I cannot catch my breath this summer. As usual I have over scheduled, over committed…and over done it. LOL. But that fear of 3 kids + 1 mom + completely unstructured time is real. It makes me do crazy things.
So while we’ve been out having a whole lot of exciting adventures, I’m finding I don’t have a whole lot of time to write about all those exciting adventures.
Which is a long way of saying, it’s 9:00pm, there is a mound of laundry on the sofa, I have to pack two backpacks for the boys’ camp tomorrow (with more supplies than an outdoorsman would need for a week in the wild), and this post needs to write itself. Ha!
As luck would have it though, I realized that almost exactly a year ago my family made a road trip to Hershey, PA for what we could consider our first *real* family vacation (meaning it didn’t involve staying at or near the home of a relative or enlisting said relative to assist with child-monitoring duties). So I thought I’d share a few pictures from that memorable trip in case anyone is thinking about planning an impromptu end-of-summer getaway or has just been curious about this chocolate-lovers paradise.
So enjoy these favorite “Summer of 2018” moments from our virtual family scrap book!
Definitely our first major road trip. Five hours in the car!
We stayed at the Homewood Suites in Harrisburg, PA. It was about a 20-minute drive from Hersheypark, but for a family of 5 with a toddler, it was worth it to have the extra room of a suite and a kitchenette! (Not to mention they served complimentary breakfast each morning…and wine & snacks every day around 5:00–just sayin’.)
At the very least you’ll want to plan two full days in Hershey: one for Chocolate World and one for Hersheypark. It’s doable in two, but honestly, we could have used two days for Hersheypark. We rushed the water park. We didn’t even make it to the zoo. Plus there are so many other cute things to do in Hershey!
We also did the chocolate tasting and the 4-D movie. And of course had to take the obligatory photo with these ubiquitous Hershey characters.
The next day we tackled the amusement park, aka Hersheypark.
Hersheypark is great for all ages. It has plenty of kiddie activities, but also coasters your (brave) teenagers will be excited to ride.
A popular thing to do, I discovered, is pair this trip with a stop at the Crayola Experience in Easton, PA. It’s only about an hour and a half from Hershey, and the kind of place you might not make your only destination, but it sure is worth a stop on the way to somewhere else. We actually did it on our way back to CT, but I would recommend stopping on your way to Hershey instead. It’s a lot easier to get the kiddos back in the car when you only have to drive another 90 minutes, as opposed to staring down a 4-hour ride. Plus, you won’t feel as rushed if you plan to get there say, around noon, have lunch and a leisurely afternoon there and then continue on to Hershey in time for dinner. Lesson learned!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this walk down memory lane with me 🙂 And don’t forget, these photos are all from last summer, so be sure to check the Hersheypark and Crayola Experience websites for the most up-to-date info if you’re planning your own trip.
Now excuse me, I have to go wrestle with a couple of backpacks…
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