Hershey - Day 1

4:45 am and I am waking up to go to Hershey.  I am not a morning person......especially after just a few hours of sleep.  But this is a big and exciting day and I perk up pretty quickly.  My husband drops me at the American Airline terminal just before 6:00 and Bette Jo and Karen are inside waiting.  Diane shows up on my heels. 



Bette Jo, Karen & Diane



Karen, Diane, Cathie

We check in, go through security - always a joy! Karen is wearing her Crocs today and the men with the blue gloves take them aside for a special inspection.  They don't question her epipen or the "bug" she is wearing on her arm that electronically measures the calories she is burning as we trek across the airport, just the Crocs.  Crocs back on feet, we head for the gate where we still have a good half hour before we board our teeny tiny toy plane.  Yes, it's a puddle jumper with very little overhead space and even less leg room.  But we're going to Hershey so I'm not going to complain!  After visiting with Diane for 10 or 20 minutes fall asleep and wake up feeling much perkier.  I sew 6 yoyo's for my YoYoville quilt   http://www.bunnyhilldesigns.com/store/products/details/?product=yoyohome  (Julie is going to teach it a block of the month next year - it is so cute!)   I have never made yoyo's before and it's pretty addicting.  I love the Clover yoyo maker.

We have a lay over of several hours at Chicago O'Hare and we have a wonderful lunch at the bar & grill in the terminal.  Good home style soups and a pretty decent burger.  We especially enjoy Nick, our attractive waiter with a wonderfully deep voice and Chicago accent.

Next, the high point of Chicago O'Hare - the toilets have self-changing seat covers!  You push the button and the cover slides along the seat and rolls up inside as the new cover slides over the seat.  I am particularly impressed with this and am sure the flash coming out of my stall amused quite a few people as I snapped my pictures.  We're in the big city now girls!

Chicago O'Hare Self Changing Toliet Seat Liner

Harrisburg International may not sport self-changing toilet seat liners, but they do have these quaint rocking chairs along the way to the rental car & baggage areas.  Had to take a quick stop for a Kodak moment.

Picked up our awesome Toyota Camry Hybrid - never drove one before but I am in love. I need one of these cars!   And thankfully Diane had packed her GPS and preprogrammed the Hotel Hershey's address because getting there was a very confusing series of ramps, turns, and parkways and by the time we get there I am not sure which way is north, south, east or west .

We arrive at dusk, but even in the low light the hotel is amazing.  I try not to embarrass our group snapping pictures of the lobby and staff and restrain the urge.  Maybe in the morning I can covertly snap a few.  The staff is extensive and definitely the friendliest staff on earth! We are cheerfully greeted, given our wonderful package of free tickets, coupons and events and congratulated as the winners of the Dream Dinner's contest.  Off to our rooms where we have more goodies! 

A chocolate basket and more tickets for activities and events!

After testing the bed

investigating the rooms, discovering nice terry robes in every one's closet and a host of wonderful toiletries, we are tickled to see a scale in each bathroom.   A scale in the bathroom at the Hotel Hershey?  It seems almost criminal.  And even better, look at the brand name on the scale

Maybe it's a wishing scale!

We quickly unpack and head for dinner, a wonderful meal at the Trevi 5, the Hotel Hershey's casual Italian restaurant.   Delicious fresh breads, a fresh greens salad, pancetta & truffle roasted brussel sprouts, house made tagliatelle with grilled chicken, mushrooms, arugula, porcini-cream sauce with a glass (OK, two glasses) of Merlot.  It is rich and delicious.  I am about to explode I am so full.  I know I'm in heaven when our waiter recommends the white chocolate cherry bread pudding for desert.  Total foodgasm!   We spend several hours over dinner and desert and just sitting at the table visiting and getting to know each other.  A very enjoyable evening.

We head back to our room and, I could get used to this, we have had turn-down service while we are out.  Classical music is playing gently from the radio,

a sweet dreams card with Kisses is on the nightstand, our beds are turned down,

 

the TV remote is on a tray on the bed with the next days weather report and a list of fun things to do.  The Hershey elves have even picked up the clothes Karen had left on the bed and artfully draped them over the chair. 
 

This is luxury!

Now it's off to bed so we can get up bright and early, no later than 9:00 or so, enjoy breakfast in the circular dining room, and head into town and then out into the country for the day.

Wish you could all be here with us.