The weird thing is, the Amish farm and house is right next door to a Target store!
Herb garden
Water wheel
Pygmy Goats
The end.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Amish House and Farm
We drove out to the Amish Farm and House in Lancaster today. We took the tour through the authentic Amish house, built in 1805, where we learned about the history, religion, traditions and simple life style of the Amish. Before the tour we walked around the 15 acre farm and saw the barns, water wheel, windmill, springhouse, quilt shop and saw many of the animals.
The weird thing is, the Amish farm and house is right next door to a Target store!
Herb garden
Water wheel
Pygmy Goats
The end.
The weird thing is, the Amish farm and house is right next door to a Target store!
Herb garden
Water wheel
Pygmy Goats
The end.
Friday, May 13, 2011
The Sweetest Place on Earth
That’s right - Hershey, Pennsylvania
Even though Hershey was not on the route that we planned to drive, I wanted to take the Hershey tour so we made a special trip. I had read beforehand that the factory tour was a simulation. I wasn’t sure it was going to be worth the trip but it turned out to be a lot of fun. We sat on moving benches and just wound our way around the make believe factory.
Moving benches (red plastic, on the right side of the photo)
"The Girls"
The tour ended at the gift shop.
Lots of tempting treats.
There was no way we were going to buy this and keep it in the RV!
We also took a trolley (bus) tour of the whole town where we drove by the working chocolate factory and saw the famous chocolate kiss shaped street lights. Some of the lights were designed as wrapped kisses and some were unwrapped.
'Wrapped' Hershey Kiss street light.
The tour lasted an hour and all along the route our guide handed out different flavors of kisses and, the number 1 selling candy bar, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. At the end of the tour we got a full size Hershey candy bar (the number 2 selling candy bar).
Lots of free samples handed out on the tour.
Our guide.
Our guide told us that there is not really a Hershey, Pennsylvania. The real name of the town is Derry Township! It’s pretty amazing that the US Atlas shows a Hershey and the post office knows where Hershey is.
Famous Smokestacks
It was very interesting to hear about the life of Milton Hershey (1894-1916). He had several failed businesses and even went bankrupt a couple of times before becoming a success.
[On November 15, 1909, Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine established a boarding school for orphan boys. To fund the school, Hershey also created the Milton Hershey School Trust and endowed it with 486 acres of farmland. In 1976 its Deed of Trust was altered to allow the enrollment of girls as well.
In the midst of World War I and with no publicity, he transferred the bulk of his wealth, consisting of $60 million in Hershey Chocolate Company stock and other assets, to the School Trust. Managed by the Hershey Trust Company, Milton Hershey’s original funding of the School Trust has grown in value to more than $6 billion today. The School Trust’s assets currently include 30% ownership in The Hershey Company and 100% ownership of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company (HERCO), plus other income-producing investments.
In 1912, the Hersheys were to travel on the ill-fated British luxury liner RMS Titanic. However, they canceled their reservations because Mrs. Hershey was ill at the time. Instead, they booked passage to New York City on the German luxury liner Amerika. The Hershey Museum displays a copy of the check Hershey wrote to the White Star Line as a deposit for a first class stateroom on the Titanic.]
We also went to the Chocolate Tasting Adventure where we sampled 6 different chocolates. At the end of the class we earned our official Masters Degree in Chocolate Tasting from Hershey’s University.
Milk chocolate, dark chocolates, and various chocolates with unique inclusions.
It turned out to be a very fun day at the "Sweetest Place on Earth."
Even though Hershey was not on the route that we planned to drive, I wanted to take the Hershey tour so we made a special trip. I had read beforehand that the factory tour was a simulation. I wasn’t sure it was going to be worth the trip but it turned out to be a lot of fun. We sat on moving benches and just wound our way around the make believe factory.
Moving benches (red plastic, on the right side of the photo)
"The Girls"
The tour ended at the gift shop.
Lots of tempting treats.
There was no way we were going to buy this and keep it in the RV!
We also took a trolley (bus) tour of the whole town where we drove by the working chocolate factory and saw the famous chocolate kiss shaped street lights. Some of the lights were designed as wrapped kisses and some were unwrapped.
'Wrapped' Hershey Kiss street light.
The tour lasted an hour and all along the route our guide handed out different flavors of kisses and, the number 1 selling candy bar, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. At the end of the tour we got a full size Hershey candy bar (the number 2 selling candy bar).
Lots of free samples handed out on the tour.
Our guide.
Our guide told us that there is not really a Hershey, Pennsylvania. The real name of the town is Derry Township! It’s pretty amazing that the US Atlas shows a Hershey and the post office knows where Hershey is.
