I took absolutely NO pictures on day 4! It was super fun and busy, too. On a lark, we decided to drive into a number of neighboring states, just because we could. First we crossed the river into Camden, NJ. Nothing to report there. We skipped the aquarium and battleship. Our legs were ready to drop off as it was. Then we drove to Wilmington, DE. In Delaware, we drove the wrong way on a one-way street in Little Italy. That was fun. Then it was decided that we should grab lunch on the Chesapeake Bay in North East, Maryland. We ate at Woody's Crab House and dessert at North East Chocolates. Both were fantastic. Then up to Lancaster, PA. We stopped at Kitchen Kettle Market to stretch our legs and do some shopping. I had a pretzel and bought some art. We stayed at a very cool remodeled Cork Factory turned hotel. Loved it there. The restaurant downstairs was not amazing. Chicken and Waffle Soup isn't as fun as it sounds. Good Crème Brule, though.
Then day 5 was the purpose of the whole trip. Let me give you a little back story. Back around '01/'02, I would watch Samantha Brown's travel show on PBS when the kids were napping. And, I'd dream about going to those amazing places. One trip was to Hershey, PA and the Hershey Spa! I couldn't think of anything more decadent than a chocolate spa day! I'd tell myself, "One of these days, girl! We're doing it!" So, as I was trying to think about what would bring me the most joy for my 52nd birthday, I remembered that episode and started planning.
First order of business was a Hershey tour and lunch. BTW, Hershey has always been my favorite chocolate.
It was cute.
Then my Cocoa Massage. It was magical. They requested no photos in the spa for obvious reasons. No one wants to be in a stranger's picture while naked under a robe. Okay, so some people wouldn't have a problem with it. But, the rest of us would be weirded out. It was basically a massage with cocoa infused massage oil. And, I got unlimited chocolate muffins and Hershey Kisses while I was there. So, that was fun and yes, I pocketed as many Kisses as I could manage. I'm classy like that.
The grounds were gorgeous. Very pricey place. If you can afford it, more power to you. The cheapest massage available was all I could pull off. And, I skipped a lot of other souvenirs to make that much happen.
Hershey has the cutest street lights.
The whole town smells of chocolate.
When we were done there, we drove to Harrisburg, the state capitol. That night, we went a tiny little independent movie theater to watch Blackberry. Dinner was at a fairly awful café. It was inexpensive and quick. So it met most of our needs that night.
The next morning we went to the Broad Street Market. Loved it there. Much like Reading Terminal but on a smaller, less overwhelming scale.
Harrisburg wins the street art competition. Hands down.
We were in the State Museum when Shawn mumbles, "Not sure how far we are from Gettysburg. That would be interesting." The answer was 45 minutes.
The Capitol Building is beautiful.
My absolute favorite street art! St Louis could really benefit from more street art.
Off to Gettysburg, we went. The best part is that it's an Auto Tour!
Shawn is not saluting with the wrong hand... he's fixing his sunglasses.
We spent the afternoon driving around, hanging out the window for pictures.
It was the best day for not getting out of the car. The temps were in the 90's with no breeze. Did I mention how beautiful PA is? At least the parts that I saw.
This is the spot where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. Rich would have loved to see all this historic stuff. He would have HATED Philly, though. Hated it.
As a side note, Shawn's grandparents used to dress up in Confederate costumes and go to Civil War battlefields when he was a child. It's equal parts adorable and horrifying. He had is own little soldier outfit & hat. I'm pleased to say as adults, our political ideologies mesh very well.
We finished off with a dinner at the Farnsworth Tavern. A little historical place.
Their Chicken Pot Pie and pumpkin fritters made me rethink my own pot pie recipe! Delicious.
And, that wraps up my bucket list trip to Pennsylvania. For the most part, everything went as planned. Shawn and I seem to have equal amounts of energy and spontaneity. It's basically a food tour with some history thrown in for good measure. Just the way I like it. In July, I'm planning a weekend in Louisville. Then in November, we're going to Italy & France!!! I'm so excited. If I'm smart, I'll keep exercising so I can walk the streets of Europe without dying. I don't get accused of being smart that often, so we'll see how things pan out.
Thanks for following along! Next week is our guild's big quilt show. Then, I've got a baby quilt to finish. A kitchen to finish. A back yard to start. It's a long list.
No comments:
Post a Comment