Hershey! Our First Family Vacation
When I saw this sign I assumed this would be the weirdest moment of our trip to Hershey, PA. Well, we all know what happens when you assume, right?
Since our room wasn't ready yet at the incredibly family friendly Hershey Lodge (TD jumped up and down when she realized she could check-in to the hotel herself.) we decided to check out the Butterfly House at the Children's Garden. TD loves Fancy Nancy and her azure butterflies. The kid was so excited about seeing purple butterflies flitting about that she jumped down from our truck and literally hit the pavement. We all heard the smack and instantly our day turned upside down. H ripped off his shirt and used it to cover the gash while I found a bottle of water to rinse the cut. When he took away the t-shirt blood poured out of the wound and I tried my best to clean it out. We knew right away that an ER visit was imminent. Luckily, there is a magnificent one right near the Lodge.
The Hershey Medical Center was fantastic. They took us in right away and tended to our needs without a fuss or long wait. While it took away from our day and we needed to reschedule some things the minute we mentioned Chocolate World TD perked right up. 
Typically I am not an amusement park type person. I don't do coasters and I'm afraid of heights. However, I found myself having a whole lot of fun on this trip. It was our first time going somewhere besides a relatives house for vacation and the girls did incredibly well. TD rode almost every kiddie ride with or without H and I and The Comedian napped on an off throughout the day. The staff at Hershey Park was always friendly and accommodating just as they were at the Lodge, Hershey Hotel and The Hershey Story museum where each girl created a front-page newspaper story with photo.I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the hotel's Chocolate Spa taking in a Cocoa Massage, the 'Quiet Room' with its uplifting and tranquil views of the Hotel grounds and rolling hills nearby. Naturally I took advantage of the hot cocoa and chocolate muffins offered. When H texted me that the girls were napping in our room I decided to prolong my stay and headed to the Iberian Lounge for a drink. I snapped some gorgeous photos and immersed myself in the early Twentieth Century decor. It's quite beautiful and elegant. I felt that at any moment I was going to hear an 'America's Castles' voice over in the background.
We finally did make it over to the Hershey Gardens and Butterfly House. Once inside, TD did not want to leave. She was intent on looking for a purple butterfly and wouldn't stop until she found one.
We capped off our trip with a tasty brunch at the Hershey Grill with some of the Hershey Company staff who then showed us around the Milton Hershey School. That place is amazing! It's grounds are picturesque and there is an air of serenity that surrounds the place. It is a combination elementary, middle and high school that looks much like a university campus. I am eager to learn more about this portion of Hershey as it is a worthy organization that helps needy children from all over giving them an outstanding education.
While we were all exhausted by Sunday we were sad to leave Hershey. We did so much in such a short time. We felt we hit just the tip of all the town and parks had to offer. We cannot wait to go back and explore it all further. It was the perfect first family vacation for us and we can't thank the Hershey Company and all the staff enough for making it possible.
Besides, who wouldn't love a trip that included all this?