The Sweet Life

Every year Logan and I take an anniversary trip. Our first year we went to Disney; our second year Charleston, SC (also our honeymoon destination); last year was a Mediterranean cruise; and this year was Pennsylvania. We got a lot of funny looks from people when we told them that we were driving to PA for our 4th anniversary until we told them about Hershey, known as the Sweetest Place on Earth.

The fun in any trip is not just the destination but the journey itself. One might thing 1,000 miles to a resort town in PA might not be worth it, but it is when you plan in side trips. Our first stop was in Charlotte, NC, where we got to spend some time with our dear friends Jenn and Tim Chen. The Chens introduced us to IKEA, a shopping wonderland. Logan was not excited about me adding more items to our already packed trunk, but I assured him that he would be grateful since I could now organize our bedroom, which I guess I need to be doing soon....Jenn and Tim also took us out on paddle boats. When we weren't avoiding being nibbled by curious geese or trying to catch a peek of goslings, Logan and I were trying to get as close to the fountains without getting soaked. (We would have succeeded if it had not been that the fountains move.) All in all, we had a wonderful time and look forward to future Charlotte visits.

Once back on the road we were bound for Hershey. When we pulled into our resort that night, I was amazed by how close Hersheypark was to us. From the sitting room in our suite, I could hear the chocolate train pulling into the station. The town has streetlights in the shapes of Hershey kisses, and I promise that the smell of chocolate greets you everywhere you go. Our suite was larger than our first apartment, so we had plenty of room to spread out and plan for our next two days, which included a trip to Gettysburg, Hershey World, Hersheypark, and even chocolate massages at the Hotel Hershey. One of the highlights for me was the chocolate tasting at Hershey World. What made it even sweeter was that I had a 2-1 discount, so I told Logan that we could go Dutch. (I thought it was humorous because we were actually in PA Dutch country, but I don't think Logan got it at the time.) I've done my share of wine tastings, but this was my first chocolate tasting. Now I know the proper way to smell, taste, and even hear chocolate. It was unbelievable.

On our way to the last leg of our trip, Philadelphia, home of my father, we detoured to the Amish Country. We visited towns with names like Bird-in-Hand. After eating a delicious lunch that included a piece of shoo-fly pie, we watch an interactive movie about the Amish and toured a farmhouse and one-room school. My favorite part of the afternoon was taking a horse and buggy through the farmland. We waved at children playing in the front yards and even stopped to buy some homemade pretzels from an Amish home. The views themselves were unbelievable. At times I thought that I was in England. The PA countryside is supposed to have some of the most fertile land in the country, and I now think the most beautiful, as well.

I have not been to Philadelphia since I was eight years old, and Logan had never been. Logan was not nervous about driving in Philly on the way there, but once we got into downtown traffic, we were relieved to pull into the Crown Plaza, throw them the keys, and not look back until we had to leave. We decided that we would walk the city, which really is the best way to see it. Although we didn't have a lot of time, we managed to experience a lot. We saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Eastern State Penitentiary (Logan's favorite tour), Betsy Ross's home, and Elfreth's Alley. I don't know which is better about Philly, the food or the people. We had two joggers stop and offer to point us in the right direction while consulting our map (not something you would expect in a large city). We will definitely be back here.

All in all we went to 10 other states on this trip. We have so many great memories from this trip. We rescued a baby bunny from being killed. We went on a ghost tour in Gettysburg, one of the most haunted places in America. We visited one of the world's most esteemed gardens, Longwood. We survived the night in a roadside motel in VA that looked like it was used in the filming of No Vacancy. There was never a dull moment for sure. I think the Sweetest Place on Earth combined with the City of Brotherly Love made an excellent anniversary itinerary, and I would do it all again.