On our way back from Virginia we stopped at Hershey Park for 3 days. There is a lot to do and see in the area, so we decided to see a much as we could in a few days. It has to be noted that with 3 children under 7 years old, "as much as we could see" may not be that much to others. But it worked out well and for our first time we have the opportunity to see the major sites.
HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD
After a quick lunch at the local Chipotle we went to explore the Chocolate World. We were lucky to get parking really close to the facility, although there is a shuttle/trolley service that runs all day to the parking lots further way.
Admission is free.
For a post-lunch dessert we got some delicious ice cream. My wife got the best one on the menu, a Kit Kat Lovers Sundae.
Ariana's ice cream 'stache
With Ariana taking a little nap after her ice cream fill, the older two and I went to the Chocolate Tour which basically depicts the history of Hershey's founding and the making of chocolate. It's appealing to all ages with plenty of photos, paintings, and a moving tour at the end.
At the store, which is literally the entire thing, we were able to get some toys for the kids, souvenirs for the grandparents, and of course chocolate for the sweet junkies.
DINING IN HERSHEY
One of the things that I really like to do when we go on trips is to dine at a local restaurant. This generally takes some research and planning but it usually works well on every trip. I also always make sure I know where the safe chains are such as Chipotle, Five Guys, Dunkin Donuts, etc. just in case something doesn't work out.
One evening for dinner we went to Smoked Bar & Grill, located just outside Hershey, an 8 minute drive from the park. Reservations are recommended especially later in the evening and on the weekends. We were glad that we did when the house was packed and we got seated without a wait.
Our family really enjoys grilled and smoked foods so this met the criteria. The kids got the usual foods with a burger and mac & cheese. Lesya enjoyed her steak taco's and I decided to go on the limb and try there Glazed Donut burger.
The Glazed Donut burger turned out to be ok. The donut itself was cooked a little too well and the bacon was hard as rock. At one point I removed the bacon to prevent broken teeth and sore jaw. The burger was cooked medium and tasted well. The factor that made this dining experience much better was the selection of barbecue sauces. I have made my own sauces a few times and when I sample these homemade sauces, I wanted to dip everything.
Before we left, I asked our waiter if we could take a couple samples of a few of their sauces and I was surprised to see her bring a stack of to-go sauce containers. We filled them up with 3 of our favorites and later enjoyed them with our own grilled meats.
A Chick-fil-a experience: prior to Hershey I have never eaten at this chain restaurant and when I found out it was located in the park, my wife and I looked forward to eating there. Yes its a fast food place and yes I can see how some people compare it to KFC, but its a lot better then KFC. After having lunch at the place, I liked it so much to go back there for dinner as well.
HERSHEY PARK
At the opposite side of the park entrance, there is a hillside that welcomes you to the town of Hershey.
One week prior to the trip, while looking for tickets online, I came across a great deal of Buy 2-Get One Free. We saved $50 on tickets for a family of 5.
Immediately when driving into the parking lot, we got a hint of a Disney World feeling. In our mind Disney is #1 because the quality of the experience for adults and children is at its best in the entertainment world. We received a very nice welcome everywhere we went throughout the park. It was our first time and we asked for directions and recommendations throughout the day.
After we entered the park, we went to the measuring station and got wrist bands with the appropriate size for the rides. For the Hershey's and Reece's category there are 40 different activities for the kids.
Milton Hershey Statue
Adrian has never been on any rides other than a Carousel at a local field days and so we had the opportunity the experience some interesting emotions as he was figuring things out. The Dino ride broke the ice and he actually enjoyed it by the end.
We also quickly learned that Adrian wasn't going on rides that had some height or speed. He become very observant prior to making a decision. So mommy and daddy took turns going with older sister Alexis on "older kid" rides. At the end it worked out well.
After about an hour in the park, we decided to check out the water aspect of the park. As it turned out we spent the majority our time in the water section. The weather was partly cloudy and low 80's. The cooler pool and ride water was really refreshing.
We took a break from the park for a couple hours and returned to the hotel room for some relaxing time.
When we returned around 6 pm we had dinner and checked out the other sections of the park. We took a family train ride into the Wild West.
For dessert we tried the Bubblez drink because it looked good. It turned out to be pretty good but very sweet. It can be best described as a sugar bomb with some soda-pop caffeine. The kids enjoyed it a little too much.
HERSHEY'S ZOOAMERICA
All of our children enjoy the zoo and so it was a must on this trip. It was also included in our Park Admission fee, which was a bonus. Earlier in the day we asked a park employee the best way to get to the zoo. He explained that if we didn't go to the zoo from the park, there would be an additional zoo ticket expense. But if we followed the ZooAmerica signs it would lead us on a short cut. It was very easy to find.
Once inside we followed the signs for the recommended route and it made sure to go to every area. We got there 40 minutes before closing and it was plenty of time to make it through the whole thing. We didn't have time to read every little sign and description but it was a nice enough pace for the kids to soak in everything that they saw.
All of the animals at the zoo are native to this continent, especially the USA. Although there were no exotic animals, there was a lot of creativity in the zoo itself. When walking into the SWAMP section, the area smelled and felt like a swamp. In the DESERT section, the air was dry and strong smell of sand.
At the bear exhibit there was a brown and black bear in the same section. They turned out to be quite entertaining with a lot of playing and running around.
At the end we stopped by the gift shop to pick up some souvenirs.
We even managed to take a nice family photo after a long day of walking around, playing in the water, enjoying the rides, and simply spending time together as a family. Its definitely a trip worth taking. We will have to return when the kids get a little older so that they can enjoy some more rides and activities in the park.
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