused to give
us change for the penny smashing machine when Greg purposely
bought a $3 cup of coffee just so he could get change (she got to
keep her coffee)!
So we were bitter from the get-go and it really put a damper on the day, but we tried to push it aside. There were a few displays to view at no charge with ammunition, artifacts, uniforms, etc
And it was a beautiful park. Another positive was that the free self-guided auto-tour gave us a pretty good idea of how the battle progressed.
Here's a few pics from the National Cemetery:
So we were bitter from the get-go and it really put a damper on the day, but we tried to push it aside. There were a few displays to view at no charge with ammunition, artifacts, uniforms, etc
And it was a beautiful park. Another positive was that the free self-guided auto-tour gave us a pretty good idea of how the battle progressed.
(view from Little Round Top)
(Lincoln Monument)
(graves of the unknown Union soldiers)
(National Monument representing war, history, plenty and peace)
We
ended the day on a good note, the kids earned their Jr. Ranger Badge and we made it back to the campground in time for one last visit with our friends before our departure the next morning. We hope our
paths will cross again in the future!
Next stop: Niagara Falls!
Next stop: Niagara Falls!
