PENNSYLVANIA OR BUST!

We finally left Missouri on June 6th (see previous post about our three week “unexpected, health related” delay). Because of having to rearrange several of our planned stops, we had to drive 5 days straight (approx. 4-5 hrs. per day) to get to the first reservation that was nonrefundable (we never like making nonrefundable reservations because sometimes “life happens”). We made it safely to Manheim, Pennsylvania, for a ten day stay.

This year has had a VERY UNUSUAL event! It is something that only happens every seventeen years. There were strange noises at nearly every stop we made on our way to Pennsylvania. These creatures were everywhere and VERY NOISY.

If you guessed CICADAS, you are correct. When you are camping out in the woods they can be VERY LOUD! This one was on our RV windshield wipers. I think it was close to the end of its life – look closely at the front legs on the second pic and compare to the third pic.

Manheim is close to Pinch Pond Family Campground where we stayed for ten days. It is a nice, very family oriented campground with tons of activities for all ages. It is also close to Hershey, Lancaster, and Lancaster County which is one of the areas of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Can I hear someone say “Daytime Road Trip!”

Our first day trip was through Manheim on our way to Lancaster and Lancaster County. Manheim is a community founded in 1762; it was incorporated in 1838. It is quaint little town has an interesting history (Google to find out more if you’re interested) and a lot of historical buildings.

On to Lancaster and the Amish Pennsylvania Dutch Country. We stopped in Lancaster to grab a quick bite to eat for lunch. We never did explore more of that town, but it looked like a really nice city. We were told to take Hwy. 30 out of Lancaster to find several Amish communities. One thing is for sure: the Pennsylvania countryside is SO beautiful!

*If you are EVER in Amish country, you HAVE to try the Shoo Fly pie!*

*It must have been laundry day the day we drove around because almost every house had laundry hanging out on the line!*

*This is the fanciest Amish, horse drawn carriage I have ever seen. Totally enclosed with a side mirror to keep an eye on traffic coming up from behind.*

A couple of days later, we took a day trip up to Hershey, Pennsylvania. In case you don’t know: THIS is where Hershey’s chocolate bars are made (along with a bunch of other candy that I didn’t know Hershey’s made!)!

I have to admit: I was SO looking forward to taking the tour. My idea of “THE TOUR” was a tour through an **ACTUAL** chocolate **FACTORY.** The tour was NOT that; it was a slow amusement park like ride (like the ride It’s A Small World at Disney World minus the water). You have a video monitor in your moving car with a narrator telling the story how chocolate is made and you go passed different animated characters telling the story and singing songs. You also go by sections that **look like** parts of a chocolate factory, but it is video enhanced and uses various other camera effects. To younger kids, it was probably interesting and fun; to me – I was very disappointed. My parents toured an actual chocolate factory, but that was several decades ago. Now, the town is a vacation destination with actual amusement park rides and much more to do with kids.

*These are the souvenirs we bought. We wanted the coffee cups!* 🤣😂🤣

Being in Hershey, PA was a lot of fun. The whole town is all about the Hershey’s candies and factories. The history of all that the Hershey family as done for the town and the surrounding counties is very interesting (again, use Google for more info). Interesting fact: all the street lights in the town of Hershey are in the shape of Hershey’s Kisses!

We really like Pennsylvania and still have a couple more places to visit. You will find out where in the next post.

So, for now ….. “On the Road Again!”

Betty

Retirement……LOVE IT!