• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
August 30, 2011

Sweet Fun at Hershey Park, PA

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

After our fun adventures at Chocolate World, the family and I couldn’t wait to visit Hershey Park. I had heard so much about the park from so many different people who have gone, and never once have I heard anyone say anything negative about it, we just needed to go see for ourselves.

We went on one of the busiest days of the season (last Saturdays of Summer). We arrived to the area a little after 10 AM, when the park opens, and were greeted by huge lines of cars. I truly expected the worst in terms of wait at this point. I took a deep breath and braced for it.

However, part of what makes the places we visit great (or not so great) are the people who we meet there. Almost every ride we got on consisted of a long line, this is true, but in those lines we met some of the nicest families, most already huge fans of the destination and repeat visitors every season.

But before we even got to the lines, we went to the measuring station, where we determined the height for each child, which was then followed by placement of a bright, easily visible wrist band. This band, along with bright, candy coded signs by each ride helped not only us, but also the kids determine ahead of time which of the rides was appropriate for them. I also liked that next to some of the bigger rides we could find rides for the younger ones. This helped entertain them when there were rides they couldn’t get on.

We enjoyed it all – from the games, the rides, and even the deep-fried Kit Kats (actually, you can find most Hershey’s chocolates in the deep-fried version).

By the time we reached the water side of the park night had fallen and we had already been there almost 10 hours. We didn’t get to check out the water park this time around, but it looked pretty impressive, with a super fun kid’s water splash area and some pretty fun looking water slides. The Boardwalk was also fun to walk through.

Hershey Park’s last Summer season day is Labor Day, so if you can get there this weekend do so. But if you don’t, this park has something that none of the other parks had to offer – awesome cool weather events.

One of their most popular is the Halloween event. HersheyPark in the Dark features such fun events like Hershey’s Trick or Treat Adventure and Sweet Rides, where guests can treat themselves to a 3-hour front of the line tour. For more information check out the HersheyPark in the Dark.

Another fun time at Hershey Park is Christmas. Granted, cold weather might affect some of the rides, but there’s still some fun to be had. Family events such as Hersheypark Christmas Candylane and Christmas in Chocolate Town.

We arrived to Hershey Park when it opened and left at closing time. The kids, from the 13 year old till the 4 year old, didn’t seem to care. I absolutely love that there wasn’t a moment when my kids, regardless of age, felt left out or bored. Everywhere we went we saw signs that stated we were in the sweetest place on earth. And after 10 straight hours of fun, I have to say I completely agree.

For more photos on our Hershey Park adventure, please visit our Flickr page:

Disclosure: Admission to Hershey Park was complimentary. No request to express any particular point of view was required nor requested. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.


Family Vacation
Hershey

[subscribe2]

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
1 Comment
  • Bicultural Mama
    August 31, 2011

    Wow, those deep fried Kit Kats look yummy. Never heard of frying them, but guess anything goes nowadays.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Discovery of a Chocolate World in Hershey, PA
Next Post
Folklore, History, and Nature’s Beauty at Indian Echo Caverns

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe54 Post(s)
  • North America318 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Contact

  • caincarol@gmail.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

Snow day and the art of doing nothing even when th Snow day and the art of doing nothing even when the world demands we do so much. 

It’s ok to breathe. Process in silence. Seek comfort in yourself. Laugh. 

REST IS RESISTANCE. 

They want us scared. Broken. Isolated. Hopeless. Joyless. Exhausted. We are not. This moment is not how our story ends. 

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” - Audre Lorde
A wintery day with coffee and books was had in Syr A wintery day with coffee and books was had in Syracuse, NY. For our coffee cart (@cafecomodony ) we headed over to @peakscoffeeco roasting site and were treated to a tour and cupping experience of their beautiful coffee selections which we are excited to serve at market this summer. 

We then headed to Books and Melodies to browse through their large selection of used books and vintage vinyls, while the cozy vibey tunes filled the space. 

