I arrived early and stopped in downtown Hershey to have breakfast (at an ice cream parlor of course). And yes, I did sample the Hershey ice cream before leaving, even though it was only 8:30 AM...
I started out the day by going to the Hershey Story museum, a few blocks away from the chocolate factory. Here is where a lot of the history of the Hershey factory and town were discussed. It was a great introduction before heading on to the trolley tour.
And now for today's funny... How are chocolate bars like cars? Both can pick you up after a long day. :) On a more serious note, Hershey mimicked Henry Ford's assembly line system as it was a very cost effective way to run the factory.
Then I went to Hershey World.
The Hershey Factory (simulated) Tour was first. I was in a seat on a slow moving ride that went around the building reminding me of the ride they took at the beginning of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (without the scary parts). Here, they went through the different phases used in making chocolate from beginning to end, and we got to watch a sample of chocolates being made.
On the trolley, we had an awesome conductor who fed us lots of chocolate!!! :)
Despite the signs all around town, we learned that Hershey is actually not the name of the city - it is Derry. Also during the tour, we learned a few interesting facts. Did you know that M&M stands for Murray and Mars, who were the founders of the company? We passed by the Murray Home on the tour. Also, Milton Hershey had a ticket for the Titanic!! He actually ended up taking a different ship. Had he been on the Titanic, most likely, he would have went down with the ship and we would not have Hershey chocolates! (Some like to think he lost his ticket in a game of poker right before the ship took off... LOL) Milton was born in 1857 at the Homestead. This was then used as the first Hershey school.
We also got to see the Milton Hershey School, which amazed me! Millions and millions of dollars from Hershey's profits go toward paying for the tuition and housing for the schools. They are for underprivileged children, and many are able to go on to ivy league schools once they finish. Requirements to get in are tough, and only a small percent of those that apply actually get in.
"Men of wealth should give of their money for the betterment of their fellows, for they cannot take their wealth with them when they cease to exist here." Milton Hershey
Hershey's Chocolate Tasting Adventure followed the trolley tour. We learned how the different chocolates get their unique tastes. Dark chocolate is good for you as it has lots of antioxidants (but only in moderation, like red wine)... We also learned that monkey's played a key role in how chocolate came to be!!! They found the cocoa beans, and noting the bitter taste, would discard them in a pile where they were exposed to the sun. With the sun and time, they fermented, giving them the chocolate smell. This smell attracted people to them and they found their use for them in chocolate. :)
And finally, with the taste of chocolate still lingering in my mouth, I stopped by the store and bought a present for my God son. :)
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