Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The Return to a Childhood Favorite

I love a good road trip. There's nothing like rolling the windows down, cranking the music up, and hitting the wide, open road... even if it's just for a three hour trip. This was my family's first real vacation in a few years, after getting our Shih-Tzu a few years earlier and not being sure of how to travel with her. We finally figured that we might as well bring her along, drive to our destination and stay in a pet-friendly hotel. This trip was sort of a trial-run for a bigger trip to Florida we were planning for the next year, so we wanted to go somewhere close and familiar. What better place than Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a gorgeous town we'd already visited countless times and really loved? I couldn't have been more excited!

I hadn't been able to sleep all night the night before. After a six year vacation hiatus we were finally going on vacation in the morning and the excitement was overwhelming! The day before had been a busy day. My cousins Jessica and Samantha had been over and we spent the day hanging out, walking around the neighborhood, and just generally acting crazy and cracking each other up. We had also stayed up all night watching the MTV Video Music Awards and by the time they left it was already after midnight... and I still had to pack! I finished up doing everything I had to do and just laid in bed. I slept for an hour or two at most. When it was finally time to get up I was pretty exhausted, but my adrenaline was pumping so it wasn't too bad.

We had decided that we were going to leave later than we usually do to go on vacation. We normally leave as early as possible but we wanted to leave later in the morning so that we could walk Oreo at a normal time and try to miss the morning rush-hour traffic around Manhattan and Philadelphia. We had to start off the vacation right, though, so we decided to meet my Aunt Stacy, Uncle Alan, and little cousin Alison at our local diner at 8:00. There was no way my brother Mike was getting out of bed any earlier than he had to so we just left him home. He hates the diner anyway.

We met my Aunt Stacy, Alan, and Alison in the parking lot and all went to get a table. The diner was pretty empty so we were seated right away and all ordered our food. I got French Toast which is my absolute favorite! It was so exciting having our first breakfast of trip, even though we were still in Brooklyn. Our food arrived by 8:30 and we passed the time eating and talking about how excited we were. Well, dad, Aunt Stacy, Alan, Alison and I talked about everything we wanted to do and see while my mom worried about how the dog would handle the situation. Mom, relax... we're going on VACATION!

We finished eating and left the diner at 9:00, and I was very surprised when Mike opened the door for us. Not only was he up but he was DRESSED! For a kid who sleeps as late as possible whenever he can, I was definitely surprised. I took it as a sign that he was excited, too. At least a little bit. We all hung out around the house and just relaxed. At 10:00 my mom and dad loaded the rest of our luggage and bags into the car and then walked Oreo while Mike, Aunt Stacy, Alan, Alison and I watched "Starsky and Hutch" on HBO. At 10:30 we were finally ready to go, so we piled into our cars and pulled out of the driveway. It was great knowing that we were headed to one of my favorite places in the world! My Grandma was waiting on her porch (she and my Grandpa live across the street from us), so we waved to her right as we turned the corner and drove off the block. We were finally on our way!

We stopped a few blocks away at a Mobil station that recently opened a new "On the Go" convenience store. My mom, Aunt Stacy, and Alan ran in to get coffee and then we got going. Not to another diner or a convenience store, but finally on our way to Pennsylvania! There was no traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, as usual, and after driving about an hour into Jersey we stopped at one of the rest stops. We took a bathroom break, got some mini cinnamon buns from Cinnabon and looked at the bags, pocketbooks and sunglasses that were being sold outside. They were pretty nice and Aunt Stacy wound up buying a pair of sunglasses.

We continued driving through Jersey until we got to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It was starting to rain and I got upset since we had planned on doing a few outdoor things later that day. It was only a light drizzle, though, so it wasn't too bad. About an hour and a half into Pennsylvania we stopped at another rest stop, this time a McDonald's. We all ran in to use the bathroom and get some fries and drinks for lunch. We then continued driving down the Pennsylvania Turnpike, listening to the radio along the way. Every time a good song came on my mom would call my Aunt Stacy to tell her what station to put on, and then we'd look at their car behind us to see Aunt Stacy dancing in the passenger seat! It was hilarious!