Followed that with a stop at @kelseyscoffeeandfriends for a warm matcha and delicious breakfast burrito. And while a visit to Peaks Coffee roasters is not a public affair, you can still pick up a bag or two or more at Kelsey’s - trust us, it’s worth it!

Stay warm and safe out there everyone!

#syracuseny #newyork #winterday #thingstodoinsyracuse #booklover
People are sharing memories from 2016 but I think People are sharing memories from 2016 but I think this is my favorite one: going to Jamaica for work with my family. We went on a family adventure and it was the first time the boys were trying snorkeling. 

My youngest was so so scared but I made him get in the water still promising him I would hold his hand, be with him the entire time, and never leave his side. 

When I made him get in the water the other tourists on the boat gave me nasty looks and made comments making it clear they thought I was a shit mom for “ignoring” my son’s fears. I jumped into the water and he was crying tears coming down from behind his snorkel mask. I held his hand as promised and we started swimming.

The coral reef was bustling with life. Fish of all colors, eel, sand sharks, starfish. I wasn’t sure if it would terrify him or excite him. 

I would occasionally check on him with a thumbs up sign and he would confirm with a thumbs up back. After a while he signaled to come up and said “It’s ok mom. I can go on my own from here.” And let go of my hand and off he went. 

I watched him swim away from me and then it was me who started crying feeling both pride in him and that bittersweetness in seeing him not need me anymore. This memory still makes me cry. Today the little boy is pursuing a career in environmental science and forestry and photography (see his work at @liamlcc).

The second best memory of 2016 was Elle King renewing our vows at the Beacon Theater during one of her NYC concerts. Travis had arranged the entire thing…a blur as I was in shock the whole time! We just celebrated 23 years together❤️
@sagra_italia, a newly opened “Brooklyn-style” @sagra_italia, a newly opened “Brooklyn-style” Italian cafe has opened in Rochester, and though I am always skeptical of anything claimed to be “Brooklyn”, I have to say, it was really pretty close. 

We started at the bar for drinks and light bites, where the bartender was friendly and made some pretty kick-ass drinks. We then moved to an open table (no reservations here - walk in and grab an open spot) before ordering from the counter (food is brought to you) You bus your own table, which I think contributes significantly to the affordable menu, and which I honestly didn’t mind. 

The food was solid. I ordered the funghi pasta and we shared a Caesar and fried burrata, which was 😘👌🏾❤️!

The whole vibe was exactly what I needed and the perfect spot to catch up with Rochester friends on a snowy night. 

Kitchen closes at 9PM, bar closes at 10. 

And if you’ve ever been to @tapas177 next door and loved it (if you haven’t, you should go), it’s by the same family. 

Highly recommend and excited to go back. Another Rochester win!

#fingerlakes #rochesterny #rochestereats #newyork #italianfood @visitrochester
The world feels heavy, so here’s some light I no The world feels heavy, so here’s some light I noticed today: this dormant field of wildflowers we planted has been nesting bunny rabbits, birds, and little insect ecosystems this cold season. So even though on the surface it just looks like a field of dead and dried stems, when you look deeper, you’ll notice that it’s also a reprieve, a safe space, a comfort, and a resting place. 

I guess, maybe, that’s a lot of us right now. A little worn out. Tired. Sad. Drained. Overwhelmed. But we can also be someone’s comfort, safe space, peace, shoulder, friend…a little light for those who need it. And maybe that’s what we should remember to keep us going.
I get asked often if I miss the city, and the answ I get asked often if I miss the city, and the answer is all the time, but not really, but also yes, but kinda…depends. 

I think living in a slower paced environment has been good for me. Healthy and challenging in different ways. I sometimes get restless, but often need rest too. I love the space both environmently and in time to be creative. And I love that if I ever do get too restless, I am not far from Rochester (a city I’ve grown to love) or NYC. 

But I also love that when I feel any sense of anxiety, I can step outside, be surrounded by nature, and come back home a little more healed. Life is unpredictable, but during my era of slow living, I want to make sure to appreciate and enjoy all it offers.

#fingerlakes #newyork #slowliving #citygirlinthecountry

Copyright © 2026 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice