Hanging out in Penn's woods.

I continue to count my blessings that things are going so well.  We are past the halfway point and I am so pleased we have yet to have a single cold, flat tire, or any real drama at all.  I feel so fortunate that even the little hiccups are minor. 

Yesterday we left Downigtown, PA (near Philadelphia) after breakfast to drive the 2 hours to Hershey.  It takes about a half hour each time we leave a camp site for us to put the motor home back into driving condition.  I am in charge of interior items like putting plates and coffee pot away, clean up all the counters and move/store all small items that would move around while driving, put the two slides back in place, reinstall car seats, etc.  Dave is in charge of the outside and it is a much more difficult job, mostly because it is dirty, gross, and in the humidity.  It involves unhooking power, water, and sewage (gross) and then reattaching the car dolly to the RV and the Honda to the dolly.  He is really good at these things but I am guessing he doesn't love this chore.

Yesterday we only made it about 2 miles before we made a wrong turn that had us pointing up a steep private drive that dead ended.  Not exactly how we hoped the morning would start and certainly was a bit stressful at the time.  Dave kept his cool as we found a relatively flat portion of the drive to unhook the Honda, then the dolly and drive the car out of the way and push the dolly out of the way.  I am still impressed that Dave was able to find a way to turn the RV 180 degrees around and get it pointed back down the hill.  He is impressive.  I still haven't driven the RV a single mile and I am so grateful he is so capable.  After he hooked the dolly back up and the Honda we were back on our way.

We arrived in Hershey, PA about 1pm and headed straight over to Chocolate World.  We didn't really know what to expect.  It is a giant building dedicated to chocolate, the commercialization of chocolate, and the eating of chocolate.  You have your choice of 5 different ways you can spend your money on activities and about a million ways to spend your money on stuff and eats.  We decided to go with the free factory tour.  I use the phrase "factory tour" loosely as it isn't the factory at all.  It is an automated ride (like the six of us in a plastic brown car that hooks onto the track in the floor) that goes through a simulated chocolate factory to describe the process.  The ride is made complete with 3 singing automated cows.  Needless to say, it was not what Dave and I were hoping for.  The free chocolate sample at the end of the ride was enough to fuel us for the half mile walk in the heat  to the Hershey Story Museum which is a great little museum which outlines the entire life of Milton Hershey and how he struggled to become a great businessman, created a community and not just a company, and then gave all of his millions away at the end of his life to a boys orphanage here in Hershey.  Really a great museum and we all learned a bunch. 

We walked back to Chocolate World to reward the kids with their own chocolate making experience.  It was fun to see us all in our hair nets and aprons and we did get to select our individual ingredients, watch our bars as they were created on the Hershey assembly line, and we were each able to create our own personalized labels.  It was fun for us all and the kids were thrilled with their creations.

It is worth mentioning that we rode the factory tour ride a total of 3 times because it was free, there was a free chocolate sample at the end, and because we wanted to make funny faces at the camera that snaps your picture toward the end of the ride.  Again, another opportunity to spend your money.  We passed on buying the pictures but sure had fun laughing at ourselves on the giant photo screens.

Today, Friday the 19th, we actually set an alarm to get up and get going.  We had a very busy day planned.  We drove the 1 hour to Gettysburg  to visit the Gettysburg National Military Park and Museum.  As part of our visit we watched a film called A New Birth of Freedom which was a really good overview for the kids and we also visited  the cyclorama which is a 360 degree painting/diorama of Gettysburg during the battle.  Also great.

The museum was very comprehensive and had some really great artifacts and interactive tools.  In all I think we were there for 3 hours or more.  The kids have done a great job learning along the way.  I think Alastair has the greatest interest in American history of all the kids.  At museums he and I often hang out together.  Even though he is a very strong reader he wants me to read to him about the exhibits.  I am sure it feels like I am reading him a story.  The stories of these exhibits are perfect for him because they involve battles, weapons, amputated limbs, and the like.  Days later he will say to me, "Mom, remember that story about that guy who was stabbed 7 times but didn't die until 9 days later?"  These are the moments he will remember and so will I.

We rounded out our Gettysburg experience with a trip to the Soldier's National Cemetery.  This cemetery is were about 3,500 of the Union soldiers were finally buried after the 3 days of brutal fighting left thousands of men dead.  Of the 3,500 about 1,000 of those buried there are unknown soldiers.  The cemetery is also the site of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.  Yep, the McLain family has witnessed some amazing parts of our American history.

At about 1 we had a snack of granola bars and pretzels and headed back across PA another 90 minute drive to Lancaster County.  Dave and I had our hearts set on lunch at the Plain & Fancy Farm.  At about 2:45 we sat down for our Amish Farm Feast.  I won't list all of the items which were placed on the table but let's just say that we managed to eat an entire day's worth of calories (and then some) in a single meal.  We all agreed that the homemade breads were our favorite part of the meal but it was all delicious.  We tried sour cream apple crumb pie and wet bottom shoo-fly pie for dessert.

We visited a multimedia movie called Jacob's Choice regarding rumspringa.  This gave the kids (and me) some understanding of Amish culture.  You might be born into an Amish community but you are not yet Amish.  You take your rumspringa when you are about 16.  This is when you venture out to explore the world and English culture to decide if you want to live in the world or with the Amish.  If you choose to return you are baptized and live in the Amish community for the rest of you life.  If not, well, see ya.  Apparently the Lancaster Amish are about 30,000 and have a 95% return for their kids after they leave on their rumspringa.  Interesting little tidbit.

We had the opportunity to take a buggy ride with an Amish man and visit his neighbors' farm.  Dave and I both found it a bit odd that the plain and humble Amish are willing to commercialize  themselves to the tourists as well, but we did enjoy our experience and it is the American way to try to make a buck, so I guess, good for them.  At the farm the kids had a blast petting horses (Oops, McLains have week DNA when it comes to animals and allergies.  We should never be allowed to pet horses.) seeing a litter or 11 four week-old puppies, 3 day-old calves, milk cows, chickens, pigs, and seeing the parents and 5 Amish kids that live on the farm. It was a great afternoon, and again, I think we learned a ton.

The crew is fast asleep and catching up on their beauty rest in the hope that we will spend the day with them in the Hershey Amusement Park.  Lord help us.

Missing all of you and wishing you could witness this amazing trip of a lifetime with us.

Hugs from PA.

Jll