Hershey, Pennsylvania

 

There's a website called VetTix and they solicit ticket donations for all types of events and venues and are made available to veterans for free. 

 

 We went to a Colorado Rockies baseball game and UFC 50 for free because we expressed interested in the event and were selected to receive tickets.

 

 This week, we enjoyed free tickets from VetTix to Disney on Ice: Princesses and Heros in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Hershey is just about 2 hours from where we live.

Here's a couple of pictures from the show.

 While 2 hours isn't very far, it would have made for a late night if we drove home after the show.  The boys only had a half day of school the next day, so we stayed in Hershey so we could get in some play time at the hotel pool and go to Hershey's Chocolate World the next day.

 In the lobby, this character "Reece", was interactive and the kids were able to talk with him. 

 We opted for the "Happiness" package which allowed us to view the 4D show and create our own chocolate bar.

 

Here are the apron and hair net wearing creators.

 First we designed our bars (white, dark, or milk chocolate on the bottom of the bar and your choice of  up to 3 fillings), and then we got to watch it go down the line.

While we waited for it to come through the cooler, we designed our jackets.  

After we designed our bars, we went on the factory ride.  It wasn't the real Hershey plant that creates 150 bars every minute, but we were able to see the basic process...complete with singing cows, which I believe, they do not have at the real factory either.  

After some lunch (our chocolate bars...  Just kidding!  we grabbed some fast food), we started back by way of Amish farmland.  We stopped at a general store and creamery in Strasburg.  The kids had ice cream (I know....sweets overload!!) and Mike and I shared a delicious apple dumpling (that actually, was not very sweet at all, but VERY tasty).    

 This was across from the general store.  The coaches were everywhere!  I was able to get a good picture of this one because it was waiting at a stoplight. 

 Thanks to the internet we set off in search of 3 covered bridges. 

The country side was beautiful!  Due to the recent rain, everything was really green and there were lots of farmers working in the fields (and their wives in the house garden).   We saw lots of 4-horse plows.  We even got a few smiles and waves from the folks as we drove by their land.  Can't wait to visit again--maybe in the fall.