Lancaster and Hershey PA

We took a day trip through Lancaster and Amish country and into Hershey PA. As we drove along the back roads, I found more confirmation of my theory that the older the building, the closer it is to the road.

                                              This isn't a parked car, it is a car driving on the road
                                              in front of us.

As we drove through the countryside where many Amish people live, I was struck by the contrasts.  We saw many farms with large homes that had been added onto multiple times and farms with multiple homes.  The farms looked productive, neat and prosperous.  However, there were buggies and horse drawn wagons parked outside rather than cars, trucks and tractors.  Most had well cared for horses in nearby pastures.  Some of the towns had interesting names such as "Intercourse" and "Bird in the Hand".

                                                 Such contrasts - no one 150 years ago expected to
                                            follow traffic lights with their horses.

     

      In Lancaster, we went to the Central Market which is the oldest publically owned market in the U.S.  We saw lots of locally made lunch meats such as scrapple, head cheese, liverwurst etc. and lots of homemade baked goods.  We walked around the downtown area and marveled at the old archietecture.  We had lunch in a small old cafe, and toured a small museum featuring Amish life style.

                                            I think these gables look like something I would expect in Britain.

          On to Hershey!  The streets in Hershey have such wonderful names a chocolate avenue and there is an everpresent smell of chocolate in the town.  The actual factory is just outside town and no longer open to the public.  However, there is the Hershey Cholate Park.  We went on a "tour" in a train very similar to the small world ride at Disneyland.  We saw singing cows, and operating machines turning out kisses.  Chocolate being mixed and products being wrapped.  It was fun in a silly sort of way.  We had samples of a new type of kiss that neither of us liked.  (Try them out on the tourists - the garbage cans were full of the new kisses :)  ) I did learn that Mr. Hershey was a Mennonite and that he worked hard to take care of the families that worked at his factory.  I suspect things have changed though!  We walked through the overpriced gift stores and then had the most chocolaty, delicious milk shakes I have ever had.

                                         Scary singing cow - I think it wants to bite someone!

                                                More singing cows.

                                              Kisses being made.

                                                       Chocolate being made.

                                                              Perfect Halloween tree!

     On the way back home, we stopped at Cornwall Furnace which is another old iron making furnace.  It wasn't open that day, but I took pictures of the outside.  I was particularly enthralled with the authentic slate tile roof.