Vacation in Hershey

This past weekend we had the opportunity to get away to Hershey, PA with two other families who are such good friends of ours - the Saunders and the Kriebels. We have started somewhat of a tradition in going away with these two families almost every year for several years in a row now and each year we have such a good time that we cannot wait until the following summer. The kids have become best friends and it is so cute to watch all EIGHT of them (yikes! when did this happen?!?!) running around laughing, playing and experiencing some new adventures together. This year we had two 5 year-olds, 1 four year-old, 1 three year-old, 2 two year-olds, 1 one year-old and 1 eight month old. Holy cow! The dads have a great time talking sports, work and surfing the web on their phones together (lol) while the moms madly snap photographs for our scrapbooks.

This year we spent 2-1/2 days in Hershey, PA together. We stayed in a motel with a pool that we enjoyed, went to Hershey's Chocolate World and Hershey Park, visted the Hershey Gardens and ate some yummy meals. Have fun enjoying our pictures. We had a wonderful time visiting the sweetest place on earth with great company!

Swimming in the pool at the motel. Ben really took to the water and was swimming around with his swimmies and floaty suit all by himself.

Nate loved the pool noodles and had a fun time in the pool as well.

Brianna, who will be 2 next month, always smiling!

The over 3-1/2 crowd (minus Elaina, who was still en route from VA at this time) in their swimmies.

Nate and Bri throwing the diving rings and sticks into the pool for everyone else to retrieve for them!

Our first night: Hershey's Chocolate World. If you have visited here in the past few years, the jingle from the chocolate-making ride is probably still in your head! We went on this ride, which takes you through the whole process of making chocolate from start to finish, three times. The kids loved the talking cows, seeing their favorite treats being manufactured and packaged up, hearing the Hershey's Chocolate song...and especially, loved the sample Hershey's bar each person gets upon completion of the ride!! We had several very messy children for the few hours we were here - lol!

Gabby, Harmony and Olympia, the singing chocolate cows :)

The Saunders were in the car behind us so I got a good picture of them.

Daddy and Abby on the second tier of our family's car. Abby was wonderful this entire trip. We stayed at Chocolate World until after 9pm on Friday and were out at Hershey Park until 11pm the next night and she didn't fuss at all. Clearly, she is enjoying this ride :)

"Look, Mom, CHOCOLATE MILK!!!!!"

"TREATS!!!!"

Nate trying to be contained at the souvenir shop :)

All of the kids, except for Abby, after several samples of Hershey's bars. We just had to let them out to work off some sugar for a while :)

A few more pool pictures from Saturday morning. I stayed on the balcony while Abby slept and everyone else went into the pool so I got some good aerial views.

Miss Abby looking preppy in her white Polo and khaki shorts.

Lunch at Duke's, a really good restaurant we ate at once for dinner and once for brunch. Abby is lounging in her high chair, enjoying a fry here :).

The next evening we went to Hershey Park. We got the Sunset passes, which allowed us in at 5pm until closing for half the price. It worked out great since it was still nice out for several hours and then the park was all lit up at night, it allowed us to put the babies for a nap in the afternoon, it was so much cooler than the daytime would have been and the lines were very short. And did I mention that it was less than half the price? :) We really did luck out with the weather, too, because it had been raining hard while we were eating dinner but when we got to the park, it hadn't rained at all and it didn't end up raining while we were there. What are the chances it would be awful weather 1 mile away and not even get the park wet?

Ben's a Reese's peanut butter cup!

And Nate's a Hershey's Miniature :)

The kids definitely had fun at the park. Ben started out being afraid of the rides (as usual) but he did warm up to them and actually went on one of the kiddie roller coasters with me. Nate loved the rides! As I said earlier, we thought we'd be able to stay until around 9pm but the kids lasted all the way until closing at 11pm without anyone getting too cranky until the end. What troopers! Aimee and I and then Chad and Andrew even got to go on a "big kid" roller coaster. Wow, I haven't been upside down and felt my stomach drop like that in many years. Awesome!

Miss Abby watching the action from her stroller. Even Abby went on some family rides with everyone.

Rides!

Ben driving an antique car on the Sunoco Speedway!

At the motel pool the last morning after a heavy night's sleep to make up for the wearisome excitement at Hershey Park the night before.

All the kids together!

The terrible two's, Nate and Jon :)

At brunch the last morning before heading out to the Hershey Gardens. Happy Abby!

We visited the Hershey Gardens. It was a very pretty botantical garden with a butterfly house and a few children's activities. We actually thought there would be a bit more for the kids to do and we probably would have been able to enjoy it more if it hadn't been so hot yesterday. But, it was a nice scenic diversion before heading home and had some interesting things to see.

A view of Hershey Park from the Gardens.

The Hotel Hershey behind the Gardens.

Family photos in the Gardens.

The moms, who never end up being in many photos on trips so we decided to take one of just us!

The Children's Garden, including the Butterfly House. There were more than 400 butterflies flying around an enclosed area filled with flowers and water. They would land on you, fly right in front of you and were just everywhere. It was really neat and unlike anything I'd ever seen before.

These giant marble Hershey Kisses would spray mists of water spontaneously.

Andrew and Chad observing the plastic ball that was atop this spray of water, as it was being carried up with the water.

For the Birds: a birdhouse exhibit that was on display.

Aimee with the giant map showing us where the island of Madagascar is, after some confusion :)

This musical crocodile is from Madagascar.

What a fun-filled trip we had with great friends. The kids asked me if we could go back to Hershey sometime when we got home last night. I hadn't been there since I was a little girl so it was so nice to re-experience it as a adult with our own children. Now to work off the candy bars we ate while we were there :)