The Sweetest Place On Earth

Sunday, the folks drove to "The Sweetest Place On Earth".  Where is that?  Hershey, PA.  Hershey is supposed to be about an hour and a half from us, but a disagreement with the GPA caused the trip to be closer to two and half hours. The folks ended up taking the scenic route through Pennsylvania.

They saw things like this on their trip.

They finally arrived in Hershey, PA.  The street lights are in the shape of Hershey Kisses.

Their first stop was The Hershey Story Museum.  They decided to just eat lunch in the cafe there since their time was limited.  Mom had a pizza and Dad had a ham and cheese wrap.  They also shared the Countries of Origin Chocolate Tasting.  What is that?  It is warm drinking chocolate samples from other countries.  It comes with a map so that visitors know where it came from.  Mom only liked the first one because it got more bitter with each one.

The folks then toured the museum which told the story of Milton Hershey.  The price was $10 a person. They both thought it was interesting, but thought the admission price should be less, if not free.

Milton's cradle

Milton and his wife, Catherine.

Hershey started out making caramels. This is a caramel cutter.

Chocolate mold.

Milton Hershey built the town of Hershey.  He wanted it to be a community for his employees. Employees were able to purchase homes at a low price.  The town also had an inexpensive public transportation system, a quality public schools and recreational opportunities. He wanted a "real home town" with tree-lined streets, single- and two-family brick houses, and nice lawns. In 1907, he built an amusement park.

His legacy is the school that he founded to help financially needy boys and girls in grades K-12.

He sounds like a really nice man who was generous with his money.

The folks visited the gift shop, but Mom was disappointed in what they offered.  She said a couple from another country spent $105 on candy.  She said she could buy it elsewhere for less.  Dad told her they had another stop, so maybe she would find something there.  She didn't know they were headed to....

Their first stop here was to board a ride that takes you on the journey of a cocoa bean.  Mom said it was cute.

It is hard to see, but this is what they rode in.

After the ride, they received a free Kit Kat bar and then they went shopping.  Do you think they bought chocolate?  Yes, they did.  Dad picked it out.

30 candy bars!

Mom didn't expect to buy that much chocolate, but the price was actually reasonable.

Mom was hoping to see even more Christmas decorations than this.

Chocolate World was packed with shoppers. Mom said she bet it is really crowded after Thanksgiving and also during peak tourist season. 

There was a lot more to do at both of the places they visited, but the folks had to get home to us. Their trip home went faster because they traveled the interstate.  BOL!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thinks The Sweetest Place On Earth Is Wherever He Is With His Family

Sometimes I Share My Bed

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Doesn't Mind Sharing His Bed With His Toys

Ready For Some Football?

We were big Rams' fans before we hit the road. We rarely get to watch them on TV now. Sundays are just not the same.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is A Dog Without A Team

We Went To The Beach!

There are some state parks near us and Dad had promised us he would take us to one on Monday.  He chose one that has a beach.  Dogs are allowed on the beach after Labor Day, so that worked out for us.

The state park is called North Point State Park.  There is evidence that humans occupied the park 9,000 years ago.  During the War of 1812, British troops traveled through the area on their way to Baltimore.  In 1906, there was an amusement park in the park.  The park also served as a trolley stop for folks who traveled to and from Baltimore. 

Oh boy!  We are going to the beach!

There's the water. Where's the beach?

We made it!  We are not thrilled.

Scout decided to dip her feet in the water.

That's enough of the beach.

 Scout normally loves to run on sand, but not this time.

This is the trolly station.  It is now used for parties.

We walked all the way out here and then had to walk all the way back. There was nothing there but water.

Me and Dad leaving the girls in our dust.  BOL!

This tree was more impressive in person.

This fountain was put here when the amusement park was built.  It was turned off for the winter.

We were looking at Mom until we saw the camera.

Nope, we are not going to give her a good picture.

We had a nice time at the park.  It was pretty empty since it was a Monday.  People are supposed to pay to get in, but since it is off-season it is on the honor system.  We were paying and this car behind us honked at us to get out of the way.  So, not only were they rude to us, but they didn't pay to get in.  They probably thought we were fools for paying, but we felt it was the right thing to do. 

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Not A Beach Loving Hound

Exploring History In Philadelphia - Part 2

After the folks toured Independence Hall, they toured the building where the first Senate and the first House of Representatives met.

Independence Hall as seen through the window.

 The folks then walked down the street to eat lunch. They ate at the Red Owl Tavern.  It is not a tourist place.  Mom thought they would be able to eat at an old place that had some history, but they really didn't see anything. This was a modern place with a hotel attached. 

Dad had a three meat hash.  It was brunch.

Mom had the Red Owl Burger - which is:

beef with onion marmalade, crispy bacon, aged cheddar, herb sauce, brioche bun, herb seasoned fries

 Mom was surprised that she liked the burger, but she did.  She really liked the onion marmalade.

The folks then got in line to see the Liberty Bell.  It took about a half hour to get inside the building. The reason it took so long was because they had to go through security.  They make you lift your coat and turn around.  Mom did it, but then a second guard got rude with her and told her to lift her coat.  She told him she already had and another guard came to her defense and agreed that she had. She probably shouldn't have talked back to him, but he was so rude about it. That is probably why the line was so long because they make people lift and twirl twice.   After they got through security, it was like everyone was gone.  Mom said they must not have looked at any of the exhibits.

There it is!

You can see Independence through the window.  Pretty awesome!

 It was getting late in the day, but Dad wanted to walk down the street to the Ben Franklin area.  They only had time to see his grave.

He is buried right by the sidewalk.

 Then then saw him walking down the street and Dad said "Ben will be in for a shock when he crosses the street and sees his grave."  :::rolling eyes::::

The folks then visited the gift shop where they bought a magnet. They collect magnets. We have a lot of them from our travels. Mom also got her passport book stamped.

There is so much to see there.  The folks only covered about two blocks.  Mom wanted to see the steps that Rocky ran up, but not on this trip.

After they got home, they tried to get the satellite to work without success.  (Mom did get it to work on Tuesday.) They ordered a pizza and were told it would take an hour to be delivered.  They are only a mile from us, but Dad said that was fine.  They called us 1 hour and 15 minutes later stating they couldn't find us, so the pizza had come back to them.The delivery driver doesn't carry a phone it appears.  Dad said he would meet the delivery guy at the gate.  They said it would take him 20 minutes.  It took him 40 minutes.  Was the pizza good?  Well, it was cold, very cold. They did not give a discount or a coupon.  We just ended up with a pizza that needed to be microwaved.  Appropriate reviews have been left.  BOL!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thought The Pizza Bones Were Good