We drove for another two hours before finally arriving in Lancaster at 2:00! But it wasn't exactly smooth sailing... we were looking for Rt. 30 which would turn into Lincoln Highway East, the street that our hotel was on. We took Rt. 30 West, which was the way we were supposed to go as stated on our AAA TripTik, and drove for ten minutes without the road turning into Lincoln Highway East. According to our map it should have happened already, so we went back to where we started and went down Rt. 30 East thinking that this road would lead to Lincoln Highway East. They were both east so it made sense. We drove for fifteen minutes and then saw signs that we were going back up north towards Philadelphia, so we turned back around again and continued driving on Rt.30 West until we finally found Lincoln Highway East. If we had only driven a minute or two farther than we had the first time we would have seen that we were going the right way. We still weren't sure exactly where the hotel was so we stopped at an Arby's on Lincoln Highway East to use the bathroom before we continued driving and found the hotel, the Lincoln Host Resort, no more than a quarter of a mile up the road.

Our first impression of the resort was the exterior and the large sign which welcomes you on Lincoln Highway East, amongst the many other hotels and restaurants on the same strip. The hotel looked a little bit outdated on the outside so I wasn't sure what to expect when we went inside. We walked into the lobby to check in and I absolutely loved it! It's all marble with warm lighting, chandeliers, a large lounge, a concierge out-cove with brochures and small restaurant cards, a large seating area with a fireplace and more. I traveled with my family, including my 3-year old cousin, and right next to the front desk was a play area for kids with a rocking chair, rocking horse, table and chairs and a toy chest full of blocks, coloring books and other goodies. My cousin loved sitting on the rocking horse and playing while we checked in.

When it comes to the rooms, we were surprised to see how big they were! They were much larger than the rooms in a lot of other hotels we've stayed at. We were also surprised that we got adjoining rooms, since we were told there weren't any in the hotel. Another very good aspect of this resort was the fact that pets are allowed - this was our first vacation with our small shih-tzu and she loved it! Due to the fact that we had a dog they gave us a first floor room with a patio, looking out onto the pool area. This was a GREAT location, since we could hop right into the pool whenever we wanted and it provided a great view on the four nights we spent relaxing out on the patio. The only downside to this location was that walking to the lobby through the inside corridors was a long walk. If we walked to the lobby from the pool area outside then it seemed shorter, and was also a very nice walk.

The rooms were very big and clean, but I have to admit that they weren't in tip-top shape. Some parts of the ceiling seemed to be crumbling and there were several stains on the carpet. The maid service was efficient, although I feel they did not do a superior job in the bathroom each morning - the bathroom never seemed completely clean. That's how it is in most hotels, though. The decor was nice yet slightly old-fashioned. I heard that all the rooms have been recently renovated though, so that may have changed! Overall the rooms were adequate and again, HUGE! The grounds of the resort were gorgeous, with a beautiful golf course, a nice but outdated playground, tennis courts, a very small miniature golf course and more. The restaurant we tried, Vista's, was nice for their breakfast buffet, but we only tried it once. Another great feature of the hotel was the location, located right on Lincoln Highway East, directly across the street from Dutch Wonderland Amusement Park and amongst hundreds of restaurants, tourist attractions, shops and more. It was also only a 10-minute drive to historic Amish Country, which was absolutely beautiful.

I was searching online for some new restaurant choices in Lancaster when I came upon the Cactus Willie Steak Buffet and Bakery. There weren't many reviews available but we took a risk and tried it out. Coming from our hotel we had to drive through some pretty rough areas of Lancaster to get to the restaurant. I had no idea that there were actually "rough" parts of Lancaster, but there they were! Luckily the drive was quick and the restaurant was in a better, more tourist-friendly part of town.

It was relatively crowded when we arrived so they seated our table of seven in the large empty room at the back of the restaurant. It was bright, spacious and clean, and we loved having the room to ourselves. A few other groups were seated in there throughout the meal, but the atmosphere remained quiet yet family-friendly. This was a buffet dinner so after being greeted by our server and placing our drink orders, we headed up to get some food. I started with some soup and salad, and there was plenty to choose from in both categories. The soup selection included crab soup, chicken noodle, split pea, and navy bean, as well as a special chili. The Crab soup was especially good. The salad selection was comprised of tossed salad, tuna salad, macaroni salad, potato salad and cole slaw with a huge selection of toppings and dressings. It was all cold, crisp and delicious!

