We tried to make the best of our budgeted weekend get away and didn't do too shabbily. We ventured to Harrisburg, PA minutes away from Hershey, PA.
FRIDAY NIGHT, my fiance and I stuffed my daughter, her boyfriend, his son and the dog in a little Ford Focus and head out for adventure with a budget in mind, of course! Times are kind of tough right now, me being on unemployment and he having a part-time job, nevertheless, we worked it and all had an awesome time :)
SATURDAY MORNING we head out to Hershey's Chocolate World! A free tour of the factory and only $14.95 to create your own chocolate bar, we were sold on the idea.
The TOUR was cool, just like a Disney ride, we were in these little bucket seats that sat 4-5 people and since we were a group of 5, that was perfect! We rode along while all kinds of images, films and machinery were shown to us explaining the origins of Hershey and the machines and process of how they create their yummy candy.
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| Hmmm...looks like a Chocolate pool! |
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Here are Gabby and Scotty (bf)
looking at the Milk and Cocoa mixing
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| Yummy sheets of Chocolate |
After the tour, we decided it was time to make DA CHOCOLATE! Excited to create our mouth-watering treats, we marched on towards the Laboratory where we were given aprons, masks (like doctors LOL), hair nets, and gloves to wear. We were directed to computer screens where we picked our fillings. I picked a white chocolate center, pretzels, almonds and choco chips! Gabby: all chocolate fillings, (blech, too much choco for me), Paul: pretzels, almonds and toffee, Ed, his son: picked out almonds and choco chips, and finally Scotty chose white chocolate center and some stuff I didn't get to see...no fair Scott! As we watched our morsels go through the process, we were then directed to pick out the design of labels...more creating on the computer awesome :)
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| Fillings are placed! |
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| Choco overing is going on top |
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| Finally the Sprinkles :) |
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Final packaging...this one's mine!
We thought we were done, but we were led into the BAKERY area where they had loads of goodies you could buy from chocolate covered strawberries to cupcakes! A picture of Eduardo is depicted eyeing them but then as we looked up we a sign that read "CREATIONS STUDIO", we had to check it out, so up the stairs we went! Above the bakery you can actually make your own goods for $3 or $4! Gabby and Eduardo chose to make smores and to our surprise 2 attendants came and put edible paint on the table cover, gave us all paint brushes and said "paint away and if ya want you can EAT the paint"! I didn't venture but Paul, Eduardo and Gabby did and they said it tasted great. Eduardo even put some on his smore (shaking my head). |
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| Eduardo eyeing the goodies at the Bakery |
Afterwards we ventured to the GIFT SHOP where we actually tried everything, squished the stuffies and basically made a lot of noise!
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Um Hershey Kiss Hat?
Scotty is not convinced! |
ON SUNDAY, we ventured to Gettysburg, PA and visited the Gettysburg Museum for $10 each we saw a great film, an awesome panoramic picture with narration, toured the museum, and toured the actual Gettysburg battlefield using our car. Not bad! Of course, there was also a Bookstore/Gift Shop but we decided to behave this time :-D
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| Gabby looks at the Union (NORTH) Soldier's Uniform |
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| Here's the Confederate's (SOUTH) Uniform |
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| Gettysburg Battlefield Map |
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| Old Cannon - BOOM! |
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| Lincoln's Gettysburg Address |
FINALLY ON MONDAY, on the ride back to Jersey we came upon CABELA, which we thought was just a camping goods store and it turned out to be so much more :) We all looked at each other and said, "Hmmm...bathroom and snack break and the back on the road". Well it turns out a bathroom break turned out to be yet another great adventure. They had clothes, all types of sporting goods, a Deer Exhibit, a restaurant and an Aquarium!! Needless to say more fun and absolutely free, sigh...such a blessing and the PERFECT ending to our weekend.
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| Hah, a tent for our doggie, Nibbles? |
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| Nibbles in his carrier, as we bid PA farewell |
Videos of our Weekend for your Amusement :)
HERSHEY CHOCOLATE WORLD - Tour (sneak-a-peek here)
BRING ON THE EDIBLE PAINT?!
SIGH, SUCH A PAINTER, HE CALLED IT "ART SUCKS"
HASTA LA PROXIMA,
PRINCESA GRACE <3
