Day 4 continued Hershey Pennsylvania Chocolate Factory!

In 1993, I went to Hershey PA with my graduating class and always said "I am going to bring my husband and kids here someday!"  Well, the time had come!  Gregg had always kinda wondered what my big draw was to Pennsylvania and why I wanted to go back so badly.  After driving into PA and seeing all the trees and hills, etc he understood!

We had a very full and fun day planned and this was the second part of it.  Renita and her children joined us in a trip to the Hershey chocolate factory.  It was a bit of a cool day, but we switched one girl into each other's vehicles and off we went!

 My oh my these children are adorable...so funny and how easily our girls just fell into step with them.  It brings tears to my eyes now just typing about it.  Our little conversations about how we say "house" and other words differently and talking about music and animals and everything possible.  Oh so many giggles.  Even Kate, age 16, was having a blast with the "younger" ones.  The boys were a hoot, telling their stories!  We'll never look at a turkey the same again Guy and Darien!

 Gregg thought my cheeks must be getting sore, he said I had a permanent grin on my face the whole time.  My heart was full of thanksgiving and joy!

A chocolate factory wouldn't be very good if they didn't hand out free samples of course.

Down we went to the tour area.  This is the free tour.  There are other things to do, but we're cheap and ... honest that we are cheap!  ha

You sit in a little car and go through the chocolate making process.  From bean to mixing to packaging.

The tour was so much fun that we did it twice!

The singing cows... telling you all about how milk is important for chocolate making

This young gentlemen had a very precise system to how he handed out your chocolate bar after your tour.  Grab 3 chocolate bars.  Move 2 to the one hand.  Give the other 1 to the customer.  So why then did one special lady get extra? Maybe he just got confused, as I'm sure he wouldn't give special treatment.

Reese's Cups Hats were a good place for Steve & Bertha to sneak in a tour themselves

I was in chocolate dream land ~ unsure of what to choose!  Oh my...so good!

This kind of kissing is okay before you're married?

Q: How do you go a CHOCOLATE FACTORY and not get a sugar rush or tummy ache?
A: Share your sugar junk!

I think Gregg was wondering why we didn't have three boys as well.

This little man made a big man's heart melt when he said "you're my friend"...how could anyone resist?

I told Mei to go ahead and buy 1 of anything that she had never seen before.  It was fun to discover which chocolate bars are similar but go by different names in the US as compared to Canada.

Made in Canada!  Hee hee

So many options, so little time!

 We stopped for fuel on the way home and the twins had to go buy candy!  Orange Tic Tacs.

Hershey chocolate $46.42
Leesport, PA fuel $77

Day 3 Ohio onto Pennsylvania!

These would be our Gluten Free and healthy options at the Service Plaza.  Pricey little fruit cups, but at least there are some options.  The scenery is getting more and more beautiful.  More green and lush.  Beautiful little 2-3 story homes / homesteads with barns and farms.  Taking lots of deep breaths and breathing it all in!

More penny squishers!  We like penny squishers!

Ohio has many interesting billboard signs.  

Lots of insurance ads "Call me if you are in an accident"   Also noticed some poor grammar are signs ... "Earn your Doctor getting your Physiotherapy."  hummmm

Super cool Mommy & Me bathroom

Travel rest stop areas are now called "Service Plaza's".  Most have restaurants and showers with a truckers lounge, etc.  Lots of tourist info and they are clean and great to stop at.  Finally saw a highway sign saying $300 fine for littering.

We are very focused with getting to Pennsylvania to see my friend and her family.  Just keep driving!
We're noticing lots of white blooms on trees in Philadelphia area and then some brilliant purple ones.

We've started to see lots of corn fields...everything is looking freshly greened up. Lots of little churches around as well.  Wish we could stop and join in on a Sunday morning service.

Pennsylvania has lots of rolling hills and the trees are blooming end of April.  We saw a Tom Turkey and hens just after we went through a toll.  We're glad it's raining, or we would want to stop and enjoy this scenery more.  All agreed that it must be stunning in the fall... so many varieties of trees would make for brilliant leaves.  Gregg was surprised by the large rock formations and how beautiful it was.  I heard him saw "Now I know why you wanted to come back here so badly!"

It is getting late and we are getting a little giddy... excited to be entering Pennsylvania and our first destination!

Most of the barns look old, but the houses look well kept.