When it comes to entrees, there was a huge selection of food! It was one of the biggest buffet's I'd seen in a while. There was turkey, ham, ribs, fried chicken, fried shrimp, fish, spaghetti, meat loaf, lasagna, meatballs, pizza, an assortment of hot sandwiches, a taco station, a giant array of different vegetables and more. It was a wide-ranging and almost random array of food, but it was all hot, fresh and delicious, and went surprisingly well together. My family's favorite part of the buffet, though, was the made-to-order steak. There were two chefs grilling fresh steaks in a separate buffet-area, making all-you-can-eat steaks exactly to your liking. It was delish!

The best part of the buffet, at least according to my 3-year-old cousin, was dessert! I would have to agree. Not only was there the standard fare of cookies, fresh fruit, and soft-serve ice cream with a variety of toppings, but there was also a huge array of Amish specialties. We're all huge fans of Amish bakeries and the offerings here were top-notch. There were cakes, pies, puddings, cobblers, pastries... the list (and buffet line) went on and on and on...

I couldn't recommend Cactus Willie's enough. We're all very picky eaters and are relatively critical of restaurants, but this place was great. It was clean, bright and uncrowded, staffed by a friendly cast of waiters and waitresses, and the food was all fresh and delicious. The buffet was also CHEAP - $8.99 per person with drinks included, and the age of my cousin was multiplied by $0.60 to determine what her dinner cost. We loved this place so much that we visited twice on our five-day trip!

Miniature golf was always a tradition of ours while on vacation, so we decided to continue that tradition on our first night in Lancaster. We had noticed a small miniature golf course in front of the Dutch Wonderland Amusement park, right across the street from our hotel, so we drove over there after dinner. We decided to skip Dutch Wonderland on this trip since Mike and I were too old for it and Alison wouldn't know the difference, but it was always a lot of fun when we were little. By now it was 7:00 and the sun was setting. It was gorgeous! We went in to pay and get our golf clubs, but first we stopped at the small arcade in front of the main building. Alison went on a Garfield quarter ride while my dad, Mike and I all played a few games of pin ball. It was a small arcade, but it was fun for a few minutes of entertainment.

We were done playing games by 7:30 so we all headed out to play mini golf. I hadn't played miniature golf in a while and it was so much fun! The course was small but nice. There were a few waterfalls along with animatronics of the Dutch Wonderland mascots - the princess and the dragon. There were also two caves which housed two of the course's holes. This was Alison's first time playing miniature golf and she loved it! It was so cute watching her try to sink the ball and then seeing how excited she got when she finally succeeded. All day it had been humid and rainy and at the sixteenth hole (out of eighteen) there was lightening in the sky every few minutes. One of the employees told us that a storm was coming up from Delaware so we tried to finish up quickly. I kept my red ball at the end of the game, since I always keep them as a souvenir.

All in all, the course was cute. It wasn't as elaborate or gorgeous as some other miniature golf courses, specifically the ones in Orlando, but it was bright, clean and family-friendly. Alison loved seeing the animatronic princess and dragon, and the waterfalls added to the atmosphere.

On our second day in Lancaster we were planning on checking out the Amish attractions, villages and shops in the area. We were going to go to Kitchen Kettle Village, a small village of stores and bakeries that we always went to when we were younger. When my dad ran into the lobby to get a map of the area, though, the Concierge told him that there was a nice bakery in the nearby town of Bird-In-Hand so we decided to drive over there. It was a fifteen-minute ride through the back roads of Amish country and it was absolutely gorgeous! Although we had been to Lancaster many times before, I was always too young to really acknowledge and appreciate the Amish culture. The past few months I had been watching "Amish in the City" on UPN, a reality show in which a group of Amish kids were on Rumspringa, their right of passage to experience the world before deciding whether or not to live the rest of their lives Amish. They lived with a group of city kids in Los Angeles and both groups had to learn each other's ways and adapt to all the changes, and I absolutely loved it, regardless of how ridiculous it was! Now getting to see everything first hand amazed me. It was really nice driving through the back roads of the Amish country and seeing Amish men and women riding in their buggies while children zipped through the streets on their scooters and roller skates. I was in awe of the beauty of the countryside and the peace surrounding the children playing in front of their modest homes, while cows grazed a few feet away and horses galloped in the distance. It's one of my favorite places in the world - so peaceful, magical and truly amazing... it's like stepping into another world!

