A “Sweet” Vacation in Hershey, PA

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

A few years ago, we went to a blog conference in Pennsylvania. It was the first time I’d been to PA (my first blog conference as well, if I recall.) While we were there, we decided to spend one of the days being “tourists.” I had no idea what things we could do and was pleasantly surprised to learn that Hershey, PA – home of Hersheypark was nearby. Since it was just a few hours drive away from Maryland, we called up a few friends and decided to make our visit to Hershey “The Sweetest Place on Earth” an event.

As soon as we stepped into the Hersheypark, my first stop was the candy story. I mean, come on…we were at HERSHEYPARK! Of course I’m going to shop for some of my favorite Hershey’s chocolates. And wow – that store was amazing. Chocolate on every wall. Bite sized. Giant sized. It was like chocolate heaven. Gil logically told me that we should go shopping for souvenirs after we visited the park. There were roller coasters to be ridden and food to be eaten. Bags of souvenirs could wait until later.

While it had been awhile since being at an amusement park, Hersheypark did not disappoint. They have rides for kids both young and old. They have the traditional amusement parks snacks, and I happily enjoyed churros, hot dogs, and even picked up a giant bag of kettle corn for our drive home the next day.

If rides aren’t your thing, Hershey offers plenty of other entertainment options as well. When we visited, they were actually hosting a marching band competition. While we walked towards the park, we got to see drumlines and flag throwers practicing their performances. This summer, you can catch performances from Tony Bennett, Dave Matthews Band, and other big names at Hersheypark or one of the other entertainment centers.

After getting our fill of roller coasters and food, we decided to wind down for the evening by stopping at Hershey’s Chocolate World. There, we got to sit down and enjoy a relaxing ride while we learned about the chocolate making process.

At the end of the ride, we decided to go on the chocolate tour and make our own chocolate bars. From toppings to packaging, we got to become chocolatiers and create our perfect chocolate bar. My chocolate bar had peanuts and pretzels with sprinkles on top. It was the perfect conclusion to a fun-filled day.

The perfect Hershey’s Bar!

If you’re even in Hershey, PA – or if you’re within driving distance of Hershey, (which most East coasters are), I’d definitely recommend a visit. It’s a great place for a family vacation, with so much to see and so much to experience. It truly was “The Sweetest Place On Earth.”