Hershey: Part 2

After a really fun afternoon in Hershey (check out this post) and a comfy night's sleep in our hotel, we were so excited to visit the park.    We headed to the park at 10 (that's when it opened.) Even though Gia doesn't love to sit in her stroller much anymore, we brought it anyway. The walk from the car to the park is a bit long, so she sat. They have a tram but we missed it somehow.   The park is absolutely adorable. It looks like a little village straight out of a fairy tale. When you first walk up, there are a few shops selling chocolate and other cute souvenirs like Christmas decorations and t-shirts and stuff.   We saved those till the end of the day because we were just so excited to get started.   We paid our entrance fees (Gia was free bc she's still 2) and off we went. Like Disney, the park is divided into areas where there are clusters of rides and different food options. The map and rides are both clearly marked with information about who can ride that particular ride. Little kids (the 2-3 year old crowd who are under 36" tall) are called Mini Kisses. Kids who are a little bigger (36" to 42" tall) are called Kisses. So, you can either look at the map or look at the ride to see if your child is tall enough to ride that ride.    The first area is called "Founder's Circle" and there's a huge carousel right in the middle. Gia took one look at it and decided she was in heaven.   

    She rode the carousel and about 5 other rides just in that one small area. She was a huge fan of the Mini Himalaya and the helicopter ride.

Because it was a weekday and schools are not yet out, the lines were minimal. There were several schools on day trips there, but the kids were middle schoolers for the most part. They definitely didn't want anything to do with the kiddie rides, so many times if Gia wanted to ride again, she just didn't get off the ride and they let her go around again.

We spent the day moving from area to area, letting Gia pick what rides she wanted to ride on. Some of them she could go on alone and some required Daddy to accompany her. 

 

Below is a picture of the pirate ship ride. You know those pirate ships that swing back and forth and go really high? Well this was a mini version of it (I thought it was so cute that they have mini versions of so many "adult" rides.).  Gia was dying to go on it. The first half of the ride was glorious...

  And then she got a little scared at the speed and height. But she hung in there like a trooper and was excited and proud of herself when she came off.

Easily her most favorite ride of the day was the mini log flume. She called it the boat ride and she was so happy to be "in" the water.   

   She & Jon rode it and there was a line, so she had to get off, which she was not happy about. Jon had to carry her off and down the ramp.  She was exhausted and we planned to put her in the stroller to nap for a little bit. She did NOT want to get in her stroller, even with the promise of a fruit pouch. With a little coaxing she got in and promptly said, "I wish this stroller was a boat". She napped for a while and we woke her up and let her go on the mini log flume 2 more times. It was getting late and we were all tired and hungry, so we made our way out of the park, stopping for a few more rides as we left.

Not the greatest family picture ever, but we were all hot and tired...

We went to dinner in downtown Hershey and then headed back to NJ. Next time we go back (hopefully next year) we'd like to do the Boardwalk part of the park (the water rides) and ZooAmerica. We didn't have a chance to check those out as we only had time for 1 overnight. It was a short, but very very sweet trip.    

Hershey: Part 1

Mmmmm chocolate. Even though I don't generally crave sweets when I'm pregnant, I always have room for chocolate.   So the earlier this week we went to Hershey, PA to get some chocolate. Kidding--we really went as a fun little family trip.  We wanted to do something special with Gia before this next kiddo is born, and since the belly is only getting bigger and the weather is only going to get hotter, we decided now was the perfect time.   We left on Tuesday around 1 pm and arrived in Hershey a little before 4 pm. We went straight to Chocolate World and started with a chocolate tasting. It was excellent. Jon and I tried 5 different kinds of chocolate. Gia was free, but they gave her a small Hershey bar which she devoured. And then she leaned over and took one of mine. Girlfriend loves chocolate.  

Coloring while we learned about chocolate and did some tasting.

our tasting "menu"

    Next we went on the free little ride that's like a tour of the factory. Gia had so much fun on the ride we went around twice. There was no line so we just didn't get off.  

Gia LOVED the singing cows behind her in this picture.

   

After our second ride it was approaching dinner time, so we headed out. I've never been to Cracker Barrel and have always wanted to try it, so we found one about 20 minutes away.   Oh my yummy goodness. I loved everything from the Country Store when you first walk in, to the menu full of delicious country food options. I had a buttermilk-dipped oven-fried chicken breast with a baked sweet potato, candied carrots, one biscuit and one corn muffin. Jon had the chicken and dumplings with fried okra, green beans and cheesy hash browns, and Gia had a cheeseburger and fried apples.  We shared bites of all food and it was heavenly. Just writing about it makes me want to go back. We were hoping to have berry cobbler for dessert but we were too full.  Oh well! Just means we'll have to go back. Very soon. (We also had about 6 Hershey bars waiting for us in the car.)  

    The last stop was our hotel. We got a great rate at the Hilton Garden in Hummelstown. We were very impressed with it--small but very pretty and clean. We checked in, let Gia jump on the beds for a bit and then we all went to bed.    Next up is Hershey Part 2: all about our day at Hershey Park.  
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Epic!

  It's freezing here. After the crazy winter we had, I was really looking forward to an awesome spring. I was totally ready for warm days: playing outside with Gia, BBQs for dinner, ice pops for dessert. And I love those cool nights when you can sleep with the windows open, but still need a little blanket to keep warm.   Well those days have been few and far between around here. It warmed up for a bit -- and we definitely enjoyed ourselves when it did. But then it got cold again, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, aka the kickoff of summer. And, Jon is working pretty much all weekend. The thought of 3 days inside this house with a very active, nearly 3 year old was daunting to say the least.    

Gia having a mini cone from Trader Joe's

  Yesterday morning I was watching Kathie Lee & Hoda (What? Don't you love Hoda too?) and they were reviewing this weekend's biggest blockbusters. They featured a kids movie first.  The movie was Epic and the consensus was that it was a very cute movie for both kids and adults. So last night I bought tickets and we decided to take Gia to her first movie!

We bought our tickets ahead of time and got there a half hour early. We picked seats close to one of the big lights on the side wall of the theatre because Gia wasn't so sure of the huge dark room with the big screen. (As usual, I prepped Gia ahead of time and told her what to expect, but she was still a little apprehensive.) The theatre provided booster seats, which was great. She climbed up and sat for a minute and then decided she had to check out the bathroom.

Jon took her and while they were gone they got some popcorn. I had some candy and two small water bottle stashed in my bag.

She happily munched on popcorn and we kept reminding her that the lights were going to go off soon. The theatre filled up almost completely and then the previews started. It was a little loud at first and Gia look surprised. But she got used to it quickly and seemed to enjoy how big the screen was.

from my iPhone...not the best quality but you get the idea!

Finally the actual movie started. The animation was amazing and the characters' voices were nearly all recognizable, which was fun for the adults. The story itself was super adorable and really kept our attention.

Overall Gia did really well. She sat nearly the entire movie and ate her snacks (which were a lifesaver). At one point, when she was tired of popcorn, had consumed nearly all of her water and quite a few Sno Caps, Gia turned to me and said, "What else do you have in that bag, Mommy?"

There were a couple bathroom trips, a few times when she hopped off her seat just to wiggle around a little and climb back on, and a few times when we had to remind her to whisper. But, everyone in the theatre was dealing with the same thing, so it certainly wasn't a big deal.

On the way home in the car (and a few times since then) Gia randomly said, "I had fun going to the movies!" It obviously made a positive impact on her, which I love. Overall I'd say it was a highly successful first trip to the movies!


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