The Bird-In-Hand Bake Shop was located directly across the lane from an Amish farm, and when we arrived many Amish men were working the fields both by hand and on tractors. The bakery was pretty crowded since there was a big bus in the parking lot that had dropped off a tour group. We parked and walked over to a small playground on the grounds where Alison pet some ducks and went on the swings, before she started to play with a little girl on the slide and small jungle gym. My mom, Aunt Stacy, Alison and I then all sat on a large, four-person swing which had a table in the middle. We took a few pictures before Michael watched Alison and my dad waited outside with Oreo while my mom, Aunt Stacy, Alan and I went into the bakery. There were homemade Dutch pies, cakes, cookies and more, as well as Lancaster souvenirs. The shop was run by teenage Amish girls, all around my age, who were interesting to listen to. They were telling everyone about their lives and lifestyle, and it was pretty amazing.

After ten minutes the tour group finally left and we were the only ones left in the bakery. My dad carried Oreo in and Alison and Mike came in, too. We looked around and had a good time looking at the hand-made wooden puppets which I got to annoy Mike over since he has an hilarious doll phobia! Mike was psyched that they had Snickerdoodles - cinnamon cookies that my Aunt Lynda usually makes for him. They're his favorite! We bought a box of those and some pumpkin bread which is mine and my mom's favorite. I also got a key chain of an Amish family holding hands and walking in the road along with a Lancaster pen.

The pies and cookies from here were absolutely delicious. We have a lot of New York bakeries in our neighborhood with great cakes and pastries, but none of them compare to the Bird-In-Hand Bakeshop. Everything was fresh and delicious, whether we ate it out of the box or heated it up first. The girls running the store were also friendly, knowledgeable and always willing to help, while the grounds surrounding the bakery were gorgeous. No trip to Lancaster is complete without picking up some Dutch pies, cakes and cookies from the Bird-In-Hand Bakeshop!

Friendly's is another one of our vacation traditions. We don't have any near us here in New York City, so we always make sure to go while on vacation. It's a fun, family-friendly place with classic American food. What could be better? I'm a big advocate of trying the local restaurants while traveling, and getting a taste of the local cuisine, but we wanted something quick and delicious after a long day out and Friendly's always fits the bill. There are many branches of this chain restaurant located all throughout the country, and there was luckily one right down the road from our hotel. We drove over there on the second night of the trip. It was crowded but quiet, and we were seated right away. The only thing was that there were only booths available and none were big enough to seat all seven of us, so we split up into two booths across from each other. We still got to talk while having some room to spread out.

The no-frills food at Friendly's is pretty basic, and the Lancaster one was no exception. Except for a few Amish pies listed on the dessert menu, the menu was full of the standard fare that you can find at any Friendly's around the country. I decided to get the Reuben sandwich with fries, which was huge and delicious. It was hot and fresh, and came with Thousand Island dressing on the side. Everyone else got different kinds of burgers with fries, and everyone loved the food. It wasn't anything fancy or unique, but it did the job of filling us all up.

Of course you can't go to Friendly's without getting ice cream, so we all ordered different sundaes for dessert! Friendly's has the best ice cream sundaes. I think the ice cream's even better than the food, so I would recommend getting a light dinner and saving room for the ice cream. My cousin Alison especially loved her clown sundae, which I remember loving when I was younger. It was an upside-down ice cream cone on top of two scoops of ice cream in a dish, with sprinkles, whipped cream, M&M's and chocolate syrup. We all had a taste and it was good! I don't think we have ever been disappointed at Friendly's, it's the perfect summer vacation food!

On our second morning in Lancaster we decided to go out for breakfast at a family buffet we'd passed several times on our trips up and down Lincoln Highway East. It was called Lapp's Family Restaurant and was located just a block away from our hotel. We had never heard of it before and didn't have a chance to look up any reviews, but we took a chance and decided to check it out.

We headed over there at 9:00 and it was relatively crowded with family's filling up for the day. It smelled delicious in there though, and we didn't mind the ten-minute wait to be seated! Once we were seated at a big table in the middle of the restaurant, our waitress came over in no time to take our drink order. Mike, Alison and I got chocolate milk while everyone else ordered coffee. Our waitress brought us a whole pot of coffee to pour ourselves, so it was nice not having to ask for refills.

We then went up to the buffet, which was clean and plentiful. There was the standard breakfast fare - eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, omelets, pastries, bagels, etc. There was plenty to choose from, but there wasn't anything special or out-of-the-ordinary. The big hit of the breakfast were the mini-muffins in tons of different flavors - egg, cinnamon raisin, chocolate chip, blueberry, cranberry, oatmeal... you name it, they had it. They were delicious! The buffet was also only $7.99 a person so it was a good deal.

