Spring Break 2011 - Hershey Pennsylvania

I wonder how many people actually have this picture. We pulled off to the side of the road just to take this shot.
So spring break was March 14-18th (forever ago right, but better late than never). we decided we wanted to actually go somewhere and do something for spring break this year with just the two of us, since it will be one of the last times we do something together pre-kids. We used some of our blue green vacation points and booked a week stay at this resort.
It was the first time we used our vacation club points since we purchased them last July. We had the perfect week - excellent weather and very few people staying at the resort since it was the middle of March. We enjoyed our room.
All resort rooms come with a kitchen that is stocked with all the dishes you might need. We were able to make our own meals in the kitchen for the week which saved money on not eating out every meal.


The couch in the living room folds out to add another bed. We stayed up late watching game shows on the game show network - something that we never do.



The master bedroom had it's own jacuzzi tub which I sat in every night we were there. It makes me want to have a jacuzzi tub in my own house.
Who wouldn't utilize the pool at a resort.

Unfortunately it was too early in the season for the outdoor pool and hot tub, but I enjoyed the indoor pool as much as one can who doesn't like swimming. We absolutely loved the resort, and are happy with our decision to purchase the vacation points in the first place. We kept imagining how much fun it would be to bring friends with us next time. (The room has 2 bedroom and 2 bathrooms, and actually sleeps 8 people. Any takers for who wants to go with us next time?)
Not only was the resort beautiful, but the town of Hershey is...what can I say, magical. I love Hershey, PA. I don't even like chocolate, but I do have a deep appreciation for the man Milton Hershey and the things that he accomplished in his lifetime. I also love the city Hershey, and would move there in a heartbeat. The only thing Hershey is missing is a job for Mr. Bruce. Believe me, if there were a professor job in Hershey, we would be packing up tomorrow! :)


Chocolate world was a fun, interactive museum. You get to ride on this awesome boat that takes you through the chocolate making process. I never knew how cocoa beans were grown or harvested. The animated, singing cows explain that the most important ingredient in milk chocolate is....you've got it milk.


Hershey actually started his career by making caramels. He failed in business twice, but kept at it until he was successful. He sold his caramel business for a million dollars. It wasn't caramel that made him rich though - it was his invention of using real milk (not powdered, artificial, or evaporated) in his chocolate. There he found a gold mine. Hershey chocolate bars used to sell for 5 cents - the cheapest chocolate bar around. For the first time, Hershey made chocolate affordable for all, not just the rich and elite. That is when his factory took off and he built the town of Hershey. He wanted to develop a town/community that would have everything his factory workers would need to live a full and productive life. He based his town off of the model of Cadbury (England). Hershey built the town and offered great benefits to his employees (including as many chocolate bars as they wanted to eat while on the job.)

I really hope no one ate that much chocolate - that's enough to make you sick. No we didn't spend $30+ on the world largest Hershey bar. That would take me a lifetime to finish off, and the chocolate probably wouldn't stay fresh for 40 years. :)

YUM!! I do enjoy Reese Peanut Butter Cups. There were actually invented by a man named Reese. He made them in his basement. He was successful, but thought he would be more successful if he could find a new way to market them. He sold the PB cup line to Milton Hershey for (I can't remember the amount - something in the millions). His sons still live off that fortune



As fun as it was to package our own Hershey kisses (the worker thought we were strange because it is mainly for children - that's why it was perfect for us, it was even more amazing to learn about Hershey's life at the museum.

Perhaps the most inspiring thing I learned about Milton Hershey was his establishment of a free school for underprivledged children. Milton and his wife were not able to have children of their own. He used his first million from chocolate sales to start a boarding school for orphan boys. These boys could attend the school free of charge. They were provided with homes, food, clothing, and house parents. They did chores on the dairy in the morning, chores around the house at night, and attended school during the day.


Here I am pretending to "wash" dishes in the old sixties style kitchens. The lady who gave us the tour told us that dish duty was her husbands least favorite chore. (Her husband attended Hershey's school as a boy, and it completely changed his life.)



Just chilling in the sixties style living room. This is where most of the boys completed their homework or played board games at night when all the chores were done.
Most of the boys were able to attend college upon graduation with full ride scholarships from Hershey himself. When Hershey died, he secretly willed his estate to the school to keep it up and running. They have since admitted girls and to this day approximately 2000 kids attend Hershey's school. These kids come from underprivledged families (poverty, orphans, etc.) and attend. Although there is no dairy farm anymore (Bruce was sad about that), the kids who attend the school still live with house parents in boarding houses of 15-20 kids each. They get free medical assistance, clothing, food, all basic needs of life provided for them. There is no tuition to attend, and most of the students improve their lifestyles simply by attending. What funds this school today? Simply the interest on Hershey's $64 million dollar estate. What an inspiration! Bruce and I have always wanted to run our own boys ranch, but we might have to settle for helping Hershey run his since everything is already in place. We thought about applying to be house parents, but I am not old enough yet. there are other restrictions, but we have thought about doing it later in life.

We went to the alumni house where we learned about the typical students life. There they have a cool exhibit where they teach kids all about life on a dairy farm. Bruce, being Bruce had to double check all of their facts - at least they were accurate. The silly boy doesn't seem to have enough pictures with him standing by cows, so we had to take another one.

This cow is actually not real, but you can pull on the teats, and "milk" will come out.

The campus was absolutely beautiful. I really could live there. (In fact, this is what I was imagining Pennsylvania to be like. Pennsylvania is beautiful and open - just not the area where we live.)

I don't know how many acres of land the school sits on, but campus is nearly the entire town.
There are so many fun things to do and see in Hershey, PA. Whether you like chocolate or just want to enjoy the perks of a quiet central Pennsylvania town - Hershey is a great place for the entire family. I really hope that I can leave a legacy either for the world or for my children as Milton Hershey did. Yes, he was wealthy, but he worked hard at it and kept trying until he succeeded. What I like even more about the man is what he did with his wealth - none of it really went to better his own life, but to better the lives of those around him. What an inspiration.

Hershey is only a 1:45 - 2 hour drive from where we are. If you ever want to visit, we'd be happy to come along.