August 20th, Monday – Data Disaster Averted; Chocolate World, Hershey PA

To say the least, the last few days have been a bit tiring and stressful.    A lot of driving, late hours, but all definitely worth it.  The worse, though, was last night.  I went to start the blog which begins with saving all the pictures to my flash drive.  That’s where it all went wrong.

I inserted the flash drive and it was empty – all 11 gig’s of files, pictures, routes, campground reservations, and on and on, just not there.  No idea why.  But I was ready to cry.  I tried one thing after another with no luck.  So to the web I went.  Ultimately, I found a restoration program that cost a few dollars but it was worth it since I was able to recover everything.  I immediately scanned everything, the pc, and the files recovered for a virus but nothing.  So I still have no idea what happened.  Suffice to say everything is now in two locations and by tomorrow night also a third.  I don’t want to go through this again.

OK, let’s get caught up.  A couple of days ago we decided to let the inner child within each of us come out.  Meaning, we visited Chocolate World in Hershey, PA.  But before we got there we stopped for lunch at an old hang out of ours, Friendly’s Restaurant.

That’s where the fun began.  If it’s Friendly’s then I need to have crayons and a placemat to color.  This time I talked Amanda into joining me.  Trust me, this time was tame.  On one occasion, in one restaurant, I managed to get the wait staff to parade around the restaurant with me singing Happy Birthday!  While I was, of course, wearing a birthday hat on my head.  I don’t ever want to grow up,

This was Amanda’s drink of choice, I took one sip and gagged!

Lunch finished it was time to move on to the real fun – Chocolate World!  Here we go.

This is when it all began.

Inside we went.

The first thing we did is send Barbara on a mission to snag us a super package for the day.  She was up to the challenge and was able to get the works with parking for the day.

And yes, it was a bit crowded to say the least!

Amanda and I went first to the 4D Chocolate Mystery Theater.  What a fantastic experience.

These three characters were the stars of the show.

I don’t how they do it, but they actually have this little character interacting live with the kids in the audience.  It was amazing to say the least.

After this we all regrouped and got on line for the free Chocolate Tour.  No matter how many times in the past we’ve taken it, it never grows old.  Perhaps because it is continually redesigned?

Here it is today.

 

The seemingly endless line to the ride.

So here we go on the magic carpet ride through chocolate land.

You just have to love a ride that has singing cows!

And, of course, animated characters.

At one time the tour was in the actual factory.

Until the FDA got involved.

Tour finished, it was time to take, what else, a trolley ride!

Our trolley for the day.

Our conductor, who we learned is a graduate of the Milton Hershey School

This trolley tour had to be one of the best we have ever been on.  What we learned would fill a couple of books.  Sorry, I wish I could remember it all, but I can’t.  But some things I remember:

• Milton Hershey failed several times before he ever became the success he became.  He just never gave up, always believing in his dream

• Milton Hershey, against the advice of everyone, decides to build his chocolate empire, not in a major city but, in the countryside of PA.  Why?

• Milton Hershey didn’t just create a candy bar, not just a factory to manufacture it, he created a whole town

• Milton Hershey had an employee who wanted to make peanut butter cups.  Hershey didn’t feel there was a market for them so he encouraged his employee to start his own candy company,

Eventually the two became one and today the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup outsells all other candy that the Hershey company makes.

• Milton Hersey who never had children of his own created a school in 1909 for orphans that has become one of, if not, the most prestigious schools in world today

• Milton Hershey, in the end, gave his whole fortune to the school.

We weren’t done yet, not by a long shot.  After the trolley ride it was on to, oh yes!

 

 

Our two ladies all decked out and ready to create their own candy bar.

The steps in making your own candy bar, all automated of course.

The line on which the candy bar is made.

Barbara’s candy bar moving on down the line.

Mine was right behind.

Then there was Amanda’s with the original name Shark Bite Ducky

We were able to pick what items, such as pretzels or chips or sprinkles we wanted added to our bars.

 

Each of the bar’s received a thick layer of chocolate, top and bottom.

You also had an opportunity to design your own packaging.

This was Amanda’s original design for her packaging.

Then each bar was put in its own carton.

Then it was time to pick up your own bar.

The three finished candy bars on their way home with us.

First thing after I got home I tore the wrapper off of mine, took a big bite, it is delicious!

There’s still more, one last stop for each of us to make before we left for home.

We were each given four different chocolate bars to taste and comment on what we smelled, tasted, and experienced with each bite.

Suffice to say I will not be getting a call from Hershey to become a chocolate palateer!

Finally, yes, we were finished and it was time to head for home.  A bit of a ride there and back but absolutely well worth it in every respect.  It was a fantastic day.  Needless to say by the next day it had all sort of caught up to me!

We once again had a fabulous day – not only where we together, traveling along, side by side singing our song but Amanda was with us as well.  She and I were like two kids.  Together, the three of us had a fantastic weekend.  Sightseeing, and the next day,  chicken cutlets, a favorite of mine and Amanda’s, for lunch.  What more could you ask for then family, good food, and good times.  Life doesn’t get any better than that.

Well, thanks for joining us for our trip to Chocolate World.  We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.  Hey, why not make some time yourself to go one day.  It is a real blast.  Now in closing I leave you with this thought to mull over as your day begins tomorrow:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before