I honestly wouldn't whole-heartedly recommend Lapp's. If you're looking for a quick, cheap breakfast buffet with the standard fare, then it's definitely worth it. The food was good and the service was friendly. However, Lancaster is known for their Amish breakfast specials and you won't find that here. Since you can get waffles and omelets anywhere, I would recommend trying a more authentic restaurant to sample the delicious Amish baked goods and breakfast pastries, even if it costs a little more.

Hershey Park is one of the most famous and popular theme parks in America. It's known for it's roller coasters, chocolate characters and family-friendly attractions, but what most people don't know is that there's a whole separate side of Hershey Park called Hershey's Chocolate World. It's located next to the theme park and houses a series of rides, shows, attractions and stores, most of which are free of charge. It's not big enough for an all-day excursion, but it's not to be missed if you have an extra hour or two to spare before or after your day at Hershey Park.

Coming from Lancaster, it took us about an hour to get to Hershey, Pennsylvania on the third day of our trip. All of the "going to bed late and getting up early" we 'd been doing was starting to catch up with us and my mom and Mike fell asleep in the car while I dozed off a few times while listening to my MP3 player. When we got into Hershey we had some trouble finding the actual theme park even though we had been there three times before. There were signs all over the area saying to drive carefully since school was back in session, so we were really hoping the crowds would be low.

After a few wrong turns and some mindless driving, we finally found Hershey's Chocolate World, the Hershey Park welcome center. We parked and went inside, and the crowd situation wasn't looking too good. There were tons of people in there! We went right over to the Hershey Chocolate Ride. We have video of us standing in line on our past three trips and the line was always huge, but today we walked right on! I guess the crowds were just lingering. We all fit in one car so it was great to all get to go on the tour together. The ride is a lot of fun... we hopped into one of the continuously loading cars that slowly moved along a track through a replica of the Hershey Chocolate factory. They showed us exactly how the chocolate was made, with large tubs of milk chocolate all over the place. It smelled delicious! There were also animated Hershey bars and the famous Hershey song played a few times during the end of the ride - "Hershey chocolate, Hershey chocolate, it's a Hershey chocolate world. Wherever you go, no matter how far, you'll always see a Hershey bar. Hershey chocolate, real milk chocolate. Hershey, the great American chocolate bar!" I love that song, it brings back so many great memories!

After the Hershey Chocolate Tour we went to get tickets for the "Hershey's Really Big 3D Show." The next show was only five-minutes away so we really lucked out. This is the only thing you have to pay for in Hershey's Chocolate World, but it was only $5 a person so it wasn't too bad. We were one of the last few groups let into the pre-show area and it was a really fun show! In the first pre-show room a very animated lady told us about the fun that awaited us in the "Magical Chocolate World." There were tons of kids there and they were all so excited! After hearing a few stories about Milton S. Hershey and Hershey Park, we were ushered into another big pre-show room with a large screen in the front. Here we all stood and watched a film about the life of Milton S. Hershey, the inspiration behind Hershey Park, and the history of Hershey, Pennsylvania before we moved into the main theater.

We all got our seats and 3D glasses and the show soon began. There was a girl in the front of the room who was supposed to be a scientist and she kept trying to explain the scientific makeup and aspects of chocolate. Whenever she would begin speaking, though, a cute talking Hershey kiss on the screen would take over and wreak havoc on the place! There were a lot of performing Hershey bars singing songs about chocolate to the tune of popular show tunes along with many cool special effects. These effects included puffs of air that were supposed to be flying Hershey kisses hitting our legs, bubbles, confetti and sprays of water. Alison had enough of the special effects halfway through the show, though, and took off her 3D glasses. I'd recommend the show for kid's ages 5-and-up since the special effects may be a little too much for younger children.

When the show was over we explored more of Hershey's Chocolate World. We really just did a lot of shopping. First we went to the main chocolate area where they had a really good deal - five large bags of mini-bar chocolates (regular, peanut butter cups, and other kinds of Hershey chocolates) for $7, so we bought a bunch of bags as souvenirs. We also got a few huge solid Hershey kisses and I got two regular Hershey bars. There are lots of great deals to be found here, even more so than next door at Hershey Park. If you're a fan of chocolate, this is the place to be!

