50 States, Day 122

Day 122, 1/3 of the way through!

Hershey, PA. 49 Miles of local touring

"Give them quality. That's the best kind of advertising in the world."

~Milton S. Hershey

Get your Product Placement guards up, because we spent the day in Hershey, PA, and everything was Hershey, Kisses, Chocolate and Reese's.

First, Hershey was Disneyland dipped in milk chocolate. The tours included a

chocolate tasting experience where we learned to be chocolate connoisseurs.

Plus, we kept the classroom materials. And for the good students who picked up their trash? A free Hershey bar. Learning can be fun and tasty.

Second, the place featured a ride, not unlike Disney Hollow, where the passengers slid through a pseudo manufacturing plant, real enough that QG and I disagreed on if it was real. Cows sang, "It's about the milk." They definitely weren't real.

Third, we took a bus tour of Hershey, complete with conductor and conductress

that entertained and led us in great songs, such as, 'You Are My Sunshine,'

'Daisy Daisy,' ‘By the Light of the Silvery Moon,' and 'When You're Smiling' and everyone smiled by the end of the tour.

Milton S. Hershey put it together; milk added to chocolate to make it smooth and soft, an assembly line process to make large quantities of candy, and affordable chocolate. He made a jillion dollars, and built Hershey including the plants, housing, entertainment venues, and finally a school for orphans. The Hershey Story Museum told his story well, leaving QG and me at the end committed to eating a LOT of Hershey's chocolate to support at risk kids. That's taking one for the team.

We missed the theme park, with roller coasters that moonlight as constellations. Being mature, we chose to do more refined things. Yes. That's better. I keep saying that.

If you haven't been to Hershey, Pennsylvania, I'm here to tell you it is too

late. They moved the factory seven miles out of town, so Hershey does not smell like chocolate. Your life will no long be complete.

Enough screaming children, tomorrow we do Gettysburg.

Now, a few 1/3 of the way through the adventure comments:

We are talking about staying in Florida for a few weeks more to let winter run its course before crossing the South. Oklahoma in February sounds frigid. But that says to me we must not be sick of the trip-or each other yet.

We've traveled 18,967 miles. That's a 56,901 mileage pace for those of you in

the mileage guessing contest.

We're in state 19, a bit ahead, as states such as North Dakota were a bit

shorter.

Four oil changes, one set of tires so far. Need a rear tire again, like now. No appreciable breakdowns.

We've spent $13,804, around $114 per day. That's a pace of $41,412. That

included a flight to Alaska and rental bike. However, we have two trips to

California planned for our nephew Nick's wedding and our daughter Amy will be giving birth to twins in late October. Plus a flight to Hawaii for that state and a one week cruise in Florida with QG's folks to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. We'll probably spend more on clothes as time goes by, as our stuff wears out.

Twice we've hit snow, once on I-70 above Denver, and once in Stanley, Idaho.

We've plugged in the heated suits only once so far.

We've handed out 500 business cards at this point. Isn't that amazing? Most of them are from meeting people at gas stations, rest stops, and camping. I leave them on the seat when we leave the bike and some people grab them then.

The blog has had 28,838 hits thus far. And I thank every one of you! I

appreciate your following.

See you tomorrow. I'm going to wolf down another Hershey's Kiss. And a Hershey bar. Plus, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Wash it down with Hershey's syrup and chocolate milk. Groan.