Famous Smokestacks
It was very interesting to hear about the life of Milton Hershey (1894-1916). He had several failed businesses and even went bankrupt a couple of times before becoming a success.
[On November 15, 1909, Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine established a boarding school for orphan boys. To fund the school, Hershey also created the Milton Hershey School Trust and endowed it with 486 acres of farmland. In 1976 its Deed of Trust was altered to allow the enrollment of girls as well.
In the midst of World War I and with no publicity, he transferred the bulk of his wealth, consisting of $60 million in Hershey Chocolate Company stock and other assets, to the School Trust. Managed by the Hershey Trust Company, Milton Hershey’s original funding of the School Trust has grown in value to more than $6 billion today. The School Trust’s assets currently include 30% ownership in The Hershey Company and 100% ownership of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company (HERCO), plus other income-producing investments.
In 1912, the Hersheys were to travel on the ill-fated British luxury liner RMS Titanic. However, they canceled their reservations because Mrs. Hershey was ill at the time. Instead, they booked passage to New York City on the German luxury liner Amerika. The Hershey Museum displays a copy of the check Hershey wrote to the White Star Line as a deposit for a first class stateroom on the Titanic.]
We also went to the Chocolate Tasting Adventure where we sampled 6 different chocolates. At the end of the class we earned our official Masters Degree in Chocolate Tasting from Hershey’s University.
Milk chocolate, dark chocolates, and various chocolates with unique inclusions.
It turned out to be a very fun day at the "Sweetest Place on Earth."
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Pennsylvania
We’ll be staying at two different places while in Pennsylvania. Our first stop was mainly to do laundry and get the oil changed in the truck. Some things take a little more planning when you live in an RV!
Can you guess what bird this is?
Answer at the end.
We spent a day at the Erie National Wildlife Refuge. When we first got there we went into the Visitor Center to get a bird list and park map. We spoke for quite a while with the Volunteer there. It’s a lot of fun to talk to other volunteers and find out where they have been and what places they liked the best.
We hiked and drove on the driving tour through the Sugar Lake Division, which is 5,206 acres. This area attracts over 237 species of birds, 47 species of mammals and 37 species of amphibians and reptiles.
Woodchuck, aka Groundhog (Marmota monax)
These cute little guys are really hard to get a picture of. Once they see you they dive into their burrow as fast as they can.
The primary objective of the refuge is to provide waterfowl and other migratory birds with nesting, feeding, brooding, and resting habitat
Hooded Merganser - Male
Hooded Merganser - Female
Yellow Warbler
Red-winged Blackbird
White-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spring is just now arriving to this part of the country and the trees are just now starting to leaf out. We’re seeing lots of pretty wildflowers and butterflies.
Mourning Cloak
Red Trillium
Answer to the quiz:
Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus)
Often hangs upside down to reach underside of branches for insects.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Even more photos from Magee Marsh and Ottawa NWR, Ohio
We ended our stay in Ohio with 2 lifers: Horned Grebe and Cape May Warbler.
This Red-bellied Woodpecker (hanging upside-down, bottom, center) was having to protect and defend his home from a European Starling (upper left of the photo)
Painted Turtles
Scarlet Tanager
Yellow Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Bald Eagle
The slight 'hump' in the middle of the picture is West Sister Island
West Sister Island is an 82-acre island located in the southwestern basin of Lake Erie, approximately eight miles from Ohio's mainland. It was in this region that Commodore Oliver Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie (September 10, 1813) and sent his famous message to General William Harrison: "We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."
This Red-bellied Woodpecker (hanging upside-down, bottom, center) was having to protect and defend his home from a European Starling (upper left of the photo)
Painted Turtles
Scarlet Tanager
Yellow Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Bald Eagle
The slight 'hump' in the middle of the picture is West Sister Island
West Sister Island is an 82-acre island located in the southwestern basin of Lake Erie, approximately eight miles from Ohio's mainland. It was in this region that Commodore Oliver Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie (September 10, 1813) and sent his famous message to General William Harrison: "We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."
Sunday, May 8, 2011
More photos from Ottawa NWR, Ohio
Here are some more photos from Ohio:
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Standing on the parking lot.
Gray Catbird
Eastern Screech-Owl
He was hiding behind a lot of tree branches.
Whip-poor-will
Veery
Rose-breasted Grosebeak
Hermit Thrush
Downy Woodpecker
Black-billed Cuckoo
American Redstart:
The end!
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Standing on the parking lot.
Gray Catbird
Eastern Screech-Owl
He was hiding behind a lot of tree branches.
Whip-poor-will
Veery
Rose-breasted Grosebeak
Hermit Thrush
Downy Woodpecker
Black-billed Cuckoo
American Redstart:
The end!
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