We then went to the other main souvenir area where they sold chocolate, t-shirts, stuffed animals, mugs, magnets, and more. Alison had a field day! Of course she wanted the huge Hershey bar stuffed animals they had, but Aunt Stacy got her a small Hershey kiss stuffed animal instead. I wound up buying a key chain and a big blue mug with a Hershey kiss on the front. Hershey's Chocolate World is a great little diversion from the more popular theme park next door, with lots of fun attractions and great deals on souvenirs. A trip to Hershey Park isn't complete without going on the factory tour ride and signing along to the famous Hershey song!

Hershey Park is known as America's cleanest and greenest theme park, as well as the "Sweetest Place on Earth," and they're right on both accounts! I've been going to Hershey Park since my family's very first vacation back in 1990, and we've always had nothing but a good time. The rides are thrilling, the staff is friendly and the food's good. What more could you ask for? We had high hopes for this year's trip to Hershey Park since we hadn't been there in years, and we were anxious to get on as many rides as we could.

After doing some shopping at Hershey's Chocolate World next door, we remembered Hershey Park being within walking distance from our last trip. We weren't sure though, so we decided to drive around to the Hershey Park parking lot and had to park all the way in the back of the lot. It was really hot out and there was a long walk to the entrance so we hopped on a waiting tram. When we got to the entrance, what do you know... there was Hershey Chocolate World right next door! We could have very easily walked to the entrance of Hershey Park from our original parking spot at Hershey Chocolate World. If you park at Hershey's Chocolate World to see those attractions, just leave your car there and take the short walk over to Hershey Park. It'll save you a lot of time.

We had already bought our tickets to Hershey Park from AAA before we left, so within minutes we were in the park and were very happy to see that it was practically empty. Definitely order your tickets in advance. You can usually find great deals through AAA or Costco, and you won't have to waste time waiting on line to buy tickets once you get to the park.

Our first ride of the day was the carousel since it was my little cousin Alison's favorite ride. She loved it and the antique horses were all very pretty. When the ride was over my dad, Mike, Uncle Alan and I decided to go on the Comet, a big wooden roller coaster. It was a good ride but we really got banged around on that rickety old thing! Then my dad, Mike and Alan went on an upside down steel coaster. I usually love upside-down roller coasters but I decided to sit it out this time. Everyone else loved it.

We then found a whole row of ski-ball games just a few feet away and we had to play... we LOVE ski-ball! We wound up winning a bunch of small stuffed Kermit key chains. Then we all headed over to the flume ride. Alison had never been on a flume before so we were excited to see her reaction. My Aunt Stacy, Alan, Alison and I went in one log, with Alison and I in the front cabin and my Aunt Stacy and Alan in the back. Then my mom, dad, and Michael went in the log behind us. There were a lot of small, bumpy drops before the main one which Ali really didn't like. We got to a part right before the drop where a bunch of animatronic guys are working at a mill and she was distracted for a few seconds, but once the drop came she didn't know what was going on! She didn't like it and whenever I later asedk her if she wants to go on the flume she says, "No, it's too scary!" The picture they took on the ride came out cute but Alison wasn't even looking at the camera so we didn't bother buying it. If you're into buying the on-ride photos, make sure you look at the animatronic figures before you get to the drop, that way you're looking at the camera.

We then headed over to the antique cars. There were two rows in each car so four people could ride together. Alison and I went in our own car with me driving, my Aunt Stacy and Alan were behind us, and then my mom, dad and Michael went together behind them. I didn't let Alison drive at first since I didn't think the ride attendants would let her, but she kept begging me to let her drive so I told my Aunt Stacy and Alan to stop their car a few feet behind us, and I stopped our car and we quickly switched places. Alison loved driving, it was so cute! It made for a bumpy ride but she loved it! I remember absolutely loving the chance to "drive" on these rides when I was younger, so the antique cars are definitely a big hit with kids.

After driving around town (or a small section of the park) we went over to the Hershey Kiss Tower. It was the type of ride in which the large, circular car rises to the top of a large tower and then slowly rotates, giving riders a bird's-eye view of the park. We weren't going to go on it at first but there was no line so we hopped right on. I'm a little weary of heights so being up there for so long (around three to four minutes) was a little nerve-wrecking but the view made it completely worth it. It was gorgeous! Alison said a few times that she was scared being up so high, but she eventually relaxed and enjoyed the ride. If you're looking for a great view of Hershey Park and the surrounding countryside, a quick hop on this ride provides just that.

