Brian & Patty's Awesome Adventure!: Hershey, Pa

This post is from June 1st, 2016!

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We arrived at the Hershey, PA Thousand Trails with John and Linda and found two 50 amp sites up in the "H" Loop. I really liked the sites we were able to get.

Hershey TT Campsite

This is the view out our door, simply spectacular!

View out our window

I want to take a minute to share my opinion about Thousand Trails. It is far from perfect! It used to be you had to be a member to use the parks, but now that Encore owns TT it is open to the public. Also at many parks, you can buy an annual site which many times means the annuals get the "best" sites, HOWEVER.........

as you can see in the pictures above we usually find great sites, and have never been refused a site. It is always easier then using a "public" campground and the price is spectacular because we do use our membership! On this eastern trip we are using TT 145 nights. This year we are using TT 205 nights.

Campgrounds have gotten expensive. I would have to say an average of about $40.00 a night or higher. Up in Wells, Maine they are $75-$90 a night! At an average fee of $40.00 a night the 145 nights on the eastern trip would have cost us $5800.00 in camping fees! At the 205 nights this year it would have been $8200! That's just the nights we spend in TT! We pay about $635.00 a year in membership dues for TT. This averages out to $3.10 per night including electricity! We couldn't full time without TT!

OK now to Hershey......

Hershey is a chocolate town. Here is Chocolate Avenue. Notice the Street lights are Hershey Kisses, but with wrapped and unwrapped.

Chocolate Ave

We went to Chocolate World with John and Linda.

Chocolate World

We expected to smell chocolate when we got into town, but sadly things have changed.You can't even do a real factory tour, but instead you ride a simulation showing the chocolate making process. You can also buy large $50.00 candy bars. Oh well, wish we had come when the factory was actually here!

We went to Lancaster, Pa with John and Linda to the Shady Maple Smorgasbord.

Shady Maple Smorgasbord

For $12.50 a person you eat and eat and eat! There is over 200 feet of buffet eating! They even have an Icee machine!!!

Shady Maple Smorgasbord

This is definitely Amish country! The Amish drive amongst the "English" as they call us.

Amish Wagon

And there were many Amish farms where they plow the fields the old fashion way.

Horse Plowing

We came across this covered bridge.

Covered Bridge

The Bentons had to go back to their property early so we had a few days by ourselves. We found this old furnace.

The furnace was a leading Pennsylvania iron producer from 1742 until it was shut down in 1883. The furnaces, support buildings and surrounding community have been preserved as a historical site and museum, providing a glimpse into Lebanon County's industrial past. The site is the only intact charcoal-burning iron blast furnace in its original plantation in the western hemisphere. Established by Peter Grubb in 1742, Cornwall Furnace was operated during the Revolution by his sons Curtis and Peter Jr. who were major arms providers to George Washington. Robert Coleman acquired Cornwall Furnace after the Revolution and became Pennsylvania's first millionaire. Ownership of the furnace and its surroundings was transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1932.

Cornwall Iron Furnace

At one time cannonballs were made at Cornwall.

Cannonballs

In 1742, Grubb replaced his bloomery with a 30-foot high charcoal-fired cold blast furnace. The blast furnace burned hotter than the bloomery and was able to render molten pig iron ("charcoal iron") from the ore.