Hershey, PA (2/17-19/2018)

Saturday, February 17, 2018
It was cold and overcast as we started driving at 7:45 to Hershey, PA for the weekend. Arrived at 13:00 and had lunch in W Palmyra at Funck's Restaurant, where we tried the local chicken, corn and rivel soup. Rivel is riced egg noodles, more like tiny dumplings.
Back to check into the Hershey Lodge.

Chocolate Avenue with Kisses street lights

Hershey Lodge sign with a Kiss

Erich arrived soon after we did, bringing Dylan and Pete. We chose to stay at Hershey Lodge because of their indoor pool called Water Works.

This end of the large pool had basketball nets to each side
(seen only on the left side in this photo)

The Sand Castle Spray Zone

The Lighthouse Zero-entry Pool (the ramp for wheelchairs is beyond
the umbrella shower); note the buckets hanging from the lighthouse,
which are constantly being filled with water and when full,
they dump onto unsuspecting bathers below

The Twizzler Twist Waterslides can be seen outside;
you access them from the stairs, and exit to the right

Yes, now there is snow outside!

Dylan on the Reese's Water Walk

Pete on the Reese's Water Walk

 After dinner in the Hershey Bears' Den (the Hershey Bears is the local ice hockey team), we went to the Cocoa Beanery for dessert; all within Hershey Lodge.

Dylan warms up by the fire in the Cocoa Beanery

Sunday, February 18, 2018
We drove to neighboring Hummelstown for the highly rated breakfast place, Bill's Restaurant.

Bill's Restaurant, Hummelstown, PA

Pete works on his second Belgian waffle with whipped cream

(I have given up trying to have complimentary photos of Dylan and Pete!)
We then went to Hershey's Chocolate World, which replaced the tour of the actual chocolate factory in 1973.

Chocolate World entrance. with copies of the
iconic Hershey chimneys to the left

Now it is billed as a brand-name candy store, with a free tour on a Disney-esque amusement ride, to learn how Hershey chocolate is made.

The character Reese with Reese's
Peanut Butter Cup packages

The character Kiss with hundreds of Kisses

Erich, Dylan, Pete, Tamiko (KSS)

Just across the parking lot and up the hill was the Hershey Botanical Gardens. Part of our package at the Hershey Lodge were free tickets to the Gardens. Of course, the gardens were covered with snow, but we headed to the Butterfly Atrium.

A Caligo memnon/Owl Butterfly enjoys some grapefruit (KSS)

Battus philenor/Pipeline Swallowtail Butterfly (KSS)

Cacao pod from which the cocoa beans are
harvested to make chocolate (somewhere along
the way cacao becomes cocoa!)

A male Papilio aegeus/Orchard Swallowtail or Large Citrus Butterfly (KSS)

Looks like this Papilio polyxenes/Black Swallowtail Butterfly
just keeled over (KSS)

Chrysalises, where metamorphosis occurs

Attacus atlas/Atlas Moth, who emerged just today

Heliconius ismenius/Tiger-striped Longwing Butterfly (KSS)

Heliconius melpomene/Postman Butterfly (KSS)

Siproeta epaphus/Rusty-tipped Page (KSS)

An Owl Butterfly Banquet

Cocoa Pod and Beans (2018), a Stumpe collaboration

Back to the Hershey Lodge for an afternoon at the Water Works.

Dylan and Pete ride the dolphins

The Hershey Lodge lobby

The Hershey Lodge lobby fireplace (open on four sides!)

Monday, February 19, 2018
Happy President's Day! Unfortunately, Erich and the boys had to leave early.
Kent and I went to Duck Donuts for breakfast.

Duck donuts (these belong to a family!) are cake donuts that
are decorated to order with choice of icing, toppings and drizzle

We used our other free tickets, compliments of Hershey Lodge, to visit the Hershey Story Museum.

The Xplor-o-scope, an interactive contraption
in the museum lobby

Crystal torchère that Hershey purchased in 1901

We were reminded that Wilt Chamberlain scored his
record-high 100 points when the Philadelphia
Warriors played in the Hershey Arena against
the New York Knicks

Next we drove to the Batdorf Restaurant in Annville, PA to meet Sue M for lunch. I am afraid we had not seen each other for 21 years!
Afterwards, we continued southeast to Media, PA.