By now it was 2:00 and it was getting really, really hot out - it was in the nineties for the first time all summer and it was already September! We were hot and hungry so we decided to go look for a place to eat. Of course we had the whole "Where Are We Going to Eat" debate since we all wanted something different. We finally ended up at a general burgers and fries place. We got seats and all ordered burgers and chicken fingers and the food was pretty good. Nothing special, but were just glad to be out of the heat for a while.

Done with lunch, we went over to the Storm Runner, Hershey Park's newest ride. This was the tallest and fastest coaster in the country at the time and it was crazy! My dad, Mike and Alan went on it together since there was no way I was getting on that ride, especially right after we ate! What happens is the car moves up to a long, flat track before a countdown begins. In a deep, crazy voice a man says "3...2...1..." and then the car shoots off at 70-miles per hour down the platform, STRAIGHT UP the 125-foot lift, then STRAIGHT BACK DOWN, doing a loop and then coming back to the station. Wow, that thing was fast! My dad, Mike and Alan all loved it and said that it was the best roller coaster they had been on in a while. Maybe even ever.

We then went to the kids section of the park for Alison to go on a few rides and she had a ball! She went on a dinosaur ride, the trucks, the pirate ship, and a helicopter ride. She also went on the small swings for kids, and when she came around to our side after about three rotations she screamed, "Mommy, I'm going to be sick!" She sounded so mature, it was the funniest thing! Even the older woman running the ride laughed. Hershey Park is definitely a family-friendly park with a giant kid's section full of pint-sized rides and attractions. If you have kids, you can spend hours in this section of the park alone. We also saw that the Hershey characters were out so Alison had her picture taken with a Hershey Kiss and a big Reese's Peanut Butter Cup! They make for fun and unique photo opportunities.

Hershey Park is one of my favorite amusement parks. It's big, clean, bright and full of fun rides and attractions for thrill-seekers and modest riders alike. As big as it is, there isn't all that much to do. If you go on a slow day you can get on all the rides and attractions within only a few hours, and even when the park's more crowded you can do it all in a day. That's why we usually stay in Lancaster and drive to Hershey for the day. Hershey Park's a day full of non-stop family fun, but outside of the theme park we've found that we like the Lancaster attractions and experiences better than the Hershey ones. Either way, Hershey Park is a main draw to the area and it can't be missed if your in central Pennsylvania.

On the last day of our trip we wanted to go somewhere special for breakfast. So where did we decide to go? Perkins! Haha! No, not exactly anything special, but this was before I became an over-the-top planner who seeks out different and unique places to go while on vacation. Plus we love Perkins, so it all worked out. Perkin's is a chain restaurant along the lines of Denny's and IHOP. They have great breakfasts with all the sides included available all day, as well as sandwiches, burgers and salads. The best part of Perkin's really are the sides - everything you order comes with a whole array of fresh and delicious side dishes, making the place a real bargain. Plus each restaurant has a great bakery located in the front with fresh pies, brownies and cookies.

We drove over to Perkin's at 9:00, parked, and headed inside. It was packed! Really, really crowded, more so than any other restaurant we had eaten in all week. The girl at the podium told us that there would be a twenty-minute wait so we took a seat on a long bench by the entrance and spent the time talking about everything that we had done in the past few days. The wait went by fast though, and we were seated within fifteen-minutes at a large round table in the back of the restaurant. While we were looking at the menu my cousin passed the time coloring with the crayons our waitress had given her. At one point she stood two crayons up and said that they looked like "the big city." It was the cutest thing!

When it came to the food, there was a special going on where you could order one of many breakfast skillets and get a drink and side dish with it. I wasn't a big fan of the skillets, though, so I ordered an omelet while everyone else got the skillets. My omelet was huge and came with a giant muffin, breakfast potatoes and two huge pancakes. This definitely isn't the place to go if you're on a diet! The food was all fresh, hot and delicious, as always. I especially loved my cinnamon apple muffin, it was one of the best I'd ever had!

I highly recommend Perkin's. No, it's nothing fancy or even very special, but it's great for a basic, all-American breakfast. You get a ton of food for a great price, and it's all really delicious. We've eaten at several Perkin's restaurants up and down the east coast and have yet to be disappointed!