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North America, Travel
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August 30, 2011

Sweet Fun at Hershey Park, PA

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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.


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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.

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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

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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 and 2 puppies. 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

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If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a des If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a destination for you. This list of good eats were all within close proximity to each other and spots we made time for during our short weekend visit. So definitely note that this doesn’t even begin to cover the tip of the iceberg, but makes a good starter list!

📍@ShortStackEats in the heart of Downtown Madison is clearly a UW favorite. Loved their pancakes! We thought it was a pricey for breakfast, and only offered drip coffee, but the scene was fun, food was good, and service was friendly.
📍@SardineMadison is a waterfront French bistro that has stood the test of time (we’ve been coming here since we lived in Madison!). It can feel very corporate some nights, but their Happy Hour and brunch are definite highlights and it’s a really nice dining experience overall.
📍@EatattheAudrey impressed us! It’s not your usual “hotel restaurant” and I would say it easily stands alone as an eatery worth checking out in Madison. Great breakfast options, cozy vibes, nice bar, and good service!
📍@RamenStation1124 good, affordable ramen.
📍BlindShotSocialClub We really loved this spot for brunch (sorry, was enjoying the company and totally spaced out on capturing food images!). Golf fans will love hitting the putt here (you can reserve a private room too), and what I though was most cool was the delicious and wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from. This place is a total vibe!
📍@StringsRamen is a chain, but I have to say it is some of the best ramen I have had in a long time. I especially loved how you can choose your ramen but heat level but also by Japanese region which allowed us to taste a couple of new flavors!
📍@Parthenongyros has been around awhile (hubby recalls coming here during his college years!) and was voted #1 take out in Madison! Though we indulged inside and away from the snow. A delicious, quick bite when strolling around State Street.

And again, this is just a starter list. There is so much more to eat and enjoy in this top foodie city! What other spots would you add to this list?

#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext
As I work on compiling all the good eats I experie As I work on compiling all the good eats I experienced in Madison, WI, I have to ask: what is your favorite meal of the day, and where did you experience a highlight of the same?

I am a huge fan of breakfast. This beauty was a blueberry pancake order from @shortstackeats. Pancakes are not a big thing for me, but these were pretty perfect. I am craving them still. 🥞♥️

#madisonwi #goodeats #travelingfoodie @destinationmadison
We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a qui We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a quick trip to Madison, WI - my first time back in 14 years! Though we were here for family matters, we did take a moment to explore a bit of what used to be a place we called home.

We couldn’t do anything else until we drove around Lake Monona, where we once had a home, and took in the wintery views (there is an epic 13.2-mile trail that loops around the lake that is worth exploring if you visit!). Though our time was limited, we were able to enjoy some of it along State Street exploring the shops, eateries, the FREE @mmocamadison, and the beautiful architecture of the WI State Capitol Building (the Dane County Farmers Market will soon pick up again - Saturdays, April 15 thru November 11, 2023 around the Capitol Building and it is one of the best farmers markets anywhere!). 

We booked a room at the @hiltonmadison Monona Terrace to be within walking distance of all the downtown fun (tip: for a room with a lake view make sure to book at the upper levels above 10th floor for an unobstructed view of Lake Monona). 

Madison, WI is a skip and a hop from the Finger Lakes so this short and sweet visit didn’t feel difficult at all. And we absolutely loved the winter scenery and seeing what has changed (a lot) since we lived here.

Stay tuned for my list of where we ate!

Have you ever been to Madison, WI?

#madisonwi #weekendgetaway #wisconsin @destinationmadison
The joy of that first sip of the day. #randommom The joy of that first sip of the day. 

#randommomentsarethebest
I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t be I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t believe how easily I’ve been waking up in the early mornings since our last trip. Not sure how to shake it, or if it’s temporary, but here it is: the rare sighting of me up and moving early in the day. Am I a morning person now? Has travel ever permanently changed any of your habits?

#morningperson #lifeinthecountry #newme <-😂

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