Factories in Pennsylvania

There seems to be lots of industry here too.  Passed many vehicle factories, etc.

Lots of rain makes for blurry photos from the vehicle

 We noticed just how wide and large the rivers are... The Ohio, the Mississippi.  We were talking about the Road to Freedom book with Julily trying to escape slavery and having to cross these rivers and walk through the dense terrain...sure put it into perspective!

Little farm yards

8am 9C  Gas $78
Put some air in the tires at a little garage $2
#80 to Ohio
Toll from Indiana to Ohio $7.90
Gave us 2 "loonies"  Thomas Jefferson and Abe Lincoln Statue of Liberty coins
Amherst OH $80 gas
#80 to #76 Ohio turnpike $17 toll
#76 welcome to PA toll $5.90
Somerset $67.51 gas
Service Plaza not awesome like Ohio.
Toll #70 $15.40
Pinelane $29 fuel
Harrisburg Toll $7.30

Our journey begins... through North Dakota, Minnesota and into Wisconsin DAY 1

Saturday, April 26, 2014

We already mentioned some of North Dakota, but near Rugby ND is the Geographical center of North America.

6 pm we stopped at the Minnesota Travel Stop.  Little playground, pet area, nice bathrooms, info, etc.
Holiday feels like no other holiday we've been on ~ we're in a different country! Everyone is very relaxed, there is no turning back now...let's have some fun!

Watch out Minnesota ~ here come the Thiessens!

Well, we thought of the Blue Goose Cattle Co. manager when we saw this.

The Stamart finds!  Adapter for our electronics and Uncle Si cups!

Yup, y'all can buy you a sword too

Funyuns!  Mei ended up buying a small pack of these near the end of our trip ~ there were no onions in them.  Flavoring yes.  Gross, yes.  Sorry Sheri, they were not quite our idea of "FUN"

Now that was shocking!

Mei found this little toy gun in the discount bin with our Si mugs.  She held it and then pulled the trigger to see what it would do....well...it shocks!  Really shocks!  It is also a lighter.  We don't think it is supposed to shock, but that was a nice little side effect.  It was great fun passing it around to all the family members and laughing at their pained expressions.  (Yes, we did go back on the way home and purchase this lighter!  We gave it to my folks and have had more fun laughing at many relatives as they fling it into the air, jump, scream, drop their water, etc when it shocks them!)

The Travel Stops are all very nice.  This one had a little playground that we had fun remembering how much fun we used to have on these ~ guess the girls have grown a little!

There was also a pet area...which seems very normal for the travel stops along the way.

Showing green and a few pansies already end of April

Getting our exercise in while we can

Gregg has a workout routine he does that includes doing sets of push ups.  So as Gregg was finishing 1 set of push ups, a man walked by and went into the washrooms.  Gregg finished that set... took a break.  Gregg started in on another set and the same man walked out of the washroom.  The look of shock and disbelief on his face was priceless the girls said.  The man must have assumed that Gregg was doing push ups the 

whole time.  He looked very impressed!  

 Stopped at Albany MN to fill up at a Shell and there was a Subway and a Chicken place.  Kate got them to make her a salad at Subway for $5 and we got 1/2 price chicken bucket for $13.

Girls with their Orbit Gum for Kids and Kids Toothpaste from the hotel manager.

Found a Family Fresh Grocery down the road

Gregg also had the opportunity to apologize to our hotel manager at the Royal Inn in Hudson, MN.  The gentleman was of Indian decent and had an accent that we would associate with them.  Well, Gregg has the habit of developing accents.  We went up to the room to do our "flashlight-bed bug" check and then Gregg phoned down to tell them that we would take the room.  It would have been fine if Gregg hadn't developed the same accent as the manager.  The manager was acting confused on the phone and Gregg didn't understand my sign language of "stop talking different!".  So Gregg had to go down and apologize to the manager and they had a nice little bonding time and a good laugh.  Poor Gregg!

Pouring rain again while we unpacked and hiked our luggage up to the 2nd floor.  We spent $75 with the CAA discount.  Hudson is just East of Minneapolis.

No one wants to get up, but we'll wake them with the promise of a hot breakfast in the morning!

Through Dunseith, ND, took the #3 hwy to #2 hwy to Grand Forks, ND
#29 and #81 to Fargo
#52/#94 to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dunseith Fuel $59.  Grand Forks Fuel $70 Albany MN Fuel $71