Sunday morning we woke up from our slumber at the Quality Inn in Burnham, PA. We packed up the bikes, chugged down some complimentary coffee, and drove on for Hershey, Pennsylvania. We had decided to make the 2 hour ride to Hershey to scope out the Hershey Chocolate Factory. We arrived around 1030am and parked the bikes. The Hershey factory was overlooking us atop a huge hill, with 'Welcome to Hershey' spelled out on the front lawn.
Unfortunately, we weren't going to be able to go to this huge factory, because they no longer give tours of the factory. Now tourists are directed to a Hershey Chocolate Theme Park. They have rollercoasters and the whole shebang. I was pretty disappointed because I was looking forward to a history lesson and to experience the factory myself. Instead I was looking at walking candy bars, and gazillions of ways to blow your money. It was just a tourist trap. We did go into the main building which was mostly a gift shop, but it did have a free 'mock' factory tour. It was playing some hideously annoying music (like it's a small world after all annoying). That was barely enjoyable, but was probably the highlight of our visit. The wives paid to go on a chocolate tasting adventure while us boys looked around the huge gift shop, then headed for the Kit Kat snack bar to sit down and get out of the mobs of tourists for a while. This is where I was introduced to the Hershey build-your-own-sundae buffet. I decided I'd go for a vanilla & reeses ice cream topped with kit kat chunks, reeces pieces, and chocolate syrup. It was delightful. After the girls were done with the taste testing adventure, we high tailed it outta there.
We rode on towards Gettysburg Pennsylvania to get a look at the battlegrounds, museum, and cemetery there. There were thousands of soldiers buried there, many who died at the Battle of Gettysburg. I also got to stand right where President Abraham Lincoln stood when he presented his Gettysburg Address. It was a very humbling experience, but was short lived. After wasting the better part of the day at the Hershey chocolate trap, we had little time to experience all that Gettysburg had to offer. I'm going to have to make another weekend trip for Gettysburg alone.
Anyhow, after a couple hours of Gettysburg, we rode west towards Pittsburgh and decided to stop for the night at the Quality Inn in Somerset, PA. After resting up, we rode all the way back home Sunday. I made it home about 5:30pm. What a weekend!! It was definately a great time, and so liberating just hitting the open road on the motorcycle and discovering what America is hiding in each of its states. Enjoy the pictures!
Until next time...
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For sure you will need another trip to Gettysburg.
ReplyDeleteIt really can be an enjoyable if your into history like we are two day trip...there is just so much to see..take the bus tour which kind of lays out the 3 day war for you and gives you a feel of the event and lay of the land...then visit each one that interest you most..My favorite spot was of the Picketts charge site where the confederates marching into the cannon fire of the union and the high water mark of the war where they almost made it through the lines but then were stopped and retreated back across the battle field...the next day Lee's forces left and Lincoln's defective General let them escape....could have ended it right there had he been a good one...like Grant maybe....